Learn how to make crispy, chewy, and flavorful vegan gyoza at home. Filled with tofu and veggies for a hearty and nourishing plant-based meal!

Recipe Highlights

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: about 30 gyoza, which will feed 2-3 people as a main dish, or 6 as a side dish
Difficulty: Intermediate – it’s a bit time consuming, and takes a few tries to learn how to properly wrap, but once you get the technique down it’s not too difficult
Equipment: stove, fry pan, mixing bowl, baking sheet (to store the gyoza before cooking)
Diet: vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

Below is a brief look into the main ingredients and why they work in this recipe, plus any possible substitutions. See the recipe card at the bottom for the full ingredients list and quantities.

Garlic Chives ⟶ Garlic chives are long, flat, and solid with a pungent garlicky flavor. Look for them in Asian markets
- Substitute: You can use 3-4 green onions/scallions if you can’t find garlic chives (or don’t like the strong flavor).
Extra Firm Tofu ⟶ Frozen (and thawed) tofu will produce a chewier texture and soak up the flavors more, but regular pressed tofu is delicious, too.
Shiitake Mushrooms ⟶ These add a deep umami flavor and chewier texture. Dried shiitake mushrooms have a more concentrated flavor, but fresh will work, too.
Cabbage ⟶ This bulks up the filling and adds a slightly crunchy texture. I prefer green cabbage, but napa cabbage can be used as well.
Garlic & Ginger ⟶ Use fresh garlic and ginger for the best flavor.
Soy Sauce, Miso, & Sesame Oil ⟶ These seasonings make the gyoza even more flavorful.
Gyoza Wrappers ⟶ Check the packaging to make sure they don’t include egg, or use wonton wrappers. You can also make your own wrappers if you’re feeling adventurous – but in my opinion, it’s not worth the time it takes to produce enough wrappers.

How to Wrap Gyoza

Step-by-step photos and additional tips to help you get the best results!

Place a gyoza wrapper in the palm of your hand. Dip a finger in water and wet the edges of the wrapper. This will help the wrapper stick together.
Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the center of the wrapper. (I like to stuff mine with lots of filling, but this can be tricky to do if you’re new to making gyoza.)
Fold the wrapper in half over the filling, pressing on the filling to compact it if needed.
Pinch the wrapper together and use your thumb and index finger to make pleats in the top side of the wrapper.
Each time you make a pleat, press it into the back side of the wrapper to seal the gyoza.
Press down on the pleats to seal any gaps.
You can make pleats going in one direction the entire way, or going towards the center in both directions.
Place wrapped gyoza in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining filling.

Serving Suggestions

In Japan, gyoza is often served with ramen or fried rice. In my family, we like to serve gyoza as our main dish with some steamed rice (or takikomi gohan 炊き込みご飯), miso soup (like my miso kenchinjiru or spicy bean sprout miso soup), and salad or other veggie side dish. Some of my favorite veggie sides to serve with this gyoza are bok choy ginger stir fry, silken tofu salad, sesame mizuna salad, spinach goma-ae, broccoli goma-ae, and kinpira gobo.

Storage & Meal Prep

Gyoza takes a bit of prep work, so if you have the freezer space, I recommend making a double batch and freezing the leftovers. You can freeze uncooked gyoza and cook them straight from frozen in a hot pan, with an extra 2-3 minutes of steaming. Be sure to freeze the gyoza in a single layer, separate the layers with plastic wrap or parchment paper, or flash freeze them first (then transfer to freezer bags) so they don’t stick together.

If you have leftover cooked gyoza, they will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or you can also freeze them (using the same freezing method for uncooked gyoza) for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave, in a pan on the stove, or even in the air-fryer if you want it extra crispy.

I don’t recommend assembling the gyoza too far in advance, as the filling will release some moisture the longer it sits, which can make the wrappers soggy and rip. You can make the filling a day in advance, but try to cook the gyoza within an hour of wrapping them. Otherwise you should freeze them after wrapping so they don’t get soggy.

Vegan Tofu Gyoza FAQ

Gyoza is the Japanese version of Chinese potstickers. Gyoza wrappers are thin and delicate which lead to crispier edges, while potstickers are thick and chewy. Potstickers can be filled with a variety of ingredients, but gyoza are typically filled with finely minced cabbage, garlic, ginger, and ground pork. The cooking technique is usually the same, with them first being pan fried on one side, then steamed to finish cooking.

Tofu is pretty neutral in flavor, so the gyoza will take on the flavor of the ingredients and seasonings added to it. The tofu adds protein and a heartier, chewy bite to the filling, but it’s not as juicy as the typical pork filling. However, it is still delicious and one of my favorite dishes! If you want a juicier, meatier texture, you can try swapping the tofu for one pound of vegan ground meat.

