Super Juicy! Homemade Gyoza: How to Make & Pan-Fry

Name: Super Juicy! Homemade Gyoza: How to Make & Pan-Fry
Yield: Makes about 40 large gyoza or 50–60 regular size
Ingredients: About 2 cups (300 grams) total of cabbage, garlic chives, mushrooms, or other vegetables you like; 10 1/2 oz (300 grams) ground pork; 2 tablespoons each sake and toasted sesame oil; 2 teaspoons (or 2 tablespoons if using chicken bouillon powder) S&B Shantan, Weipa, or chicken bouillon powder; 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger; 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar; 1/3 teaspoon black pepper; 40 –60 gyoza wrappers; 1/4 –2/3 cup water (50–150 ml)

白いエプロンのクマ @shiro_apron

Crispy wrappers and juicy filling! After many test batches, tweaking the seasonings and cooking method, I finally perfected these gyoza.
Recipe background:
My family loves gyoza, so I set out to master them—I've made them about 20 times in the past two months. Gyoza are a fantastic dish because you can change up the filling for different nutrients, and there's a lot to experiment with in wrapping and cooking. Here’s the result of my research so far.

白いエプロンのクマ @shiro_apron

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Ingredients

Makes about 40 large gyoza or 50–60 regular size

About 2 cups (300 grams) total of cabbage, garlic chives, mushrooms, or other vegetables you like
10 1/2 oz (300 grams)ground pork
2 tablespoonseach sake and toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons(or 2 tablespoons if using chicken bouillon powder) S&B Shantan, Weipa, or chicken bouillon powder
2 teaspoonsgrated fresh ginger
1 teaspooneach salt and sugar
1/3 teaspoonblack pepper
40–60 gyoza wrappers
1/4–2/3 cup water (50–150 ml)

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Steps

1

Prep 1: Use a nonstick skillet that’s in good condition (it doesn’t have to be expensive—having one just for gyoza or crepes is helpful).
2

Prep 2: Let the gyoza wrappers come to room temperature (this makes them easier to work with).
3

Prep 3: Set up a gas stove or portable butane burner. (If using induction, use the thickest skillet you have to avoid uneven browning.)
4

Weigh and finely chop all the vegetables. (A food processor makes this easier, but don’t chop too finely or the veggies will release too much water—keep them a bit coarse.)
5

Mix all the ingredients marked with ★ together well. Use a spatula or food processor to keep the mixture cool and easy to handle.
6

Add the water and mix well. The more water you add, the juicier the gyoza will be. Add water a little at a time until the mixture is just soft enough that you could form a hamburger patty.
7

Add the chopped vegetables and mix with a spatula or spoon.
8

If the filling is too soft to wrap easily after adding the vegetables, chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm it up.
9

Moisten one edge of each gyoza wrapper with water using your finger.
10

Place the filling on the wrapper. More filling tastes better, but don’t overfill or they’ll be hard to seal.
11

Wrap the gyoza however you like. (I hold the wrapper in my left hand, use my right index finger to press in the filling and stretch the wrapper, and use my right middle finger to make pleats.)
12

Pinch the pleats tightly closed so the juices don’t leak out when cooking.
13

Arrange the gyoza closely in the skillet and drizzle with a generous amount of sesame oil (about 2–3 tablespoons, not included in ingredient list). You want enough oil for a shallow fry.
14

Cook over medium to high heat until the bottoms are golden brown. Check occasionally to get the perfect color.
15

Once browned to your liking, add 1/2 cup (100 ml) water (not included in ingredient list). For extra crispiness, you can mix 1 tablespoon flour into the water if you like.
16

Cover and cook until most of the water has evaporated. Remove the lid, turn the heat to medium, and cook until all the water is gone.
17

Place a plate over the skillet, carefully pour off any remaining oil (be careful not to burn yourself),
18

Flip the skillet to invert the gyoza onto the plate—done!