Name: Homemade Gyozas
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Japonesa
Ingredients: 400 g Ground pork fatty, with 15-20% fat; 250 g Green cabbage finely chopped; 1 tsp Salt divided; 3 piece Chives finely chopped; 2 clove Garlic grated or very finely chopped; 1 tbsp Ginger grated; 45 ml Soy sauce divided; 1 tbsp Sesame oil for the filling; 1 pinch White pepper to taste, mild; 3 tbsp Vegetable oil for browning, divided by batches; 180 ml Purified water for steaming, divided by batches; 30 ml Rice vinegar for the sauce; 1 tsp Coconut oil optional, for the sauce

Homemade Gyozas

In Japan, gyozas came from China and became home cooking: small Japanese dumplings golden on the bottom, juicy inside, and shared at the center of the table. My version pays attention to mise en place so the filling remains loose, flavorful, and umami-rich: the cabbage is salted to remove excess water, the meat is mixed until it becomes sticky, and the cooking combines browning and steaming. This way, the homemade gyoza doesn't break, retains juice, and achieves that crispy base that calmly signals it's ready to eat.

Chef tips

If you can't find napa cabbage, use finely chopped white cabbage; squeeze it just the same to prevent a watery filling.
Do not overfill the discs: 1 tbsp is enough to seal well and avoid breaking during steaming.
If the gyozas stick, wait for the base to brown before moving them; when the crust is ready, they release easily.
You can freeze them uncooked on a tray for 2 hours and then store them in a bag for up to 2 months; cook them directly from frozen, adding 2 minutes for steaming.