Homemade Japanese Gyoza: Pork Dumplings with Crispy Bottoms

There is something wonderfully satisfying about making dumplings from scratch. Preparing the dough, mixing a flavourful filling and folding each little parcel by hand takes a bit of time, but it is also a lovely way to slow down in the kitchen.

Gyoza are Japanese dumplings inspired by Chinese jiaozi. They are usually filled with pork and vegetables, then cooked so that the bottoms become golden and crisp while the tops steam gently under a lid. The contrast between the soft wrapper and the caramelised base is one of the things that makes them so irresistible.

For this homemade gyoza recipe, I make the wrappers from scratch using just flour and boiling water. The pork filling is flavoured with cabbage, spring onions, fresh ginger and soy sauce, while a simple dipping sauce made with soy sauce, rice vinegar and chilli oil adds a tangy, spicy finish.

Making the wrappers and folding the dumplings takes practice, but they do not need to look perfect to taste delicious. You can also prepare a batch ahead of time and freeze the uncooked gyoza, making them a convenient option for a future meal.

Serve these Japanese pork dumplings hot from the pan, with their crispy bottoms facing upwards and the dipping sauce on the side.

Homemade Japanese Gyoza – Pork and Cabbage Dumplings

Yield: About 40 gyoza
Prep time: 60 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: About 8–12 minutes per batch

Ingredients

For the wrappers

• 240 g plain flour
• 180 g boiling water
• Potato starch, for dusting and rolling

For the filling

• 200 g ground pork
• 160 g white cabbage
• 60 g spring onions
• 2 cm fresh ginger, grated
• 1 garlic clove (optional)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sake (optional)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil or neutral vegetable oil

For the dipping sauce

• 50 g soy sauce
• 40 g rice vinegar
• Chilli oil, to taste

For cooking

• A little neutral vegetable oil
• Water, as needed
• A small drizzle of sesame oil, to finish (optional)

Method

Make the gyoza wrappers

1. Place the flour in a heatproof bowl and pour in the boiling water. Stir with a spatula until the mixture has cooled enough to handle safely.
2. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover with cling film or a clean, slightly damp tea towel and leave to rest for about 30 minutes.

Prepare the filling

3. Finely chop the cabbage and spring onions. Mince the garlic, if using, and grate the fresh ginger.
4. Place the vegetables in a bowl with the ground pork. Mix thoroughly, then add the soy sauce, sake if using, oil, salt and black pepper. Combine until the filling is evenly seasoned.

Shape the dumplings

5. Divide the dough into small portions of approximately 10–12 g each. Roll each piece into a thin, round wrapper using a rolling pin. Dust the work surface and rolling pin lightly with potato starch to prevent sticking.
6. Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of each wrapper, leaving enough space around the edge to seal it. Avoid overfilling if you find the wrappers difficult to close.
7. Fold the wrapper over the filling and seal the edges, making small pleats along one side if you like. Press firmly to close each dumpling. Keep the finished gyoza covered while you shape the remaining ones so that the wrappers do not dry out.

Cook the gyoza

8. Heat a little neutral vegetable oil in a large frying pan with a lid. Arrange the gyoza upright in the pan, with the sealed edges facing upwards and their flat bases touching the pan.
9. Fry for about 1 minute, until the bottoms begin to turn golden. Carefully add a small amount of water, roughly enough to cover the bottom of the pan, then cover immediately with a lid.
10. Let the gyoza steam until the filling is cooked through and the wrappers are tender, usually around 5–8 minutes depending on their size. If the water evaporates before they are ready, add a little more.
11. Remove the lid and allow any remaining water to evaporate completely. Let the bases crisp up again, then finish with a small drizzle of sesame oil if desired.

Make the dipping sauce

12. Mix the soy sauce and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Add chilli oil to taste and serve alongside the hot gyoza. If you prefer something simpler, plain soy sauce works well too.

Notes

• Keep the wrappers covered. Homemade dumpling dough can dry out quickly, so cover the dough and finished wrappers while working.
• Use potato starch to prevent sticking. A light dusting makes the wrappers easier to roll without adding too much extra flour.
• Avoid overfilling. A generous filling is lovely, but leaving enough room to seal the edges will help prevent the dumplings from opening during cooking.
• Freeze extra gyoza. Arrange the uncooked dumplings in a single layer on a tray and freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. They can be cooked straight from frozen without thawing; add extra cooking time and check that the pork filling is thoroughly cooked.
• Cook the filling safely. Ground pork should be fully cooked in the centre before serving.