Crispy-bottomed, juicy pork and cabbage dumplings, pan-fried Japanese style and served with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce.
Gyoza are Japan's answer to Chinese jiaozi — thinner-skinned, more garlicky, and always pan-fried to create the iconic crispy bottom. The technique of adding water to the pan mid-cook (steam-fry) ensures the filling cooks through while the bottoms caramelise into a golden crust. They're one of the most ordered dishes in Japanese restaurants worldwide.
Serves 4
Salt shredded cabbage, rest 10 minutes, then squeeze out all moisture with your hands. This prevents the filling from becoming waterlogged.
Combine pork, squeezed cabbage, soy sauce, sesame oil, sake, ginger, garlic, spring onions and white pepper. Mix vigorously in one direction until sticky and cohesive.
Mixing in one direction aligns the proteins and creates a better texture — this is the Japanese technique.
Place 1 tsp filling in the centre of a wrapper. Dampen the edge with water. Fold in half and pleat one side 5–6 times, pressing to seal. Place on a floured board.
Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat. Add gyoza flat-side down. Cook 2 minutes until bases are golden. Add water, immediately cover with a lid. Steam 4–5 minutes until water evaporates.
Uncover, drizzle a little more oil around the edges. Cook 1 more minute until bases are deeply crispy and golden. Serve immediately, bottom-side up.
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Squeeze the cabbage bone-dry — any residual moisture steams the filling from inside and makes it rubbery.
Use a non-stick pan — the crispy bottom will tear if it sticks.
Make in bulk and freeze raw on a tray, then transfer to bags. Cook from frozen with an extra 2 minutes steam.
Vegetarian: replace pork with tofu, shiitake mushrooms and edamame.
Shrimp gyoza: use minced prawn instead of pork.
Raw gyoza freeze for 3 months. Cooked gyoza keep 2 days but lose their crispy bottom.
Gyoza were introduced to Japan by soldiers returning from China after WWII. Japanese cooks adapted the thicker Chinese jiaozi into thinner-skinned, more garlicky dumplings that were pan-fried rather than boiled. Today gyoza are one of Japan's most beloved foods.
The pan wasn't hot enough when you added the gyoza, or you lifted them too early. Let them cook undisturbed until the crust releases naturally.
Yes — boiling for 4–5 minutes gives you soft, tender dumplings similar to Chinese jiaozi. You'll lose the signature crispy bottom, but the filling cooks the same way.
Yes — mix the filling and refrigerate up to a day ahead, or wrap the dumplings and freeze them raw on a tray before transferring to a bag. Cook straight from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the steaming step.
Per serving (250g / 8.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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