10 Best Gyoza Wrappers Substitutes

August 18, 2021

Gyoza dumplings are wonderful meal loved by people all over the world. You can actually put any kind of ingredients for the gyoza filling: vegetables, meat, seafood, mushrooms, and so on.

However, what to do when you can’t find any gyoza wrappers at home or even at the stores?

Here, I am introducing the 10 best gyoza wrappers substitutes. If you are looking for a replacement of the gyoza skin or have extra gyoza filling, please refer to it!

By the way, please check this page for details of Gyoza Wrappers.
5 Types of Asian Wrappers and Their Uses

1. Shumai (Chinese Steamed Dumplings) Wrappers

Shumai is a food that is very similar to gyoza dumplings, and very popular in Japan. Often, only minced pork and chopped onions are used for the contents. It’s not a dish thickly flavored with garlic, but a dish simply enjoys the deliciousness of pork.

The raw material of shumai wrappers are bread flour and cake flour which are the same as gyoza wrappers. That is why, I would say they are the perfect substitute.

By the way, it is thinner than gyoza wrappers, so please handle it with care.

The shape of the skin is round for gyoza, but square for shumai. Therefore, the completed form is a little different: triangular shaped gyoza, but the taste would be amazing!

Please put the gyoza filling on the wrappers and fold it in half just like you make the regular gyoza.

2. Wonton Wrappers

Wonton is like dumplings used for soup and ramen toppings. Wonton filling is usually made from finely chopped meat, seafood and vegetables.

The appearance of wonton wrappers is very similar to shumai wrappers. But, the thinness is just a little thicker than the shumai wrappers.

And, the biggest difference is the raw material of the wrappers. Unlike the gyoza and shumai wrappers, wonton wrappers are made from all purpose flour and kansui (Alkaline preparations). Due to this Alkaline preparations, despite being thin and soft, the skin will be strong and elastic even if it is soaked in the soup.

When using it as a substitute for gyoza wrappers, please use it like shumai wrappers.

3. Spring Roll Wrappers

I think everyone knows well about spring rolls. In Japan, people like to put stir-fried ingredients made from vegetables, gelatin noodles, and sliced or ground meat inside the wrappers. Like this, spring rolls are originally made with meat, so it can be great substitute for the gyoza wrappers too.

Generally, spring roll wrappers are made from bread flour, salt, fat and oil. The biggest feature of it is that the sheets are baked during the manufacturing process. You can actually eat it raw because it’s cooked once. (But, it is recommended to cook it just in case.)

The size of spring roll wrappers is much bigger than the others: gyoza, shumai, and wonton. So, when using as a substitute, cut it in half or a quarter in advance. Because the skins are firmly attached to each other, you need to peel it off carefully so that it doesn’t tear.

From here on, instead of using other skins made from flour, the ideas are to substitute the ingredients that we use every day.

4. Thin Deep-Fried Tofu (Abura-age)

Abura-age is a deep-fried tofu often used in miso soup, inari-sushi, and various stir-fried dishes. Actually, it can be used as a substitute for gyoza wrappers.

You don’t need to use oil for baking, and it’s healthier than using the carb gyoza wrappers.

What Is Abura-age and How Is It Used?

Direction
1. Make a notch at the longer end of the abura-age.
2. Put the gyoza filling inside.
3. Bake both sides firmly in a frying pan until they are colored.
4. Add 1 tbsp of sake or white wine. Cover and bake for 7-8 minutes.
5. Cut into bite-sized pieces and serve in a plate.
Ready to eat!

5. Daikon

If you can get some daikon, this is also a recommended alternative. Because daikon contains a lot of water, it’s also very low in calories.

Direction
1. Peel the daikon and cut into thin slices.
2. Put daikon into a plastic bag, and sprinkle salt. Leave for a while.
3. When daikon gets soft, wipe both sides of the water with paper towel.
4. Thinly coat potato starch (or corn starch or flour) in one side of the daikon.
5. Put gyoza filling, and fold once.
6. Put daikon dumplings into a frying pan, and pour water.
7. Cover and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the lid to evaporate excess water
Ready to eat!

Eat it after sprinkling black pepper as you like.

6. Shiitake Mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms are one of the most popular mushrooms in Japan. The cap of a shiitake is relatively bigger than the other type of mushrooms, so it’s very useful for gyoza filling.

If you are fine with the unique smell of the shiitake, they would be your favorite substitute for gyoza wrappers.

Direction
1. Take the axis of shiitake mushrooms.
2. Thinly coat potato starch (or corn starch or flour) in the cap of shiitake.
3. Put the gyoza filling in the cap.
4. Pour oil into a frying pan, and bake the shiitake for 2-3 minutes. (Bake with the meat on the bottom first.)
5. Turn it over when it gets brown, and pour 1 tbsp sake or white wine.
6. Cover and bake for 3-4 minutes.
Ready to eat!

7. Bell Peppers

If you cut bell peppers in half vertically, it would be great substitute for gyoza wrappers.
Please use it in the same procedure as shiitake mushrooms.

Slowly baked peppers would be soft and much juicy than you expected. It matches so well with the gyoza filling too.

It’s a perfect alternative for people who love vegetables. Of course, you can use paprika instead.

8. Eggplant

Eggplant should be sliced ​​and used in the same way as daikon. Please change the cutting direction depending on the size of the eggplant.

It has excellent compatibility with oil, and make the gyoza even more juicy, delicious meal.

9. Shiso

Shiso is thin unlike other vegetables and mushrooms, and very convenient because you can use it as long as you wash it.

Shiso is originally an excellent condiment that can eliminate the smell of meat and fish, therefore has excellent compatibility with gyoza filling too.

Just like the other substitutes, please sprinkle potato starch on one side, put gyoza filling, and fold once. After that, add water and steam it to complete.

Some people like to use minced shiso as an ingredient of gyoza filling, but this time I propose to use it as a substitute for dumpling wrappers. It’s wonderful to be able to feel the shiso flavor strongly.

10. Thinly Sliced Meat

For those who don’t have any alternative wrappers, vegetables, or mushrooms, why don’t you use the thinly sliced meat?

Wrapping the meat (gyoza filling) with meat sounds crazy at first, however, it would be ultimately delicious! You will be able to enjoy the two types of meat at the same time in your mouth. It should be interesting!

Conclusion

When making gyoza dumplings, you can use the following materials as a skin.

  • Wrappers
    Shumai, Wonton, and Spring Roll
  • Vegetables
    Daikon, Eggplant, Bell pepper, and Shiso
  • Others
    Thin deep-fried tofu, Shiitake mushrooms, and Thinly sliced meat

To prevent the contents from coming out, please use potato starch or flour:
1. Apply water-dissolved potato starch (or flour) to the edges of each wrapper.
2. Thinly coat potato starch (or flour) in one side of the vegetables or mushrooms.

Enjoy making various types of gyoza dumplings!!

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