Yaki Mandu, Gun Mandu or Korean Fried Dumplings are light and crispy on the outside while soft and savory in flavor on the inside. They are filled with japchae noodles, veggies, tofu, kimchi, pork and beef and makes an awesome party appetizer or banchan.
Deep-fried or Pan-Fried, Yaki Mandu or Gun Mandu is delicious either way!
What is Gun Mandu 군만두 or Yaki Mandu 야끼 만두?
Great question! So.. first of all, you know that Mandu 만두 in Korean means dumpling. Gun (pronounced goon (군)) comes from the word ‘to grill or roast’ and most Koreans will associate this with the mandu you get from a Korean Chinese restaurant. Often served as a freebie when you order Tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) 😝 🥰.
But strangely, the name Yaki Mandu is also often associated with this kind of dumpling – crispy fried on the outside, half-moon shaped, with very loose filling filled with mostly noodles and little meat on the inside. But wait..isn’t the word – Yaki, Japanese?? You know I never thought about how confusing all this was until I sat down to write about it.
Yes, Yaki is a Japanese word and it means to ‘cook on direct heat’ which includes cooking methods of grilling, pan-frying or boiling. I believe this is something that happened after the Japanese occupation of Korea when many Koreans were so used to speaking Japanese words that they often mixed Korean and Japanese words when they spoke.
I remember when I was little, people always ordered at a Korean Chinese restaurant –
“여기요! 야끼만두 한 그릇 주세요!” – Can we please have a plate of Yaki Mandu??
Now, no one ever thought it was confusing this was.. lol. And everyone understood what you meant.
Many many years later – now in Korea, hardly anyone uses the name Yaki Mandu anymore. But.. for some strange reason, many in the US still search for that word on google..
BTW, Twigim Mandu 튀김만두 is another name for this. It’s a pure Korean name that simply means Deep Fried Dumplings. These were often sold as a cheap snack near schools..It was so delicious, I could never stop eating just one… anyway, below is a Deep-Fried version but made into a semi Korean mandu shape hape using Square Wonton wrappers.
BTW, I hope you are not going to get upset that I’m mentioning Yaki Mandu.. because that’s just part of Korean history. A painful past where the after-effects of the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945) lingered on for many years.
What Dumpling (Mandu) Wrapper to buy
Nasoya Wonton Wrappers (round or square) – you can buy these at many grocery stores even Target.
Gyoza/Posticker wrappers and Wonton Skins all work fine. Wonton skins are a little thinner and makes a lighter one. Korean mandu wrappers are usually thicker and is meant for mandu that’s boiled in soups or steamed so I find that they are too thick to be fried.
Ingredients for Korean Fried Dumplings (Yaki Mandu/Gun Mandu)
- 50 Wonton Wrappers (round or square)
- 4 oz ground pork
- 2 oz ground beef
- 9 oz mung bean sprouts (4 oz cooked and squeezed)
- 2 oz Japchae noodles (2 oz will make about 1 cup when cooked), should be seasoned with 1/4 tsp soy sauce and sesame oil after cooked
- 1/2 yellow onion (about 2/3 cup chopped)
- 4 oz cabbage kimchi, chopped
- 1/2 cup Korean or Chinese Chives, chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced or 20g chopped in processor
- 1 knob of ginger, grated or chopped in processor
- 1 green onions, chopped
- 4 – 5 cups vegetable oil (if deep frying) OR 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (if pan frying)
Seasoning Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp mirim or cooking sake
- 1.5 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (trader joe’s)
- 3/4 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp guk ganjang (korean soup soy sauce)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Tofu Crumble Mix
- 10 oz extra firm tofu, water squeezed out
- 1 green onions
- 1.5 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (trader joe’s)
Gun Mandu DIPPING SAUCE
- 3 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3.5 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp gochugaru (korean chili powder)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 3 tsp chives, chopped
Step by Step Instructions
- Have a large mixing bowl ready. Add ground beef and pork. Prepare the following ingredients from steps 2 – 7 and add all of them to the bowl.
- Bean sprouts – Cook mung bean sprouts in salted boiling water for 2-3 min. Transfer to an ice water bath, drain and then grab a handful between your hands and squeeze excess water out as much as possible. Continue until you squeeze all the bean sprouts. Put the squeezed bean sprout balls on a cutting board and roughly chop into 1/2 inch pieces. SEE VIDEO.
- Noodles – Cook and cut Japchae Noodles into 1/2 inch lengths. Cook according to package directions. Usually, these noodles are cooked in boiling water for 6-8 min. Once cooked, drain and drizzle lightly with some sesame oil and soy sauce. About 1/4 tsp soy sauce for 1 cup cooked noodles.
- In a food processor, chop onion, garlic and peeled ginger. Chop chives and kimchi. OR you can just chop everything with a knife except the ginger. Peel and grate ginger if you are not using the food processor.
- Kimchi – Squeeze excess liquid from chopped cabbage kimchi.
- Tofu – Put tofu in a cheesecloth or hemp cloth and wrap then squeeze and wring out excess liquid out of the tofu.
