Introducing Senza Gyoza

The ketofication of Japanese gyoza has been a topic of much debate since some of the extended family decided to go keto. Over the years, we’ve honed our preferred ratio of ingredients, measuring Napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, and ginger root down to the gram. We’ve sought out the highest quality ground pork we can find, from farms like Pasture 42, Keller Crafted Meats, and Christiansen's Family Farm.

Turns out, the gyoza filling is keto-friendly just the way we’ve always made it. No changes needed! The wrappers, however, are another story. Traditional wonton wrappers are made from wheat and contain 3NC apiece. If you like to eat a dozen or more, this is obviously a no-go. What’s a diehard gyoza eater to do?

Here are all the ways we’ve attempted to solve this problem, including a couple that have been recommend recently by our Senza keto friends:

1. Make gyoza meatballs. Much less satisfying and harder to dip, but full of gingery flavor and free of all starch. Plus, you get to skip the hassle of working with other types of wrappers.
2. Try soy-based sushi wraps. Designed for decorating maki rolls in colorful edible papers, these wrappers work surprisingly well for gyoza, too. You have to cut them to the right size, and wrap them more carefully, but it works!
3. Less is more: With an inordinate amount of self-restraint you could make traditional gyoza for the crowd and save just a few for yourself, making sure to track other carbs for the day.
4. DIY: The Sugar Free Diva has published a recipe for Low Carb Wonton Wrappers, using egg white and almond flour. We have yet to try this approach, but it’s on the list when we can muster up the patience to work with sticky dough.
5. Wrap with cabbage leaves or collard greens: Leafy greens work for other types of wraps, so why not as gyoza containers, too? Seem logical, but likely it will require some experimentation among the resident food critics to test this concept.

There is one more issue with making a gyoza meal keto-friendly: We miss the rice. A lot. Cauliflower rice, a wonderful substitute in so many dishes, just doesn’t cut it in this case. We’ve decided it’s better to have kimchi, stir-fried green beans, steamed broccoli, or shirataki noodles instead of the hot bowl of rice. Maybe you have other ideas?

Help us reach Keto Gyoza perfection – use the coaching button in the Senza: Keto & Fasting app to send us your tips and tricks.

Content provided by Senza is not medical advice. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only.