Pan-fried pork and cabbage gyoza with plenty of ginger and scallion, crisp on the bottom and juicy inside.
Gyoza are the Japanese take on Chinese jiaozi, adapted over decades into something thinner-skinned, more garlicky, and almost always pan-fried to get the signature crisp base with a steamed, tender top — a technique called yaki gyoza. Ginger and scallion are essential aromatics here, cutting through the richness of the pork filling. The filling needs a firm hand: cabbage is salted and squeezed to remove excess water first, since a wet filling will blow out the wrapper or make the dumplings soggy instead of juicy. The pan-fry-then-steam method — searing the bottoms, then adding water and covering to steam the tops — is what gives gyoza their two different textures in one bite. Serve them hot from the pan with a simple soy-vinegar dipping sauce, ideally at sunset with cold beer, the way they're eaten at countless izakaya across Japan.
Serves 4
Toss chopped cabbage with salt and let sit 10 minutes, then squeeze firmly in a clean towel to remove as much water as possible.
Skipping this step is the most common reason gyoza filling turns watery.
Combine pork, drained cabbage, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and sake. Mix in one direction until slightly sticky and well combined.
Place a scant tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Wet the edge with water, fold in half and pleat one side, pressing to seal tightly.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange gyoza flat-side down in a tight circle. Fry undisturbed 2-3 minutes until golden brown on the bottom.
Pour in the water, immediately cover, and steam 5-6 minutes until the wrappers turn translucent and the filling is cooked through.
Uncover and let any remaining water evaporate, 1-2 minutes, until the bottoms crisp back up. Mix the dipping sauce ingredients and serve alongside.
Squeeze the cabbage hard — you should get a visible amount of liquid out before it's ready to mix into the filling.
Fry gyoza in a single, tightly packed layer so the bottoms brown evenly and don't shift once you add water.
Keep unused wrappers covered with a damp towel while you work; they dry out and crack fast.
Use ground chicken or shrimp instead of pork for a lighter filling.
Make a vegetarian version with finely chopped mushrooms, tofu and extra cabbage.
Boil instead of pan-frying for suigyoza (water dumplings) served in a light broth.
Uncooked gyoza freeze well: arrange on a tray until solid, then bag them and cook straight from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes of steaming. Cooked leftovers keep refrigerated 2 days; reheat in a dry skillet to recrisp.
Gyoza arrived in Japan from China in the mid-20th century, particularly after soldiers returning from northern China brought the dish back, and it was adapted with thinner wrappers, more garlic and ginger, and the now-standard pan-fried yaki gyoza style that differs from the boiled Chinese original.
The pan likely wasn't hot enough before adding the dumplings, or wasn't well-oiled. Use a nonstick skillet, make sure the oil is shimmering before adding the gyoza, and don't move them until the bottoms have set.
Yes, the raw filling keeps refrigerated for up to a day; wrap the dumplings just before cooking for the best texture in the wrapper.
A classic base is 3 parts soy sauce to 2 parts rice vinegar, with a few drops of chile oil or rayu if you like heat — adjust to taste.
Per serving (260g / 9.2 oz) · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.