- Tofu Crumble Mix – In the same food processor, add tofu, green onions, sesame oil, salt and chop until green onions are chopped and everything is mixed with the tofu.
- You should now have in the mixing bowl from 1, pork, beef, chives, cooked bean sprouts, onion garlic mixture. (see pic)
- To bowl above, add tofu crumble mixture from 5 and the japchae noodles. Gently mix everything with your hands so that everything is evenly mixed.
- Season the whole mix with cooking sake, guk ganjang, remaining sesame oil, salt, black pepper. Mix again.
- MAKE MANDU – Prepare a tray or large plate with some light sprinkling of flour. Also prepare tin foil or plastic wrap to loosely cover the dumplings while you continue to make mandu. Have a small bowl of water ready and wet the edge of each wrapper before adding the filling in the middle. Fold over the wrapper to seal the dumpling. Make dumplings by stuffing 2 tsp to 1 Tbsp of mix in each wrapper (watch video on how to fold dumplings) and then lay out the mandu on the tray with enough spacing between them so they don’t touch.
- FREEZE for best storage – once you have a tray full of mandu, put in the freezer, uncovered, for about 1 – 2 hours until the outer skin becomes hard. Transfer the partially frozen mandu into a plastic bag and put it back in the freezer until you are ready to cook them. By pre-freezing them, the mandu will not stick to each other and also keep its shape.
- DEEP FRY or PAN-FRY the Yaki Mandu Dumplings. Read below for instructions.
Deep Fry or Pan-Fry – Both ways are delicious!!
Deep Frying Mandu – HEAT at least 3 inch of oil in a heavy pot or a fryer until it reaches 340℉ (170℃). Put mandu in oil and fry for 3-4 min until it’s golden brown like above.
Pan Frying Mandu – heat a frying pan on medium heat with good amount of vegetable oil (1.5 to 2 Tbsp) and brown the mandu on all sides for 3-4 minutes. Then prepare a lid that will cover the pan and then pour 1 Tbsp of water onto the hot pan. COVER IMMEDIATELY and BE CAREFUL it will steam right away!! Let it cook for 1 min or so until the water evaporates. SEE VIDEO!
SERVING SUGGESTionS FOR Korean fried Dumplings (Yaki Mandu)
A MUST for Yaki Mandu is to serve it with a dipping sauce and some pickled radish (Danmuji 단무지). They are just what makes the dumplings taste like heaven!!
Sauce 1 – simple choganjang – 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
Sauce 2 – 3 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, 4 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean red chili powder), 1 tsp sesame seeds, 3 tsp chopped Chinese chives or green onions
Video on How to FOLD and COOK Yaki Mandu
Fully narrated video from start to finish
Yaki Mandu (Korean Fried Dumplings)/ Gun Mandu
Ingredients
- 50 Wonton Wrappers round or square
- 4 oz ground pork
- 2 oz ground beef
- 9 oz mung bean sprouts 4 oz cooked and squeezed
- 1/2 yellow onion about 2/3 cup chopped
- 4 oz cabbage kimchi chopped
- 1/2 cup Korean or Chinese Chives chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh garlic minced or 20g chopped in processor
- 0.5 Tbsp fresh ginger grated or chopped in processor
Seasoning Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp mirim or cooking sake
- 1.5 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt Trader Joe's
- 3/4 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp guk ganjang korean soup soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Japchae Noodles
- 1 cup cooked Japchae noodles 3 oz dry = 1 cup cooked
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp soy sauce
Tofu Crumble mix
- 10 oz extra firm tofu water squeezed out
- 1 green onions chopped
- 1.5 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt Trader Joe's
Pan Frying or Deep Frying
- 4 cups vegetable oil (if deep frying)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (if pan frying)
Sweet Sour Dipping Sauce
- 3 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 4 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp gochugaru (korean red chili powder)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 3 tsp chinese chives, chopped or green onions
Instructions
- Have a large mixing bowl ready. Add ground beef and pork. Prepare the following ingredients from steps 2 – 7 and add all of them to the bowl.4 oz ground pork, 2 oz ground beef
- Bean sprouts – Cook mung bean sprouts in salted boiling water for 2-3 min. Transfer to an ice water bath, drain and then grab a handful between your hands and squeeze excess water out as much as possible. Continue until you squeeze excess water from all the bean sprouts. Put the squeezed bean sprout balls on a cutting board and roughly chop into 1/2 inch pieces. see video9 oz mung bean sprouts
- Noodles – Cook Japchae Noodles according to package directions. Usually, noodle are cooked in boiling water for 6-8 min. Once cooked, drain and drizzle with some sesame oil and 1/4 tsp soy sauce. Cut noodles into 3/4 inch lengths but OK if some are longer.1 cup cooked Japchae noodles, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp soy sauce
- In a food processor, chop onion, garlic and peeled ginger. Chop chives and kimchi. OR you can just chop everything with a knife except the ginger. Peel and grate ginger if you are not using the food processor.4 oz cabbage kimchi, 1/2 cup Korean or Chinese Chives, 1 Tbsp fresh garlic, 0.5 Tbsp fresh ginger, 1/2 yellow onion
- Kimchi – Squeeze excess liquid from chopped cabbage kimchi.4 oz cabbage kimchi
- Tofu – Put tofu in a cheesecloth or hemp cloth and wrap then squeeze and wring out excess liquid out of the tofu.10 oz extra firm tofu
- In the same food processor, add tofu, green onions, sesame oil, sea salt and chop until green onions are chopped and everything is mixed with the tofu.1.5 tsp sesame oil, 1 green onions, 1/4 tsp sea salt
- You should now have in the mixing bowl from 1, pork, beef, chives, cooked bean sprouts, onion garlic mixture.
