How to Fold Gyoza (2024)

Learn two ways to fold gyoza (Japanese pan-fried dumplings or potstickers) at home using my easy tutorial with step-by-step instructions and photos. Let’s make delicious gyoza from scratch using store-bought wrappers!

Today, let me teach you how to fold gyoza or Japanese pan-fried potstickers at home!I’ve been folding gyoza since middle school and probably can make them with my eyes closed. My mom and I spent many evenings wrapping gyoza in her kitchen and I have a fond memory of our time. I hope you get to have those kitchen moments with your family and friends. This simple task brings us together and it’s a wonderful way to connect them.

Gyoza Recipes on JOC

Gyoza are very popular in Japanese cooking! You can customize different gyoza fillings with pork, shrimp, and napa cabbage and season with green onions (scallions), nira (garlic chives), and ginger. They include recipes for simple dipping sauces with vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, miso, and/or chili oil (ra-yu or layu), to your taste.

I have several gyoza recipes (one for vegans, too) with helpful cooking tips that are popular among my readers.If you haven’t tried them yet, please check out the full recipes:

• Classic Gyoza
• Vegetable Gyoza (vegan/vegetarian)
• Napa Cabbage Gyoza
• Gyoza with Wings
• Gyoza with Miso Dipping Sauce

How to Fold Gyoza

While Chinese pan-fried dumplings are folded several ways, Japanese gyoza use just two methods. One is to fold pleatstoward one side(method 2 in the recipe card below) and the other istoward the center(method 1). I’ve been mostly using Method 1 for over 30 years!

Method 1: Pleats Toward the Center

1. Hold the dough wrapper in your non-dominant hand and fold the wrapper in halfover the filling.
2. Pinch the wrapper together at the top centerwith your thumb and index finger (but don’t seal yet!) to make a semi-circle or half-moon shape.
3. Starting at the top,make pleats from the center toward the right.
4. After 3–4 pleats, continue with the left side of the gyoza.Make pleats from the center toward the left.
5. Press each folded pleat tightlyagainst the wrapper on the back to seal using your other thumb and index finger.
6. Press the pleats andshape the gyoza.

Method 2: Pleats To One Side

1. Repeatstep 1 above,making a half-moon fold over the filling in the middle of the wrapper.
2. On the top part of the wrapper, make apleat starting from the right and moving toward the left,on the top part of the wrapper. Useyour left thumb and index finger to do this.
3. Once you make each pleat,press it down with your right thumb.Move toward the left and repeat. Continue until there is no more wrapper left.
4. Press the pleatsandshape the gyoza.

How to Store Gyoza

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or sprinkle it with potato starch (or cornstarch) so that gyoza won’t stick to the baking sheet. Place the gyoza flat side down and space them out. Cover with plastic wrap. Flash-freeze until they are firm and frozen. Then, take them out from the freezer and transfer them to space-efficient resealable freezer bags. You can store them for up to 2–3 months in the freezer.

How to Make Gyoza Wrappers at Home

If you can’t get gyoza wrappers in Japanese or Asian grocery stores, make homemade gyoza wrappers. It’s fun and quite satisfying to be able to make your own wrappers at home withjust 3 ingredients—flour, salt, and water!

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