Make Ahead

Mushi-Gyoza (Steamed Gyoza)

April  6, 2011
3.8
4 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Makes Approximately 50 dumplings
Author Notes

This was my favorite food growing up. My mom learned to make these in Taiwan where they were called shu mai. When we moved to Hawaii they became gyoza and took on a new shape. I usually make these with pork but you can make them with half shrimp and half pork, or chicken and shrimp or any combination of small farm animals and seafood you like. —ourlastsupper

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Andra is a stay-at-home mom whose favorite food growing up was dumplings (no wonder these are so good!).
WHAT: Simple steamed gyoza with just the right balance of heat, tang, and meatiness.
HOW: Making your own dumplings might seem like a big undertaking, but armed with a package of gyoza wrappers and a few extra hands -- even tiny ones -- and you're having fun (and dumplings) in no time.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Steamed and dunked in Andra's peppy soy dipping sauce, these didn't last 10 minutes at our photo shoot. Now, why would you buy the frozen kind? —The Editors

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Ingredients
  • Filling
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 cup dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped fine
  • 1 tablespoon green onion, chopped fine
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 50 round gyoza wrappers
  • Dipping sauce
  • 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 Thai chili peppers, chopped with seeds
Directions
  1. Mix all of the ingredients for the filling together. Refrigerate for one hour.
  2. To assemble the gyoza, place 1 rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrapper. Dip your index finger in water and wet the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half and seal the edge. Starting from one end and working your way to the other end, pleat the gyoza about 4-5 times. Set gyoza on a sheet pan lined with wax paper or a Silpat mat. At this point, the gyoza can be frozen. Make sure they are placed in the freezer so that none of the dumplings are touching each other. Once frozen, you can place them in a ziplock bag and pull them out when you are ready to steam them.
  3. To steam the gyoza, place a wok filled about halfway with water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to simmer. Spray a bamboo steamer basket with non-stick cooking spray and fill each layer with the dumplings. Make sure that they are not touching and that the steam can circulate around each dumpling. Put the lid on the steamer basket and steam for 12-15 minutes. Steam frozen gyoza for 16-20 minutes.
  4. Serve with the dipping sauce.
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20 Reviews

Aunt M. September 4, 2021
The recipe includes ingredients for the dipping sauce, but no directions. I don't read minds, so it would help to know if the ingredients are cooked together or simply mixed. And as someone unfamiliar with hot peppers, I'd appreciate knowing how to handle them safely. I can't eat them as my system is very sensitive and they cause sores to form on my skin so God only knows how bad it would be to actually eat them, but I have family members I cook for who like them, so how hot are they? And similar information would really be helpful.
Virginia L. September 4, 2021
Aunt M, I made these and I’ve made these kinds of dipping sauces before and it’s simply stirred together. Not cooked. And as far as using the peppers, if you’re that sensitive, I’d advise leaving them out. Or use a drop of Tabasco or Sriracha Sauce instead according to your level of heat. This is a delicious recipe!
Sauce G. May 19, 2020
Good ,I love Steamed Dumplings with Jade Bridge Soy Sauce.
Virginia L. October 12, 2019
Since I’m Vegan, I substituted the ground pork with a half can of pumpkin and also stirred in a heaping tablespoon of Miso paste. They were FABULOUS! Tasty and healthy. I’ll definitely be making these again!
Austin B. March 25, 2018
No cabbage? Interesting.
norie March 19, 2018
When trying a food allergy, would shredded napa be a good substitute for the mushrooms?
Chia-Li S. May 24, 2015
Gyoza is the Japanese adaptive pronunciation of "Jiao-zhe", a popular Chinese dumpling made with ground pork/chicken/shrimp and cabbage. Shu-Mai is a Cantonese "dim-sum" item that you get at any dim-sum place here in the U.S or anywhere else in the world that has dim-sum restaurants. They have very different shapes and sizes....and the fillings of shu-mai dumplings are always partially exposed...
Chia-Li S. May 24, 2015
ehh, I am from Taiwan, I don't think anyone who eats calls this "shu-mai".....
hookmountaingrowers December 28, 2014
Made this and was very delicious! Made it for a traditional Japanese family who uses cabbage in the mix but they liked this one. Pan fried it first in a non-stick pot and steamed it and also used a regular non-bamboo steamer and both came out great. Would use less canola oil in the mix and you need a fraction of the dipping sauce. Would definitely make again.
em-i-lis February 26, 2014
These are marvelous!!! I used ground chicken in place of the pork but otherwise did everything to a tee. Fantastic recipe. Thanks!
emcsull February 12, 2014
Hello,
so where did the mushi gyoza name come from, then ?
Andra June 30, 2013
I don't often find someone who shares my name, but here you are :)
LeeLeeBee June 20, 2013
I couldn't wait until they were steamed and sampled to comment. I had such a hard time not eating the filling as I was making them - it smelled so good! So good it nearly overcame a very deserved aversion to raw pork... :)
LeeLeeBee June 21, 2013
The steamed gyoza lived up to our expectations. A new favorite!
fisheri July 6, 2012
just stumbled on this, not so long after a trip to japan. made them the next day, half pork, half shrimp. easy. tremendous. thanks!
melissav May 10, 2012
I made a double batch of these over the weekend (using a shrimp, pork combo filling) and they are delicious. I steamed and froze half, which I have been bringing to work in small tupperwares along with some soybeans to nuke for a quick and delicious lunch. The other half I froze unsteamed for future use. I already used some in a egg drop, vegetable soup. They are easy other than the stuffing portion - I was cursing a little after the first 50 so I sat at the kitchen table with my laptop and hulu and the 2nd half went by much quicker. Thanks for a great recipe.
ourlastsupper May 4, 2012
Thank you so much! You guys are the best!!
fiveandspice April 27, 2012
Congrats on the wildcard! The filling sounds fabulous!
Lilismom April 27, 2012
Yum. I can't wait to try them!
healthierkitchen April 26, 2012
Yum! Look forward to making these, and congrats on the Wildcard!