If you’re a fan of dumplings, you’ll love gyoza, Japanese dumplings! Crispy on the bottom, juicy inside, and full of flavor. Gyoza is one of Japan’s most beloved comfort foods, often enjoyed at home, ramen shops, and izakaya pubs. In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make homemade gyoza with a simple pork and cabbage filling. Don’t worry, it’s easier than it looks, and I’ll guide you through each step so you can enjoy fresh, restaurant-style gyoza right from your kitchen.

Pan-fried gyoza served on a plate with dipping sauce

Ingredients

Filling:

3 ½ cups finely chopped cabbage (about ¾ lb / 350 g)
¼ medium onion (about ½ cup finely chopped, ~2 oz / 65 g)
3 green onions, chopped
½ lb ground pork (about 1 cup / 225 g)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of black pepper
2 tablespoon sake
3 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon ground garlic
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Wrappers:

1 package gyoza wrappers (about 10 oz, ~50 sheets)
2 tablespoon water (for sealing edges)

Dipping sauce:

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2–3 drops Layu (Japanese chili sesame oil)

Ingredients for homemade gyoza including cabbage, ground pork, onion, green onions, garlic, ginger, roasted sesame oil and corn starch

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables
Remove the core of the cabbage and chop it finely. Then, finely chop the green onions and onion. Grate the garlic and ginger.

Removing the core from cabbage for gyoza filling

Slicing cabbage before chopping for gyoza filling

2. Make the filling
In a large bowl, combine ground pork with the chopped vegetables, garlic, and ginger. Add cornstarch, toasted sesame oil, salt, black pepper, sake, and water. Mix very well with your hands or a spoon until the mixture is sticky and well blended—this stickiness helps the filling hold together.

Chopped vegetables, ground pork, and seasonings prepared for gyoza

Mixing gyoza filling ingredients by hand in a large bowl

3. Fill the wrappers
Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each gyoza wrapper. Use your fingertip to lightly wet the edges of the wrapper with water. This helps the wrapper seal tightly without tearing.

Placing pork filling onto a gyoza wrapper

Wetting gyoza wrapper edges with a finger before folding

Then fold in half, and pleat 4–6 times while sealing tightly so there are no gaps. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.

Folding gyoza wrapper in half around the filling

Making the first pleat on a gyoza wrapper

Gyoza with unsealed pleats before final folding

Folded gyozas on a cutting board ready to cook

4. Cook the gyoza
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. (If not using non-stick, lightly oil the skillet before placing the gyozas to prevent sticking.) Arrange about 20–22 gyozas in the skillet without touching each other.

gyozas arranged in a skillet in a circle

5. Steam the gyoza
Pour in ½ cup water and cover with a lid, then steam until about 90% of the water has evaporated (3–4 minutes). Remove the lid and let the remaining water evaporate.

Pouring water into the skillet to steam gyoza

Gyozas being steamed under a lid in a skillet

6. Crisp the bottoms
Drizzle a little oil into the skillet and continue cooking until the bottoms of the gyoza are crispy and golden brown.

Drizzling oil into the skillet after steaming gyoza

Crispy pan-fried gyoza showing golden brown bottoms

7. Serve
Serve hot with gyoza dipping sauce.

Recipe Tips

Keep wrappers covered: Gyoza wrappers dry out quickly. Cover them with a damp kitchen towel while working to keep them soft and easy to fold.

Don’t overfill: About 1 tablespoon of filling is plenty—too much makes sealing difficult and may cause them to burst while cooking. You can adjust the amount of filling to your preference. Using a smaller amount of filling makes wrapping easier, especially for beginners.

Freeze for later: If you’re not cooking the gyoza immediately, place them on a tray so they don’t touch, then freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag. No need to defrost—just cook from frozen, adding a little extra water and steaming 1–2 minutes longer.

Freshly wrapped gyozas arranged on a tray ready to freeze

Print Recipe

Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings)

Homemade gyoza with a savory pork and vegetable filling, crispy on the bottom and juicy inside. Easy to make from scratch, perfect for dinner or freezing for a quick meal later!

Prep Time40

Cook Time7

Servings: 50 pieces

Author: Grace

Ingredients

For the filling

3 ½ finely chopped cabbage (about ¾ lb / 350 g)
¼ medium onion (about ½ cup finely chopped, ~2 oz / 65 g)
3 green onions, chopped
½ lb ground pork (about 1 cup / 225 g)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper
2 tablespoon sake
3 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon ground garlic
1 tsp ground ginger

For the wrappers

1 package Myojo gyoza wrappers (about 10 oz, ~50 sheets)
2 tablespoon water (for sealing edges)

For the dipping sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2-3 drops Layu (Japanese chili sesame oil)

Instructions

Prepare the vegetablesRemove the core of the cabbage and chop it finely. Finely chop the green onions and onion. Grate the garlic and ginger.
Make the fillingIn a large bowl, combine ground pork with the chopped vegetables, garlic, and ginger. Add cornstarch, toasted sesame oil, salt, black pepper, sake, and water. Mix very well with your hands or a spoon until the mixture is sticky and well blended—this stickiness helps the filling hold together.
Fill the wrappersPlace about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each gyoza wrapper. Use your fingertip to lightly wet the edges of the wrapper with water. This helps the wrapper seal tightly without tearing. Then fold in half, and pleat 4–6 times while sealing tightly so there are no gaps. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
Cook the gyozaHeat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. (If not using non-stick, lightly oil the skillet before placing the gyozas to prevent sticking.) Arrange about 20–22 gyozas in the skillet without touching each other.
Steam the gyozaPour in ½ cup water and cover with a lid. Steam until about 90% of the water has evaporated (3–4 minutes). Remove the lid and let the remaining water evaporate.
Crisp the bottomsDrizzle a little oil into the skillet and continue cooking until the bottoms of the gyoza are crispy and golden brown.
ServeServe hot with gyoza dipping sauce.