Easy Gyoza - Japanese Pork Dumplings
Loaded with pork, cabbage, spring onion and authentic Japanese seasonings, Japanese dumplings are a PINCH to make! Steam fry these tasty pork gyoza until crispy and golden, then serve or freeze for later. Includes tasty gyoza dipping sauce ideas.
Servings 30 dumplings
Calories 68.76kcal
Cost $10
Ingredients
- 30-40 gyoza wrappers round
- 2 tbsp sesame oil for frying
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup water some for sealing the dumplings, and some for steaming
For the Filling
- 300 g ground pork
- 2 cups cabbage napa, chopped
- 2 spring onion / green onion chopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tbsp red miso paste Optional: for extra flavour!
For a quick dipping sauce
- 1 gyoza sauce homemade
For an amped up dipping sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp ponzu
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1/2 spring onion / green onion finely sliced
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds crushed
Instructions
For the Filling
- Place the pork mince, chopped cabbage, spring onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, sugar and garlic salt into a large mixing bowl. Add any extra seasonings to your taste, such as optional spoonful of red miso paste if you’re including it. Mix with your hands until the ingredients are nicely combined.300 g ground pork, 2 cups cabbage, 2 spring onion / green onion, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp fresh ginger, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1 tbsp red miso paste
To Fold the Gyoza
- Take a gyoza wrapper in one hand and top with a spoonful of filling into the centre (around 1 tbsp, but adjust to suit the size of your wrappers if needed). Using your finger, dab a small amount of water all around the edge of the wrapper. This will be your glue.30-40 gyoza wrappers, 1/4 - 1/2 cup water
- For the authentic gyoza wrapper shape - begin by folding the wrapper over the filling to make a semicircle, then pinch one corner with your fingers to seal. Gather more of the wrapper and overlap your first section slightly to make a dart, then pinch gently to seal. Continue until the gyoza is fully sealed (about 4 darts), then repeat for your remaining gyoza. Alternatively you can use a dumpling press to make this process easier.
- For an easier fold - If you don’t want to do the more traditional darts / pleated folds, you can do a simple straight edge instead. Just fold the wrappers over and seal into a half moon shape. Then pick them up and then tap the straight edge on your work surface to create the flat ‘bottom’ for frying.
To Cook
- Heat the sesame oil in a large flat frying pan. Add the gyoza and fry on a high heat until the bottoms turn a toasty golden brown (1-2 mins).2 tbsp sesame oil
- Reduce the heat to low and add around 1/4 cup water into the pan. Be careful – the oil will spit if it’s too hot. Be ready to use the frying pan lid as a shield. Cover and steam the gyoza on low heat until all the water has evaporated and the gyoza are cooked through (around 2-3 mins).1/4 - 1/2 cup water
For the Dipping Sauce(s)
- Choose your favourite from the above ingredients list (or why not do both?). Add all ingredients for your chosen sauce into a small dipping bowl, give it a stir and serve alongside your freshly cooked gyoza dumplings.1 gyoza sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp ponzu, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 spring onion / green onion, 1 tsp white sesame seeds
Video
Notes
- Wrappers - If you can only find square wrappers, you can still use them - just use a round cookie cutter to cut them into circles. Cover your wrappers with a damp towel while working to keep them from drying out.
- Filling - Always use your hands to mix the filling as this will give you the best texture and get all those ingredients evenly mixed. You can use food-prep suitable gloves if you prefer to keep your hands clean.
- Frying / Spitting Oil - Be extra careful when cooking the gyoza. If the oil is hot it will spit when you add the water. Use your frying pan lid as a shield!
- Keep Fresh - Either Cook or freeze your homemade gyoza straight after preparing them. This will ensure the wrappers don’t become soggy from the moisture in the filling.
- Don’t Overcook - Just 3-4 mins should be enough to cook the dumplings through perfectly.
- Easier Folding Method - If you don’t want to do the more traditional darts / pleated folds, you can do a simple straight edge instead. Just fold the wrappers over and seal into a half moon shape. Then pick them up and then tap the straight edge on your work surface to create the flat ‘bottom’ for frying.
- Variations:
- Tweak the Flavour - Get creative with fillings. Switch up the protein, add grated carrot, or add red miso paste or shiitake mushroom for extra umami flavour.
- Add Heat - You can add Japanese rayu (aka La Yu - sesame oil blended with chilli powder) in with the filling mixture or add it to the dipping sauces for an extra burst of heat and flavour.
- Veggies - To make things even easier, swap the cabbage for finely chopped coleslaw mix.
Nutrition
Calories: 68.76kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.62g | Protein: 2.85g | Fat: 3.86g | Saturated Fat: 1.04g | Cholesterol: 7.88mg | Sodium: 230.85mg | Potassium: 51.46mg | Fiber: 0.19g | Sugar: 0.48g | Vitamin A: 39.05IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 9.44mg | Iron: 0.51mg