Crispy Skirt Yaki-Gyoza with Soy Vinegar Dip

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Crisp-and-tender contrast: shatteringly crisp lace with succulent, juicy pork inside.
• Restaurant-style “lacy skirt” made easy with a simple flour slurry.
• Balanced dipping sauce—savory, tangy, and a touch of heat from chili oil.
• Great for parties: fold ahead, cook to order, and serve with lager or hot tea.

Grocery List

• Produce: Napa cabbage, scallions, garlic, fresh ginger, optional garlic chives.
• Dairy: None.
• Pantry: Ground pork, gyoza wrappers, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, sesame oil, neutral oil, sake (or dry sherry), sugar, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, white pepper, kosher salt.

Full Ingredients

Pork & Cabbage Filling

• 1 lb (450 g) ground pork, about 20% fat
• 2 packed cups (200 g) finely chopped napa cabbage
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (for salting cabbage)
• 3 scallions (about 45 g), thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves (about 8 g), grated or finely minced
• 1 tbsp (12 g) freshly grated ginger
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) sake or dry sherry (or water)
• 1 tsp (4 g) sugar
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) ice water, as needed for juiciness
• Optional: 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic chives or chives

Assembly

• 36 round gyoza wrappers (3 inch / 7.5 cm)
• Small bowl of water for sealing

Lacy Skirt Slurry (per batch of 12 gyoza)

• 3/4 cup (180 ml) water, room temperature
• 2 tsp (6 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp (2 g) cornstarch
• 1 tsp (5 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar

Dipping Sauce

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1–2 tsp chili oil (la-yu), to taste
• Optional: 1/2 tsp (2 g) sugar for balance
• Optional garnish: pinch of toasted sesame seeds or 1 tsp finely sliced scallion

For Cooking

• 1 1/2 tbsp neutral oil (canola, grapeseed) per batch (about 4 1/2 tbsp total)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Salt and squeeze the cabbage

Finely chop the napa cabbage. Toss with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and let stand 10 minutes to draw out moisture. Gather in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze very firmly over the sink until no more liquid drips. You should have about 1 cup of packed, dry cabbage.

Step 2: Make a springy pork filling

In a large bowl, combine ground pork, scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sake (or water), sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and white pepper. Beat vigorously with a spoon or your hand in one direction until the mixture turns tacky and cohesive, 1–2 minutes. Fold in the squeezed cabbage (and garlic chives if using). If the mixture seems stiff, drizzle in 2–3 tbsp ice water while mixing for a juicier filling. Cover and chill 10 minutes.

Step 3: Set up a folding station

Line a sheet pan with parchment and dust lightly with flour or cornstarch. Keep wrappers under a barely damp towel so they do not dry out. Prepare a small bowl of water for sealing.

Step 4: Fill and pleat the gyoza

Place a wrapper in your palm. Add about 2 tsp (12–14 g) filling to the center. Moisten the rim with water. Fold into a half-moon, pleating only the front side with 5–7 small pleats while pressing against the flat back to seal. Set on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat to make about 36 gyoza. Keep folded dumplings covered with a towel.

Step 5: Mix the dipping sauce

Stir together soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili oil. Add a pinch of sugar if you prefer a slightly rounder flavor. Garnish with scallion or sesame seeds if desired. Set aside.

Step 6: Sear the first batch

Preheat a 10-inch nonstick (or very well-seasoned cast-iron) skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. If you have an infrared thermometer, aim for a surface temperature of about 375–400°F (190–205°C). Add 1 1/2 tbsp neutral oil. Arrange 12 gyoza, flat-side down, in a ring. Sear until the bottoms turn light golden, about 2 minutes.

Step 7: Steam, then crisp into a lacy skirt

Whisk together the slurry for one batch (3/4 cup water, 2 tsp flour, 1/2 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp rice vinegar). Pour it into the pan around the gyoza so the liquid covers the surface and comes about one-third to halfway up the sides. Immediately cover, reduce heat to medium, and steam until most of the liquid has evaporated and the wrappers are translucent, 5–6 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the skirt turns deep golden and lacey, 2–3 minutes. Loosen the edges with a thin spatula, invert a plate over the pan, and flip so the lace faces up. Check one dumpling; the filling should read 165°F/74°C.

Step 8: Repeat and serve

Wipe out the pan if needed and repeat with the remaining dumplings and fresh slurry for each batch. Serve immediately with the soy–vinegar–chili oil dipping sauce. Pair with a crisp lager or hot green or barley tea.

Pro Tips

• Beat the filling until it looks sticky and slightly stringy—this emulsifies fat and juices for a plump, juicy interior.
• Dry cabbage is crucial; excess moisture will prevent a crisp skirt and can burst seams.
• For an ultra-lacy skirt, keep the slurry thin and add a touch of vinegar—acid helps create fine bubbles.
• If the skirt sticks, re-steam: splash in 1–2 tbsp water, cover 30 seconds to release, then lift gently.
• Cast-iron gives great color but is less forgiving; start slightly lower heat than nonstick.

Variations

• Chicken & Shiso: Swap pork for ground chicken thighs; add 2 tbsp minced shiso or basil; use 1 tsp miso in place of sugar.
• Shrimp-Pork: Use 8 oz pork + 8 oz chopped raw shrimp; add 1 tsp lemon zest for brightness.
• Vegetarian: Crumbled firm tofu (pressed) + finely chopped shiitakes; add 1 tbsp miso and 1 tsp soy; increase cornstarch to 1 1/2 tbsp.

Storage & Make-Ahead

To freeze raw gyoza, arrange on a parchment-lined sheet pan, dust lightly with cornstarch, and freeze until solid. Transfer to a zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Cook from frozen: sear 3 minutes, then steam 7–8 minutes, and crisp 2–3 minutes. Refrigerate uncooked, covered, up to 24 hours. Cooked gyoza are best fresh; to re-crisp, heat 1 tsp oil in a skillet over medium, add gyoza, cover 1 minute to warm, then uncover to crisp 1–2 minutes. Dipping sauce keeps 1 week in the fridge.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate for 6 gyoza with dipping sauce: 480 calories; 24 g fat; 45 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein; 3 g fiber; 1100 mg sodium. Values will vary with oil absorption and wrappers.