This article was updated on 17th August 2023 for freshness and to incorporate a new method.
Gyoza is one of those dishes that I just can’t say no to. The crispy bottom and that delicious savory filling = perfection!
But the next day, when I excitedly go to eat them, I’m met with disappointment. Sound familiar? Don’t despair just yet because I experimented to find out the best way to reheat gyoza… and I’m about to tell you how!
The best way to reheat gyoza is in a pan. Heat your skillet on medium-high heat and add a light spray of oil. Cook the gyoza for 1-2 minutes until crispy. Add two to three tablespoons of water, cover the pan, and steam until the water boils off.
How I tested reheating gyoza
I cooked a batch of gyoza one Friday night (exciting, I know!) and stored them in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, I tried 5 different ways of reheating the gyoza.
- Skillet: The best method for fresh and frozen.
- Microwave: Quick but not crispy.
- Oven: Slower and a bit drying.
- Air fryer: Skin gets quite hard.
- Steamer: Good if you like soft gyoza.
Two problems come with reheating gyoza. Either you lose that delicious crispy bottom. Or end up with overcooked and chewy skin. My main goal was to find the perfect method where neither of those things happened.
Reheating gyoza in a skillet
Time: 3-5 minutes
Rating: 10/10
- Heat a thin layer of oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat until hot.
- Add the gyoza fried side down, ensuring that they don’t touch and pan fry for 1-2 minutes to crisp the bottom. Do not move them, especially if frying from frozen.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low (so you don’t burn the bottom) and add 3-4 tablespoons of water to the pan.
- Put a lid on the pan and steam for 2-3 minutes (5-7 minutes if frozen).
- Use kitchen tongs to check if the bottoms are crispy. If not, fry for a further 30 seconds.
Make sure that the oil is hot enough before putting the gyoza in. Otherwise, the skin will soak up the oil and become greasy. And leave the gyoza alone while they’re frying, you want the bottom to crisp up before you start moving them around.
The secondary steaming process helps to keep the skin moist whilst warming the filling evenly.
Psst… A tip I learned online if you like super crispy gyoza is to dust the dumplings with cornstarch before frying them.
Results: Out of all the methods that I tried, this was hands-down my favorite. It was like having freshly cooked gyoza (okay not quite). But all the key parts of the gyoza – the bottom, filling, and skin – were nicely heated and delicious!
Reheating gyoza in the microwave
Time: 30-60 seconds
Rating: 8/10
- Place the gyoza on a microwave-safe plate, making sure that they don’t touch.
- Cover them with a damp paper towel to help ‘steam’ them.
- Heat the gyoza for 30 seconds.
- Heat the gyoza for 30 seconds, then test them and heat for a further 30 seconds if they’re not done
Frozen gyoza will need around 2 minutes.
The insides of the gyoza can get very hot in the microwave, so take care biting straight into them. You don’t want to burn your mouth!
That said, you don’t want to leave the gyoza hanging around for too long once they’ve come out of the microwave either. After around 5 minutes, the skin will start to dry out and become unpleasantly tough.
Results: I was skeptical at first because I was worried that reheating the gyoza in the microwave would overcook them, but the result wasn’t actually that bad. Sure, there was no crispy bottom and the skin was slightly chewy. But the inside was moist, and it was quick and easy.
Reheating gyoza in the oven
Time: 5-10 minutes
Rating: 6/10
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with an oiled baking tray inside.
- Arrange the gyoza on the hot baking tray with the fried side facing down (or put them directly on a wire rack).
- Heat for 5-10 minutes or until warmed through.
The hot tray helps the bottom of the gyoza crisp up more efficiently, but it’s by no means as effective as the frying pan. You can also use a wire rack instead of a baking tray.
(I learned the pan trick from reheating pizza!)
If the gyoza are very dry, sprinkle some water over them and cover them with aluminum foil. This will lock in moisture and ‘steam’ the gyoza. I can’t promise it will work, but it won’t do any harm!
Results: The oven was an okay way to reheat the gyoza. While they were edible, there wasn’t that desirable crisp and the really dry parts of the skin were still dry after I took them out of the oven.
