How to Make Chicken Gyoza (Pot Stickers) ~ these tender little dumplings are one of the highlights of going to a Japanese restaurant, and I’ll show you how to make them right at home!
The world is divided into two camps. Those who are good at origami and those who suck at it. It always gave me a headache, but one of my daughters is a whiz. One year she made beautiful paper crane ornaments for our Christmas tree, and every January I carefully pack them away, in awe of her dexterity. If you’re lucky enough to be in the good-at-origami camp, these Japanese pot stickers will be a breeze for you to make. But don’t despair if you’re in the suck-at-it camp, these are waaaay easier than a paper crane, and anyway, the folds are purely decorative, so you can say the heck with it if you want to leave it plain.
At our favorite Japanese restaurant they serve amazing feather light chicken gyoza. We always order some for the table the minute we arrive. They come four to an order. And we have a family of four. So no one ever, ever gets to have two. It’s really frustrating. (Another order is out of the question, they’re really expensive!)
This recipe made 27 pot stickers, which means we each get to eat 6.75 of them. That’s reason enough to make these delicious little dumplings at home.
The gyoza wrappers are sold next to the wonton and egg roll wrappers, usually in a corner of the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Ask for them if your store doesn’t carry them, that’s how I got mine. These are similar but not the same as the square wonton wrappers that I use to make my Crispy Goat Cheese Wontons.
The filling is made up of ground chicken, minced napa cabbage, along with some scallion, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and fresh ginger. I added a minced hot pepper. A teaspoon of filling goes in the center of each wrapper, then the perimeter gets moistened and folded over. One edge gets pleated by making little folds in the dough, and then is pressed firmly against the other side to to seal the gyoza.
If there’s one thing that’s harder than folding origami, it’s trying to teach someone how to do it. You’ll just have to play with it until you figure it out. It’s not that hard, promise.
Chicken Gyoza (Pot Stickers)
Ingredients
- 1 package gyoza wrappers
- 1/2 lb ground chicken
- 1/2 cup finely minced Napa cabbage
- 2 scallions, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 small hot pepper, seeds and all, minced (optional)
- 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
Dipping Sauce #1 (Simple soy and vinegar)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
- add minced garlic or grated ginger if you like
- sesame seeds for garnish
Dipping Sauce #2 (Sweet Chili)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- juice of 1 lemon or lime
- 2 Tbsp red chili paste
- 1 Tbsp sriracha chili sauce
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- dash salt
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients, except the wrappers, together in a bowl. Make sure it is thoroughly combined.
- Spoon approximately a teaspoon of the meat mixture onto the center of a gyoza wrapper.
- Dampen the perimeter of the wrapper with a wet finger. Fold in half over the filling.
- Keeping the back side of the dumpling straight, bring together four or five small pleats on the front side of the dumpling, and press to seal.
- Cover the bottom of a large skillet with vegetable oil and heat on medium until the oil is hot.
- Working in batches, place the gyozas, flat side down, in the hot oil and let them brown.
- When the bottoms have become crisp and brown, pour about 1/4 cup water into the pan, and cover to let the dumplings steam. Note: the water will sputter and steam so you may want to take the pan off the heat before adding.
- After a few minutes, take the lid off and let any remaining water evaporate off. Check the temperature with an instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked. It should be at least 160F. If not, put the lid back on and steam a little longer.
- Serve hot with dipping sauces.
- To make sauce # 1, mix the ingredients together and taste to adjust. Garnish with sesame seeds.
- To make sauce # 2, mix the cornstarch and water in a small glass and set aside. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 4 minutes, then add the cornstarch. Let the thickened sauce simmer on low for another minute. Cool and refrigerate or serve.
Thanks for pinning!
Sue,
I think you should give origami another try…your potstickers are gorgeous…as is your photogrpahy and food styling.
xo
annie
Thanks Annie—I tried to find some origami paper or one of my daughter’s cranes for this post, but everything is in random boxes after our 2 recent moves…I know you can relate!
These look fabulous! I absolutely love gyoza.
You’ll have to try them, I think I’m going to do a veggie version next.
Love these little pot stickers and that chilli sauce – these are a definite must do!
I’m really loving that chili sauce, we were double dipping like crazy!
Yum, yum, yum! I would love these for an entire dinner, maybe just a bowl of rice on the side! Love all your photos but they’re making me very hungry!
We had them leftover the next day, heated in the microwave, no less, and they were still great. They definitely could be an entire meal, especially with a couple of different sauces.
These gyoza sound wonderful! I’d be inclined to make up a big recipe and keep a bunch of them in the freezer for future nearly instant dumplings in soup. 🙂
Just as I’m answering these comments I realize I should have mentioned that these would freeze really well, and it makes all the effort of folding them, etc, worthwhile if you can stash a few meals worth away.
Woah, never made these before, will have to try it out. Thanks for sharing, looks good!
Thanks Bryan, they are really easy because the wrapper dough is so pliable. The trick is finding the wrappers, I had to request that my store get them in, and they did.
Heavenly! I doubt mine would ever look so perfect but you always encourage us to give it a try….maybe this weekend.
Let’s have a gyoza making party, I have lots of wrappers left!
Gorgeous, Sue! And what I wouldn’t give to have that plate for dinner tonight…mmmmm….
Thanks Heather, wish you could come on over!
Your gyoza have great looking pleats!
Well, not sure they’re all that good, but at least they stayed closed!
your oragami is gorgeous! All those little folds and nooks and crannies…my hubs would LOVE it if I’d make these. He adores them!
These were big hits with my husband, too. I think I’m going to use up the rest of the wrappers (there’s a huge number of them in the little package) and freeze them.