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Meat, East Asian

Pork gyoza with cabbage salad

Pork gyoza with cabbage salad is a Japanese dumpling dish for 4 people, ready in 50 minutes, medium difficulty, for €2.70 per serving. The key to success is squeezing the cabbage well before mixing it into the filling, then steaming the dumplings before letting the bottoms dry out to crisp.

Tonight it's gyoza, those Japanese dumplings crisp on the bottom and tender on top, with a crunchy cabbage salad on the side.

Pork gyoza with cabbage salad
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.70
Calories per person
560 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

A good gyoza shows it right away, crisp and golden on one side, soft and nearly translucent on the other. The pork, cabbage, garlic and ginger filling stays moist without turning watery, thanks to cabbage that's salted and squeezed dry first. The grated cabbage salad on the side, dressed with lemon juice and soy sauce, adds the crunch the plate would otherwise be missing.

This is a dish that asks for a bit of time at the folding stage, perfect for a Sunday spent cooking together, kids included, hands in the filling. Mon Chou also brings it out on weeknights when a slower, hands-on prep feels right, since the actual cooking only takes a few minutes.

The ingredients

4 people

Frozen foods

  • Gyoza wrappers 36

Butcher

  • Ground pork 350 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • White cabbage 400 g
  • Carrot 1
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Fresh grated ginger 1 tbsp

Pantry

  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Sesame oiloften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Lemon juiceoften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Soy, Sesame

The step by step recipe

  1. Finely chop 150 g of cabbage, salt it, let it sit for 10 minutes to release water, then squeeze it out well. 10 min

    In a gyoza, it's the well squeezed cabbage that gives the soft texture, never the water.

  2. Mix the cabbage with the pork, crushed garlic, ginger, 1 tbsp of soy sauce and the sesame oil.

    Fry a small test patty to taste the seasoning before filling the wrappers.

  3. Fill each wrapper, moisten the edge and fold it, making 4 or 5 small pleats on one side only. 20 min

    Pleating one side only gives the gyoza its curved shape, which lets it stand up in the pan.

  4. Brown the gyoza flat side down in the oil, add 10 cl of water, cover and let steam, then remove the lid to dry out the bottom. 8 min

    Pack them tightly against each other, they hold each other up and brown at the same time.

  5. Grate the remaining cabbage and the carrot, season with the lemon juice, the rest of the soy sauce and a drizzle of oil, and serve alongside the gyoza.

    Lemon and soy sauce make a quick homemade ponzu for dipping the gyoza.

Our tips to get it right

  • Don't overfill the wrappers, a heaping teaspoon is enough, otherwise they tear during cooking.
  • Use a nonstick pan with a lid that seals well, the steam needs to stay trapped to cook the top.
  • Fill the gyoza ahead of time and place them on a floured tray, they hold very well in the fridge before cooking.

The variations

  • Swap the ground pork for ground chicken for a milder version, keeping the same seasoning.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the pork with finely chopped mushrooms and crumbled tofu.
  • For kids in a hurry, buy premade gyoza and just handle the cooking and the homemade cabbage salad.

What to serve it with

  • A bowl of steamed rice
  • A light miso soup
  • Hot green tea

Storage

Raw gyoza keep for 1 day in the fridge on a floured tray, spaced apart so they don't stick together. They freeze very well raw, and can be cooked straight from frozen with a slightly longer steaming time. Once cooked, keep leftovers for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container and reheat in a pan to get a crisp bottom back.

Questions about this dish

Can you make gyoza ahead of time?

Yes, you can fold the gyoza the day before and keep them in the fridge on a floured tray, well spaced out. Cook them right before serving to keep the bottom crisp.

How do you keep gyoza from sticking to the pan?

Use a nonstick pan and a good tablespoon of oil before placing the gyoza. Don't move them during the first minute of cooking, so the bottom has time to set.

Can you use a different wrapper?

Round wonton or Chinese dumpling wrappers work well if you can't find gyoza wrappers. Pick thin ones, that's what gives the signature tender bite.

Does the cabbage really need to be squeezed first?

Yes, this step keeps the filling from turning watery and splitting the wrapper during cooking. Ten minutes of salting is enough before wringing it out well in a towel.

How long does it take to make pork gyoza with cabbage salad?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in pork gyoza with cabbage salad?

About 560 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does pork gyoza with cabbage salad cost?

About €2.70 per serving, or €10.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, soy, sesame. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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