Gyoza is the Japanese take on dumplings inspired by the Chinese version jiaozi (餃子). It is a popular food in Japan, made by wrapping a mixture of ground pork, cabbage, chives, or other ingredients inside a thinly rolled piece of dough. Gyoza can be pan-fried, boiled, steamed, or even deep-fried and is usually served with a soy-based dipping sauce.
Originating in China, gyoza was introduced to Japan during the Edo period (1603-1867). In China, boiled gyoza is the most common way to cook gyoza, whereas in Japan, yaki-gyoza, or pan-fried gyoza is the most popular way to enjoy gyoza. The reason why preparation styles may differ is that in China, people like to boil a lot of gyoza at once and eat it as a main dish, while in Japan, gyoza is often eaten as a side dish with rice.
Common filling ingredients for gyoza include chives, cabbage, napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Minced pork is the most common ground meat of choice, but some restaurants or households may mix in minced chicken. You can use any of these ingredients or your favorite ingredients to make the filling for gyoza.
Gyoza is usually served at Japanese ramen stores and Chinese restaurants. They are often sold at street food events and festivals too. Frozen, pre-made gyoza is also sold in almost every grocery and convenience store in Japan, but homemade gyoza is always the best.
Making gyoza at home is a great activity to involve your family in, as everyone can help to wrap the gyoza and make their iconic shape. You can buy pre-made gyoza wrappers in the refrigerated section in Asian grocery stores, but making the wrappers from scratch makes the gyoza extra special.Another great thing about gyoza is that it is super freezer friendly. You can pre-make many gyoza ahead of time, store them in the freezer, and then fry them up whenever you want.
In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make delicious gyoza at home. We already have a recipe for gyoza wrappers, which you can check forhereif you’re interested, or use pre-made wrappers from the grocery store.
Get your whole family involved in the kitchen and enjoy making gyoza together!
