Easy Pork and Cabbage Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings)
This is my go-to dumpling recipe, using pork and cabbage. Feel free to make your own variations on the filling!
Servings: 40 dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/4 head napa cabbage
- 2-3 stalks green onion
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1-2 packages store bought dumpling skin (can use homemade too)
Instructions
- Give the cabbage, green onions, and garlic a rough chop.
- Add grated ginger and dump everything in the food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are very finely sliced. (Alternatively, you can slice everything by hand).
- Add pork, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Either mix by hand or in the food processor (if big enough to hold all the filling).
- Get out your dumpling wrappers. Scoop about a tablespoon of filling onto one of the wrappers, placing it off center. With a finger dipped in water, wet the circumference of the dumpling skin, tracing the edges.
- Hold the dumpling skin like a taco. Starting from the part of the skin closest to the filling, pinch the two sides of the "taco" together at one end. Then, fold over a small portion of dumpling wrapper onto the portion you just pinched to create the overlapping pleats. Pinch the two sides together again. Repeat until you've completely folded and pinched all the edges of the dumpling wrapper together. I recommend looking up a video if it's your first time.
- Repeat until you've used up all your fillings. This may take you a long time in the beginning, but the more you practice the faster you get. It will also help to have more than one person folding dumplings at a time.
- If boiling, bring a large pot of water to boil. Place 5-8 dumplings in the boiling water (depending on how big your pot is). You'll know the dumplings are cooked when the skin becomes translucent and they float to the top. It should take only 3-5 minutes, depending on how much filling you managed to stuff in your dumplings. I also recommend cutting the first dumpling open to double check it's cooked all the way through.
- If pan frying, line dumplings on a well oiled skillet over medium high heat. Pour in 1-2 tbsp of water, depending on how big of a skillet you're using. Immediately cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes, checking for doneness after. Let water boil off and continue pan frying until bottoms are crispy.
- Eat the cooked dumplings fresh with your favorite dipping sauce (I like soy sauce + vinegar). Or add them to your favorite soup dish.
Notes
Uncooked dumplings freeze well. Because it's so labor intensive, you may want to make a double batch and freeze half to cook at a later time.