Pork and Chinese cabbage potstickers (gyoza)
Crisp-bottomed pan-fried potstickers filled with seasoned pork and Chinese cabbage, served with a tangy dipping sauce.
Potstickers—also called gyoza—are the perfect excuse to practice a tiny bit of folding theatre for massive flavour payoff. Crisp, chewy bases meet juicy, seasoned pork wrapped in tender wrappers. Great for sharing, bingeing or pretending you made them quicker than you did.
This version uses shop-bought gyoza wrappers to keep things accessible: the cabbage is drained first so the filling stays tight and the pan-steam technique gives you that trademark crisp base and soft top. Serve with the quick soy–vinegar dip and a drizzle of chilli oil if you like heat.
Ingredients
- 400 g pork mince
- 200 g Chinese cabbage — finely shredded
- 4 spring onions — finely sliced
- 20 g fresh ginger — peeled and finely grated
- 2 garlic cloves — crushed
- 45 ml light soy sauce — total for filling and dipping sauce
- 15 ml Shaoxing wine
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 10 ml sesame oil — total for filling and sauce
- 10 ml caster sugar — total for filling and sauce
- 15 ml cornflour
- 5 ml fine sea salt — use 1 tsp to draw water from cabbage, adjust to taste for filling
- 5 ml white pepper
- 30 gyoza wrappers — fresh or thawed if frozen
- 30 ml vegetable oil — for frying
- 120 ml boiling water — for steaming in the pan
- 30 ml rice vinegar
- 5 ml chilli oil — optional, for dipping sauce
- 10 g toasted sesame seeds — optional garnish
Equipment
- non-stick frying pan with tight-fitting lid
- mixing bowl
- small bowl for dipping sauce
Instructions
Prepare the cabbage: toss shredded Chinese cabbage with 1 tsp fine sea salt in a bowl and leave to sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, squeeze out as much liquid as you can using kitchen paper and transfer the cabbage to a clean bowl.
Make the filling: add pork mince, squeezed cabbage, spring onions, grated fresh ginger, crushed garlic cloves, 15 ml light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp caster sugar, cornflour and white pepper to the bowl. Mix thoroughly until the mixture becomes tacky and evenly combined.
Assemble the potstickers: place one gyoza wrapper on your palm, spoon about 1 level teaspoon of filling into the centre, dip your finger in water and wet the wrapper edge, fold in half and pleat to seal. Place finished potstickers on a lightly floured tray (use a little plain flour on the tray to stop sticking).
Cook the potstickers: heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium–high hob. Arrange potstickers flat in the pan (do not overcrowd) and fry for 2–3 minutes until the bases are golden-brown.
Add 120 ml boiling water to the pan (careful — it will spit), immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to medium. Steam for 6 minutes so the filling cooks through and the wrappers become tender.
Uncover and cook for a further 1–2 minutes to evaporate remaining water and re-crisp the bases. Remove from the pan and transfer to a serving platter.
Mix the dipping sauce: in a small bowl whisk together the remaining light soy sauce, rice vinegar, remaining sesame oil, remaining caster sugar and chilli oil if using. Taste and adjust balance—more vinegar for tang, more soy for salt.
Serve the potstickers hot, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and extra sliced spring onions. Use the dipping sauce at the table.
Tips
- Squeeze the cabbage very dry using kitchen paper; excess moisture is the most common reason wrappers split.
- Work on one potsticker at a time and keep unused wrappers covered with a damp tea towel to stop them drying out.
- If you have leftovers, freeze uncooked potstickers on a tray until firm, then transfer to a bag. Cook from frozen, adding a minute or two to the steaming time.
- To get an even browning, don’t move the potstickers in the pan until the base is nicely golden.
- If your bases turn out soggy, remove the lid and fry for a minute or two to evaporate excess water and re-crisp.
Substitutions
pork mince → finely chopped chicken thigh mince, same quantity
Stays closeoyster sauce → vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce, same quantity
Stays closegyoza wrappers → wonton wrappers (trim to size), same quantity
Noticeably differentlight soy sauce → tamari (gluten-free), same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 580
- Calories
- 26 g
- Protein
- 50 g
- Carbs
- 31 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 850 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make potstickers ahead?
Yes — assemble and freeze them on a tray until solid, then transfer to a bag. Cook from frozen and add a couple of minutes to the steaming step.
Why do my potstickers split during cooking?
Most likely the filling was too wet or there were air pockets. Squeeze cabbage well, avoid overfilling, and seal edges firmly with water.
Can I use frozen gyoza wrappers?
Yes — thaw them fully in the fridge and keep covered with a damp cloth while you work so they don’t dry out.
How to get really crispy bases?
Start with a hot pan and 1 tbsp oil, fry until golden before adding water, then uncover and crisp again after steaming to evaporate moisture.
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