Gluten-Free Gyoza (Potstickers)

Gyoza, or potstickers, have been an integral part of my adult life.  My husband and I bonded over these delicious morsels, and back in the day we ate frozen gyoza at least once a week.  They were our quick and easy go-to meal when we were too busy or tired to prepare dinner from scratch.  Sadly for both of us, no one makes frozen bags of gluten-free potstickers, and we’ve had to resort to making our own!

I will be the first to say that these gluten-free gyoza are not identical to the original, wheat-containing variety.  There just isn’t an easy way to simulate the traditional wheat wrappers without lots of different flours and much swearing.  Try if you must, but I’ve found that rice paper wrappers create a delectable little meat treat that I can dip in sauce and enjoy just like regular gyoza!

I like chicken potstickers but you can use pork if you prefer.  Making the filling can also be an undertaking, so I suggest doubling or tripling the recipe and then freezing the remainder in portions adequate to feed your family.  In this version, I’ve used chicken thighs that I ground in the Cuisinart (and slightly puréed on accident) but you can easily use pre-ground chicken from the grocery store.

I’ve tried many different sizes and shapes of rice paper wrapper and my current favorites are the six inch rounds, made of either tapioca or rice flour.  I will admit I went through about six months of trying to shape my gluten-free gyoza exactly like wheat pot-stickers, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it just isn’t going to happen with my current ingredients!  No matter, it all tastes the same.

Preparing the napa cabbage:

Shred in a food processor or chop finely by hand

Place in bowl and add about 1 teaspoon salt.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Run water over cabbage.

Scoop out with a fine mesh strainer, run under cold water and then squeeze out by hand.  The more water you remove, the better.

Preparing the filling:

Ingredients

~1.5 pounds ground chicken

~3 cups minced napa cabbage (see preparation instructions above)

4 medium scallions, white and green parts chopped

4 teaspoons gluten-free tamari

½ teaspoon dried ginger

1 medium clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon hot pepper sesame oil

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

To Make the Filling:

1. Lightly beat egg whites in a large bowl and then add the remainder of the ingredients

2. Mix with a large spoon or with your hands and then refrigerate until ready to use



Rolling the gyoza:
Set-up is key. I’ve found that three plates with wrappers soaking in hot water makes the most sense. I roll the gyoza on the center plate, then transfer the rolled potsticker to a 5th plate to await cooking. Roll as seen in the pictures below.

Fry the gyoza in a little bit of oil on medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side.  The drier the napa cabbage, the less leakage you'll get during cooking, and the less brown the final product will be.  The parts that appear burned are really just excess browning from the juices.

 

Preparing the sauce:

Mix together:

2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari

2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar

1 tablespoon mirin

Hot pepper oil to taste

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and the finished result:

 

Enjoy!  Serve with the vegetable of your choice!

Disclaimer:  I do not support or sell the brand names shown in the photos above, those are simply the ingredients I have on hand.