Gyoza - How to make tasty Japanese dumplings! | My Chef Recipe (2024)

• January 21, 2021
• Martin Schreiner
• One Comment

The History of Gyoza

Gyozas are dumplings with a thin wrapper of wheat flour and a finely textured filling made of vegetables, meat or seafood, that can be boiled, steamed, or fried. Dumplings exist in different versions in nearly every part of the world, and it is sometimes hard to tell where they originated and how they influenced each other. Gyozas come from ancient China, and their Chinese name is Jiaozi.

There are several theories about where the name Jiaozi originates but, the most supported theory attributes the invention of Jiaozi to a Chinese medicine practitioner called Zhang Zhongjing from ancient China. He tried to help poor people during the winter, which suffered from frostbite, mainly around their ears, so he cooked meat and a few medicinal herbs, shredded them, and wrapped it in pieces of dough. He shaped them like ears and boiled them, and everyone who was sick received two. The recipe was adapted, and the dumplings soon were consumed across China.

Japanese soldiers became familiar with Jiaoziin World War II during their occupation in China. When they returned home to Japan, they recreated Jiaozi,and so the Gyoza was born.

Today you can find Gyozas in Japanese Restaurants in all different variations around the world.

Where to find Gyoza when in Japan!

Different Gyoza Fillings

Traditionally classic Potstickers are filled with pork meat, but there exists a big variety of fillings, and once you master the technique of folding, you can be creative and make your version.

The classic filling consists of ground pork meat, cabbage, nira (Chines chives), garlic, soy sauce, sake, and sesame oil.

If you do not like pork meat or want to experiment with other fillings, here are some other examples:

• Shrimp (shrimps, garlic, ginger, coriander, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil)
• Vegetarian (tofu, sh*take, cabbage, chives, soybean sprouts, soy sauce, sesame oil)
• Beef (ground beef meat, red onions, garlic, coriander, soy sauce, sesame oil)
• Chicken (ground chicken meat or leftover shredded cooked chicken, cabbage, chives, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, sesame oil)
• Duck (cooked and shredded duck meat, hoisin sauce, chives, shichimi togarashi)

Try my recipe for steamed bao buns!

Homemade vs. Store-Bougth Wrappers

Nowadays, it is relatively easy to find Gyoza wrappers in Asian grocery stores, but if you can not find any or want to try something new, I will show you how to make your own wrappers from scratch.

If you buy Gyoza wrappers in the store, take care that you do not pick up wonton wrappers, which are firmer, thicker and, often chewier.

If you do not want to use your store-bought wrappers right away, make sure that you keep them in the freezer. Take them out of the freezer the day before and let them defrost in the fridge to use the next day. Once defrosted, you can keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you open the package, try to use everything as fast as possible and always cover them with film again because they dry out quickly and can not be used anymore once they do.

Making Gyoza wrappers yourself is not so difficult and absolutely fun. You only need a handful of ingredients (flour, corn starch, water, and salt), and the process is not as difficult as it seems.

If you want to try making your own wrappers see the recipe here.

How to make your own Gyoza wrappers

The Folding Technique

There are various ways to fold Gyoza wrappers, but I will show you my favorite one, which I consider the easiest. After some practice, you will master the technique quickly and make your Potstickers like a professional.

I will show you step-by-step how to fold your Gyozas in the recipe. While you are folding, keep the remaining wrappers under a damp kitchen towel to keep them from drying out. Once they are closed, put them on a tray lined with parchment paper and cover them with plastic film.

If you are not going to cook them the same day, freeze them on a tray with some space between them. Once they are frozen, you can keep them together in a bag in the freezer.

Which Dipping Sauce to serve with Gyoza

The easiest and most traditional way to serve these delicious dumplings is with a dipping sauce made of soy sauce and rice vinegar. If you like it spicy, you also can add some Japanese chili oil (la-yu). When you prefer a less salty version, use light soy sauce.

If you want to try some other dipping sauces, here are some ideas:

• Try adding some grated ginger and garlic.
• Try with ponzu (soy sauce with citrus fruits).
• Try adding shichimi togarashi (7-spice chili powder from Japan).
• Try hoisin or oyster sauce.
• Make a quick dip by blending silken tofu with kimchee sauce.
• Make a mayonnaise with wasabi paste and use some sesame seed oil to mount.

How to cook Gyoza the right way

There exist different ways of cooking these dumplings in Japan, like Sui Gyoza (boiled and mostly served in broth), Age Gyoza (deep-fried), or Mushi Gyoza (steamed). The most common method is called Yaki Gyoza, which involves frying and then steaming in a pan.

They are first fried in a pan until brown on the bottom sides, then a small amount of water is added before the pan is covered with a lid to steam the dumplings until they are cooked. At the end the lid is removed again, to continue frying until they are crispy on the bottom.

Like this, the potstickers stay juicy inside, the top part stays silky and soft, while the bottom part gets golden brown and crispy.