- To the bowl above, add tofu crumble mixture from 5 and the japchae noodles. Gently mix everything with your hands so that everything is evenly mixed.
- Season the whole mix with cooking sake, guk ganjang, sesame oil, salt, black pepper, and sugar. Mix again.1/2 tsp mirim or cooking sake, 1/2 tsp guk ganjang, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1.5 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 3/4 tsp sugar
- Prepare a tray or large plate with some light sprinkling of flour. Also prepare tin foil or plastic wrap to loosely cover the dumplings while you continue to make mandu. Make dumplings by stuffing 2 tsp to 1 Tbsp of mix in each wrapper (watch video on how) and then lay out the mandu on the tray with enough spacing between them so they don't touch.50 Wonton Wrappers
- FREEZE for best storage – once you have a tray full of mandu, put in the freezer, uncovered, for about 1 – 2 hours until the outer skin becomes hard. Transfer the partially frozen mandu into a plastic bag and put it back in the freezer until you are ready to cook them. By pre-freezing them, the mandu will not stick to each other and also keep its shape.
COOKING YAKI MANDU/GUN MANDU
- Deep Frying Mandu – heat up at least 3 inch of oil in a heavy pot or a fryer until it reaches 340℉ (170℃). Put mandu in oil and fry for 3-4 min until it's golden brown like above.4 cups vegetable oil (if deep frying)
- Pan Frying Mandu – heat a frying pan on medium heat with good amount of vegetable oil (1.5 to 2 Tbsp) and brown the mandu on all sides for 3-4 minutes. Then prepare a lid that will cover the pan and then pour 1 Tbsp of water onto the hot pan. COVER IMMEDIATELY and BE CAREFUL it will steam right away!! Let it cook for 1 min or so until the water evaporates.2 Tbsp vegetable oil (if pan frying)
- Make Sweet Sour Dipping Sauce by mixing the ingredients – soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, gochugaru, sesame seeds and chives.3 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, 4 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp gochugaru (korean red chili powder), 1 tsp sesame seeds, 3 tsp chinese chives, chopped
Tips & Notes:
- Serving Suggestions – serve with some pickled radish (Danmuji) and a simple soy sauce + vinegar dipping sauce or my Sweet Sour Dipping Sauce with chives. Recipe above.
- Storage – unless you plan to cook and eat right away, it’s best to make mandu ahead and freeze.
- HOW to FREEZE – once you have a tray full of mandu, put in the freezer, uncovered, for about 1 – 2 hours until the outer skin becomes hard. Transfer the partially frozen mandu into a plastic bag and put it back in the freezer until you are ready to cook them. By pre-freezing them, the mandu will not stick to each other and also keep its shape.
- Try to buy thinner dumpling wrappers – either Chinese Wonton or Japanese Gyoza for this recipe. Korean mandu wrappers are usually too thick for this recipe. I think it makes sense since this is a Korean Chinese dish.
I think I have an answer to your question about the use of Yaki Mandu in the US. I was in the military stationed in the ROK. I loved nothing more than 1000 won Yaki Mandu and an OB. Every street vendor called them Yaki Mandu and so that’s what I call them. Now I’m retired and there is one small Korean restaurant in my town. They call friend Mandu “Yaki Mandu.” So I call it that too!
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but hope to in the near future!
Aaah.. thank you so much for sharing that!! Also THANK YOU so much for your service! AND.. yes, 1000won – that brings back such memories. I hope you try my recipe. BTW, if you want to recreate the 1000won yaki mandu, add more japchae noodles and less meat.. lol. Enjoy!
This is the first time I’ve seen it called yaki mandu in a recipe! My mother moved to the US in the late 70s and she and all of her friends called it this. Their generation must be the ones who introduced it to the American audience. I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Yay!! Thank you for confirming my suspicion that this mandu goes by that name for many in the US! And certainly I grew up calling it Yaki Mandu. Hope you like it!!
Hi Jinjoo,
There is no link to your video in this post. The sentence about it is not a link. I can go to youtube myself but just to let you know.
Hi Suri, I’m so sorry – the video is at the bottom of the page. I meant to add hyperlinks to them but I must have missed it. I just fixed it, it should work now. I’m going to add the fully narrated youtube tomorrow – and will also include the link to that in my page. Thank you for letting me know!
I lived in Korea for 3 years myself and only recently came back to the US. Indeed street vendors still call it yaki mandu. Even in many restaurants, it’s called that also. Though you’ll also see 만두 후라이 or “mandu fry” on some menus.
I haven’t heard of 만두 후라이 very much.. haha.. but it gets the point across so why not!? Thanks for sharing that!