Japanese Chicken and Vegetable Gyoza

There’s something incredibly satisfying about making gyoza from scratch. It’s one of those recipes that turns cooking into a little ritual. Sitting down with a stack of dumpling wrappers, spooning in the filling, and folding each one by hand can be surprisingly relaxing, and the reward at the end is always worth it.

This chicken and vegetable gyoza filling is simple but full of flavour. The chicken thigh keeps the dumplings juicy, while the cabbage, onion, carrot, and ginger add freshness and texture. Once they hit the pan, the dumplings develop a beautiful crispy base before being gently steamed until perfectly tender.

I love serving these straight from the pan with a simple soy and vinegar dipping sauce.

Japanese Chicken and Vegetable Gyoza

Homemade Japanese gyoza filled with juicy chicken, cabbage, and fresh vegetables. Pan-fried until crispy on the bottom and steamed until tender, these dumplings are served with a simple soy dipping sauce.

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Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Dumpling Wrappers

• 1 packet frozen gyoza dumpling wrappers defrosted

Filling

• 300 g boneless skinless chicken thigh meat
• 150 g white cabbage
• 1/2 white onion
• 1 small carrot
• 1 scallion about 20 g
• 6 g fresh ginger finely chopped

Marinade

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin Japanese cooking wine
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Dipping Sauce

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Method

 

1. Roughly chop the cabbage, onion, carrot, scallion, and ginger. Place them in a food processor and pulse for about 20 seconds until finely chopped but still slightly textured. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add the chicken to the food processor and pulse for 15–20 seconds until minced but still slightly textured. Add the chicken to the bowl with the vegetables.
3. Add all the marinade ingredients to the bowl and mix well until fully combined.
4. To assemble the dumplings, hold a wrapper in one hand and place about a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre. Lightly wet the edges of the wrapper with water.
5. Fold the wrapper in half and pinch the centre closed. Create small pleats on each side to seal the dumpling tightly, making sure it has a flat base.
6. Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place the dumplings flat side down and fry for 1–2 minutes until the base is lightly golden.
7. Add water to the pan so it reaches about one third of the height of the dumplings. Cover with a lid and steam for 4–5 minutes until cooked through.
8. Remove the lid during the last minute if needed to allow the remaining water to evaporate and the dumpling bases to crisp slightly.
9. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil together in a small bowl to make the dipping sauce. Serve with the hot dumplings.

Notes

• Keep dumpling wrappers covered with a damp cloth while assembling to prevent them from drying out.
• Chicken thigh meat gives the filling a juicier texture than chicken breast.
• Uncooked dumplings can be frozen on a tray and stored in the freezer for later cooking.
• Cook frozen dumplings directly from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the steaming time.