Reheating gyoza in the air fryer
Time: 3-5 minutes
Rating: 4/10
- Preheat the air fryer to 300°F (150°C).
- Spray the basket and the gyoza with oil.
- Arrange the gyoza in the air fryer basket, making sure that they don’t touch.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes until warmed through. Or 10-12 minutes from frozen.
While it may be tempting to crank the temperature up, resist that urge. Cooking the gyoza at a lower temperature means the filling can warm up before the skin starts to dry out. At 350°F (180°C), I found that the skin was overdone, and the filling was still cold – not a great combo.
And don’t be afraid of oil! It makes a world of difference to crisping the gyoza instead of drying them out.
Results: The air fryer was my least favorite method. The edges of the gyoza skin became brittle and crunchy rather than the soft melt-in-your-mouth I was looking for. However, some people might enjoy the added texture!
Top tip
If you’ve got fried dumplings, the air fryer is the best method.
Reheating gyoza in a steamer
Time: 5 minutes
Rating: 7/10
- Bring the water in your steamer to a boil and line the steamer basket with parchment paper.
- Place gyoza in the steamer and steam for 5 minutes, or 10 from frozen.
If you don’t have a steamer you can improvise by placing a sieve on top of a pan of boiling water. The parchment paper is there to stop the gyoza from sticking to the steamer. If you don’t have any, you can use a lettuce leaf instead.
Results: Steaming isn’t a good method if you want crispy gyoza, but if you like soft wrappers the steamer is great.
How to store gyoza
To store leftover gyoza in the fridge, first, leave them to cool. Then arrange them in an air-tight container lined with paper towel or parchment paper. To lock in more moisture, wrap the gyoza in plastic wrap before putting them into the container. The gyoza will last for 3-4 days.
But be aware that the longer they’re in the fridge, the dryer they’ll become.
I like to line my container with paper towel to soak up any excess moisture and keep the gyoza from getting overly soggy. But never put hot gyoza on a paper towel or they’ll stick and the wrapper will tear. If you’re worried about this or have delicate gyoza, parchment paper is a good option.
Also never put uncooked gyoza in the fridge. If you do, the moisture from the filling will seep into the wrappers and result in a soggy mess. (Soggy dough is a big no with gyoza!)
Can you freeze gyoza?
Yes, you can freeze gyoza, but it’s best to freeze them in their uncooked state. While it’s possible to freeze cooked gyoza, they’ll become soggy and soft when you reheat them.
The method for freezing cooked and uncooked gyoza is the same.
How to freeze gyoza:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the gyoza out on the baking sheet, so they’re not touching.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour or until the gyoza are frozen solid.
- Transfer the gyoza to a freezer bag and remove as much excess air as possible.
- Freeze the gyoza for 2-3 months.
Flash-freezing the gyoza on a baking tray first prevents them from sticking together in the freezer and turning into one big clump.
Getting rid of the excess air is an essential step because air leads to freezer burn. You can squeeze it out with your hands, suck it out with a straw, or submerge the freezer bag in water to force the air out. If you have a vacuum sealer – even better, use this.
How to reheat frozen gyoza
It’s best to reheat gyoza straight from frozen because thawing them will lead to mushy skins. I recommend the pan-frying method. Heat some oil in a skillet and add the gyoza crispy-side down. Fry for 2-3 minutes before adding a splash of water and a lid to steam the inside.
With this, you achieve a crispy bottom, soft skin, and an evenly heated middle.
However, if you want to save time, reheating frozen gyoza in the microwave will also work. You’ll just have to forgo any crispy bottoms and accept a slightly rubbery texture.
Related: How To Reheat Bao
How To Reheat Gyoza [Tested Methods]
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 portion gyoza
Instructions
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot.
- Add the gyoza fried side down, ensuring that they do not touch.
- Pan fry for 1-2 minutes to crisp the bottom, checking them frequently.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low (so you don’t burn the bottom).
- Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of water into the pan.
- Put a lid on the pan and steam for 30-60 seconds.
- Use kitchen tongs to check if the bottoms are crispy. If not, fry for a further 30 seconds.
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