Juicy and crispy gyoza paired with a cold beer – perfection. I absolutely LOVE making this gyoza, it’s extra crispy and juicy to thanks to a couple tricks I’ve picked up a long the way.
These Japanese dumplings hold a special place in my heart for two reasons. Number one, they’re delicious. Number two – they take me back to my childhood.
When we moved to the UK we didn’t have much access to Japanese ingredients, but something we could make without an Asian supermarket was Gyoza!
To this day, making gyoza is something I treasure – it feels like therapy. For me, being mixed race means feeling some level of homesickness at all times, but this recipe crosses that bridge. For me as a child, and now as an adult.
What is Gyoza?
Gyoza is Japan’s spin on the Chinese dumpling – Jiaozi. There are differences in the thickness of the wrapper and the filling, but the general idea is the same.
The filling is made out of pork mince which is mixed with various fresh ingredients like garlic, ginger, spring onions, as well as other seasonings and is parcelled up into thin wrappers.
There are many different types – with variations on fillings and cooking methods. This recipe is for yaki-gyoza, which is where it has been fried on the bottom but steamed on the top. The best of both worlds!
Three Top Tips
- Tofu – my secret ingredient. Tofu gives the filling a crumblier and softer texture.
- The fattier, the better. Unfortunately, there is no way around this fundamental truth. Fattier pork mince makes for super juicy and delicious dumplings. You can use leaner mince, but it will result in less joy.
- Fry on its side for extra crispiness. This is not the most common way to cook gyoza but it does mean you have 50% crispiness and 50% juicy plump-ness, which is my kinda ratio.
What to eat with Gyoza?
These dumplings are super versatile and can be enjoyed in a few ways. I like to make a batch and freeze them, then I can add them to a simple Miso Soup for a quick meal. They are delicious with a bowl of rice and a side of Yamitsuki Cabbage.
Gyoza
Ingredients
- 1 packet gyoza wrappers (approx 40)
Fillings Ingredients
- 400 g fatty pork mince 10% fat or above
- 100 g tofu
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3-4 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 15 g ginger (minced)
- 200 g cabbage (green or napa works well)
- 2 spring onions (finely chopped)
Instructions
Making the Gyoza
- If wrappers are frozen, make sure to take them out the freezer to defrost before folding.
- Mix all the ingredients together for the filling and set aside.
- To fold the gyoza, you will need a small bowl of water to act as the "glue" to stick everything together.
- Take one wrapper and place a tablespoon of the filling into the middle. Dip your finger into the water and run it along the inner edge of the half the wrapper.
- To fold – take the middle section of the dry side of the wrapper, fold a small section of it and stick it down to the wet side. Repeat this along the rest of the dumpling.
- Repeat until you have no more wrappers left, this recipe makes approximately 40 gyoza.
Cooking Instructions
- Heat a frying pan on a medium high heat and add a good glug (approx 1-2 tbsps) of neutral oil.
- Add the gyoza in the pan, making sure to leave a small gap in between them all. Fry for about 2 minutes, or until golden on the bottoms.
- Take 2 tbsps of water and add it to the pan then quickly close the lid. Steam for about 5-8 minutes.
- Once the meat has cooked through, take off the lid and let the gyoza crisp up before serving.
- Serve with a side of Gyoza dipping sauce (soy sauce and rice vinegar, ratio is based of preference).
