In case you don’t know, gyoza are Japanese dumplings. They’re filled with ground pork, cabbage, garlic, and ginger, and they’re little bites of AWESOMENESS!
My family loves to go out for sushi, and though I don’t really like it (sushi), I go with them and order gyoza. It’s actually an appetizer, but I can eat it as a meal.
Gyoza can be pan fried, deep fried, or steamed. In this post, I’ll be pan frying because that’s my favorite.
Pan fried gyoza embody the best of so many wonderful sensations. The top skins are steamed, soft and tender, the bottoms are fried crisp, and the insides are bursting with flavor … so many exciting attributes in one little dumpling!
- 1 package (52 sheets) gyoza wrappers (If you can’t find the round ones, buy squares and cut with a circle cookie cutter)
- 1 pound ground pork
- 4-5 leaves Napa cabbage
- 4 green onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil for frying each *batch gyoza
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil for frying each *batch gyoza
- ¼ cup water for frying each *batch gyoza
- sliced green onion for garnish (optional)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 green onion, sliced
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Gyoza Directions
- Remove white stem from center of cabbage leaves, and microwave on high power for 1 minute. Finely chop.
- Mince green onions and garlic, and grate fresh ginger.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground pork, cabbage, green onions, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and pepper, and mix thoroughly with your hands.
- Put a small amount of meat mixture (about 1 teaspoon) on the center of each gyoza wrapper. Dip your fingertip in water, and wet the entire edge. Fold one half up over the filling, and line it up with the other side. Pinch it together in the middle. Starting from one side, make 3 small pleats with the top piece of the wrapper, pressing it firmly against the flat edge behind. Repeat with the other side, making the pleats face the opposite direction. Press the entire edge firmly to be sure that it’s sealed.
- Place each stuffed gyoza on a parchment-lined sheet, and cover them so they don’t dry out while you’re making the rest. At this point they can be refrigerated for a few hours before cooking, or they can be frozen.
- Heat canola and sesame oils in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the gyoza into the hot pan with the pleated edge up. Fry for about 3 minutes, until the bottoms are brown. Add water, and immediately cover. Allow to steam for 3 minutes or until the water cooks away, and then remove the lid. Fry for 1-2 more minutes to allow the bottoms to crisp back up. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
- Combine all ingredients and mix.
- *One batch is as many as you can fit in your skillet in a single layer. I can fit about 18, so it takes 3 batches for me to cook this recipe.
Fresh ingredients make a HUGE difference, so be sure that you have them, especially ginger and garlic.
Wash, dry, and cut out the white stem from
4-5 leaves Napa cabbage
Microwave the leaves on high for 1 minute to partially cook.
Finely chop the wilted cabbage, and then mince
4 green onions
2 cloves garlic
and grate
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
In a large mixing bowl combine
1 pound ground pork
4-5 chopped Napa cabbage leaves
4 minced green onions
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Use your hands to mix and knead all ingredients together.
The process of kneading will tenderize the meat, so do a thorough job. You want it to be sticky.
Put a small amount of meat mixture (about 1 teaspoon) on the center of each gyoza wrapper.
My local grocery store doesn’t carry them, so I buy the square egg roll wrappers, and use a cookie cutter to make the circles.
(These circles are 3.5 inches in diameter)
Now comes the fun part.
1. Dip your fingertip in water, and wet the entire edge.
2. Fold one half up over the filling, and line it up with the other side. Pinch it together in the middle.
3. Starting from one side, make 3 small pleats with the top piece of the wrapper, pressing it firmly against the flat edge behind.
4. Repeat with the other side, making the pleats face the opposite direction. Press the entire edge firmly to be sure that it’s sealed.
They should look like this. The fronts are pleated, the backs are smooth, and the bottoms will be flattened for them to sit on.
Place each stuffed gyoza on a parchment-lined sheet, and …
… keep them covered so they don’t dry out while you’re making the rest. (I lightly sprinkle paper towels with water, and cover with that).
At this point they can be refrigerated for a few hours before cooking, or they can be frozen.
** For instructions to freeze or cook after freezing, scroll to the end. 🙂
Before frying make the dipping sauce as follows:
In a small bowl combine the following, and mix thoroughly
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 green onion, sliced
½ teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Set aside for a few minutes.
When you’re ready to cook the gyoza, warm a large skillet over medium heat, and add
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Heat until oils begin to shimmer.
Place a single layer of gyoza into the hot pan (this is one batch) with the pleated edge up, and …..
… fry for about 3 minutes, until the bottoms are brown.
Add
¼ cup water
and …
… immediately cover tightly. Steam for 3 minutes or until water boils away.
Remove lid, and fry for another 2 minutes to allow the bottoms to crisp back up.
Garnish with sliced green onion, and …
… serve immediately …
… with the dipping sauce.
So DELICIOUS!
** If you’re freezing some, here’s the method.
Line them up (with space in between so they don’t touch) on the parchment-lined sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly, and freeze for 3 hours. Then transfer them to a freezer bag.
Squeeze out as much air as possible, seal, and return to the freezer. They’ll be fine for up to 3 months.
You can pan fry them from their frozen state. Follow the same directions, except reduce the heat in the skillet to medium low, fry for 5 minutes, steam for 7 minutes (you may need to add a little more water), and crisp back up for another 2-3 minutes.
Enjoy!