Costco Customers Rave Over These Japanese-Style Frozen Appetizers

While some shoppers flock to Costco to stock up their freezers for backyard cookouts, others are discovering ingredients that even restaurants are rumored to use. One example is Ajinomoto's Japanese Style Gyoza filled with pork and chicken, which have been a top selling product in Japan for over a decade. They come in packages of 60 pieces with 5 trays of 12 dumplings and each purchase includes dipping sauce. Customers everywhere love them, particularly their ability to get crispy. "Frozen Ajinomoto gyoza is ELITE," wrote a fan on Instagram. "This gyoza makes its own crispy bottom. I didn't believe it, then I flipped it," added another.

With origins in ancient China, gyoza dumplings were brought to Japan when soldiers returned from World War II. The traditional method to prepare gyoza involves a frying pan, but the dumplings can also be steamed or boiled in water. The ease of making Ajinomoto's gyoza has shoppers running to Costco's frozen section. "I like how no oil is needed to cook them," wrote a fan on Reddit. "Just a few minutes in a skillet, and you've got a great meal, snack, appetizer, or side," added a shopper on Costco's website. "These are the easiest fried dumplings I have ever made," agreed a fan on Reddit. The pieces can also be sprayed with oil and placed in an air fryer for an equally delicious result. "Super easy to cook and nearly impossible to mess up if you follow the instructions. The skin is the perfect thickness and crisps up beautifully, and the filling is juicy, flavorful, and delicious, highly recommend!" wrote an enthusiastic shopper on Costco's website. 

Japanese gyoza are known for having more of a crunchy crust and tender bottom, and these easy-to-crisp versions fit that desription. Inside each dumpling, Ajinomoto's juicy filling of seasoned pork, chicken, garlic chives, cabbage, and onion stays tender. The thin wrapper crisps beautifully in a pan, resulting in an impressive-looking lattice that holds the pieces together. "I especially love the thin wrappers and how the gyozas form a crispy skirt on the bottom when pan frying," wrote a fan on Instagram. "No oil, just water. They are already coated with the flour water to make the dumpling skirt," described a fan on Reddit, who noted that the price at Costco is more affordable than the same product sold at a Japanese grocer.

Others have described the gyoza as the best they've sampled outside of Japan. "A lotta ramen restaurants use this for their Gyoza," wrote a former ramen restaurant employee on Reddit. For a fuller meal, gyoza can be served with rice and miso soup, or a cucumber salad with sesame oil will complement the dish without stealing the spotlight. A drizzle of your favorite chili crisp can elevate the presentation. The only issue with these gyoza is that some Costco members have noted that they're not always in stock. However, eager shoppers have also found them at Walmart and specialty markets. "I regret not buying more during that last sale," lamented a Costco shopper on Reddit.