Unfortunately I don’t know of any brands that sell gluten-free gyoza wrappers, but you can try making your own. Or use the filling for rice paper dumplings! Also be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.

More Classic Japanese Dishes Made Vegan

If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!

Prep Time:1

Cook Time:25

Servings: 30 gyoza

Ingredients

1 16 oz block extra firm tofu¹ thawed if frozen
6 dried or fresh shiitake mushrooms²
1 cup cabbage chopped
1 cup garlic/Chinese chives³ chopped
1 tsp ginger minced
1 garlic clove minced
1 tbsp miso
1 tsp soy sauce*
1 tsp sesame oil*
pinch of salt and pepper
30 gyoza wrappers⁴ may need a few more or less
vegetable oil for cooking

Dipping Sauce (2-3 servings)

2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp rayu (Japanese chili oil) optional
thinly sliced ginger optional

Instructions

Make the Filling

Prep shiitake: Soak shiitake mushrooms in a bowl of water for a couple hours until hydrated. Or if you're short on time, soak them in hot water for 20-30 minutes until soft. Squeeze out excess liquid from the hydrated shiitake – save this liquid plus the soaking liquid for cooking the gyoza. Finely chop shiitake.
Tip: Shiitake can be quite dirty, so strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve before using it to cook the gyoza.
For frozen tofu: Make sure your tofu is completely thawed. To do this, you can take the tofu out of the freezer a night or two before and thaw in the fridge. Or, if you don't have that much time, boil in water for 10 minutes or so until thawed all the way through.
Press tofu: Remove excess water from tofu using a tofu press or nut milk bag. Or crumble the tofu and squeeze water out by hand.
Parcook veggies: Add cabbage (and shiitake mushrooms if using fresh) to a microwave-safe bowl with a tablespoon of water, cover, and microwave 1-2 minutes, until cabbage is slightly tender but still crisp (mushrooms should be slightly soft and start to release some liquid).
Remove excess liquid: Let the veggies sit until cool enough to handle, then use your hands, cheesecloth, or a nut milk bag to squeeze out excess liquid.
Mix: Crumble tofu into a big mixing bowl and add in the cooked veggies, chives, garlic, ginger, miso, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.

Wrap the Gyoza

Gather your filling, gyoza wrappers, and a small bowl of water at your work space. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly dust with cornstarch to prevent the gyoza from sticking.
Place a gyoza wrapper in the palm of your hand. Dip one finger in water and wet the edges of the gyoza wrapper.
Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling.
Pinch the wrapper together and use your thumb and index finger to make pleats in the top half of the wrapper. Press the pleats into the back half of the wrapper to seal the gyoza. You can make pleats going in one direction the entire way, or going towards the center in both directions.
Place wrapped gyoza in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining filling.

Cook the Gyoza

Heat a pan over medium heat and add a thin layer of oil (about 1 tbsp). Add gyoza to the pan, flat side-down, making sure they don’t touch each other. Fry the bottom of the gyoza for 1-2 minutes until crispy and browned on the bottom.
Add about ¼ cup water (or strained shiitake liquid) to the pan and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to medium low and steam for 3-5 minutes until most of the water evaporates and gyoza skins look translucent.
Remove lid and evaporate the remaining water. Cook for another minute or so until crisp on the bottom. Remove from pan and repeat the process with remaining gyoza.

Serve

Mix together dipping sauce ingredients and distribute into individual sauce bowls.
Serve gyoza immediately while hot.

Notes

1) Tofu: Frozen tofu will produce a chewier texture while fresh tofu will be more soft. If using fresh tofu, be sure to press it to get most of the water out. I like to put my tofu in a nut milk bag* and squeeze out the water.

2) Dried Shiitake: Dried shiitake has a more concentrated flavor, but you can also use fresh shiitake.

3) Chives: If you can’t find chives, you can also use 3-4 green onions.

4) Gyoza Wrappers: Some gyoza wrappers contain egg, so make sure you check the packaging if you want this dish to be completely vegan. If you can’t find egg-free gyoza wrappers, try wonton wrappers as these usually do not contain egg.

Nutrition Facts

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2 Comments

Joan says:

January 31, 2025 at 9:59 pm

I found the chives at one of our many chinese grocers. They were really nice in these little gems. Love, love the shitakes in gyoza. The dipping sauce is wonderful as well. (I did add 1/2 tsp of sugar as one of my old dipping sauces called for). This is just a lovely recipe and I will make this again. Thank you!

1. Ellie says:
  
  February 1, 2025 at 9:11 pm
  
  Thanks for your lovely review, Joan! I’m so happy you enjoyed these gyoza 🙂