Homemade egg rolls are filled with juicy seasoned pork and vegetables then deep-fried until golden, crisp and delicious. Add some sweet and sour sauce for dipping and it’s better than takeout!
Table of Contents
Egg Roll Recipe
Egg rolls are staple of Chinese take-out, and why wouldn’t they be? They’re amazing! Crispy rolls stuffed with seasoned pork and crunchy cabbage then fried until golden brown.
They make the best snacks, especially with a little sweet and sour dipping sauce on the side. Anytime I add these, crab rangoon or southwest egg rolls to a party platter of appetizers they’re the first to go.
Learning how to make homemade egg rolls from scratch is easy and can be ready in under 30 minutes without skimping on authentic flavors and textures. They’re exactly what you want in an egg roll recipe plus it’s faster and cheaper than delivery!
Recipe Ingredients
Almost all of the ingredients are used for cooking the filling in a pan altogether. Once it is cooked and blended together, you can add the filling to the egg roll wrappers. It really is an easy recipe that is full of flavor!
- Pork: I used one pound of ground pork for this recipe.
- Ginger and garlic: Freshley minced gives the most flavor for each of these ingredients.
- Coleslaw: You can purchase a bag mix or make your own.
- Onions: Slice or chop however fine or thick you would like your onions to be.
- Soy sauce: This adds a sweet and savory flavor with all the filling.
- Egg roll wrappers: These make 12 egg rolls. A thicker egg roll helps hold the filling together.
- Egg: Whisk the egg before adding it to the filling.
- Oil: The oil can be vegetable or canola oil. This will be used for frying the egg roll.
Variations
Make your egg rolls just the way you like them with all the goods inside of them! Egg rolls are a hidden gem that can be so versatile and delicious in so many ways. Create the best variation with these extra suggestions below!
- Use ground chicken or ground beef in place of the pork.
- Omit the meat or protein altogether and double the veggies or add in rice noodles.
- Additional vegetables are mushrooms, bean sprouts, carrots, or slivered bell pepper.
- For extra flavor, add a drizzle of sesame oil to the filling.
- For a low-carb version of an egg roll, don’t miss my egg roll in a bowl. The filling is customizable and you can turn it into a lettuce wrap instead!
How to Make Egg Rolls
It may sound like a lot of steps to making egg rolls but it really is simple once you do your first one. Learning how to wrap egg rolls is the hardest part with these basic steps and tips down below you will be an egg roll master.
- Cooked Filling mixture. Spoon 1/4 of the filling mixture onto the bottom corner of the wrapper.
- Fill wrappers. Place the square egg roll wrappers on a diamond slant. That way one point is facing up and the other is facing down.
- Make an envelope. Fold up the bottom corner over the top of the filling, then fold in the two side corners so they meet in the middle (like an envelope).
- Close the egg roll. Brush the top triangle with egg wash and continue rolling up the egg roll through the center of the wrapper to the top corner. Seal it with egg wash.
- Fry. In a skillet, heat 1-inch of oil to 350°F. Place 4 to 5 egg rolls in the oil at a time. Fry until browned, flipping occasionally.
- Serve. Let cool slightly on paper towel lined plate then serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Tips for the Best Egg Rolls
Here are some helpful tips to make these homemade egg rolls even better! You will find how to brown, substitutions, and different variations for making egg rolls. If this is your first time making egg rolls, be sure to follow a few of these guidelines to help!
- Make sure the filling isn’t too hot when you add it to the wrapper. Placing it in the fridge for 10 minutes first helps. Otherwise, it’ll make the wrappers too soft.
- Placing a damp paper towel over the wrappers helps keep them from drying out while rolling.
- Maintain temperature at 350 degrees. What happens when the temperature drops is it takes longer for the egg rolls to cook which means it has a longer time for the wrappers to soak up the oil. Soggy egg rolls are the pits. Then, if the oil is too hot, well then they just burn!
- If you’re making a vegetarian version, cook the veggies in 1 Tbsp of oil since there will be no meat to produce extra grease.
- Use an oil that has a high smoke point for frying. Vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil, olive oil, and avocado oil will work.
- Work in batches. Adding any more than 5 at a time will lower the temperature, which is what we don’t want.
- If you find yours are browning too quickly, turn down the heat.
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t want to deep fry egg rolls, bake them instead. Lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet, brush with oil, and bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway. Keep an eye on them turning golden brown. No need to drain any excess oil with this method!
You bet! Once you’ve wrapped all of your egg rolls, spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, place them inside, give them another spray, and air fry at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, and flip halfway.
These are very freezer-friendly. Once completely cooled, transfer them to a freezer-friendly bag or container and keep them frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw, and then reheat in the oven at 300 until warmed through. About 5-10 minutes.
You can find egg roll wrappers in most grocery stores. If you live near Asian food markets, you’re bound to find some there. Just be aware that egg roll wrappers and wonton wrappers are not the same things!
These get even better served along with your favorite Asian dishes! Try them with my PF Chang’s orange chicken, kung pao chicken or kung pao shrimp for a meal idea!
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Homemade Egg Rolls
Ingredients
- ¾ pound ground pork , could use 1 pound
- 2 teaspoons freshly minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
- 3-4 cups coleslaw mix
- 3-4 green onions , sliced
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 12 egg roll wrappers
- 1 egg , beaten
- Oil , for frying
- Sweet and sour sauce , for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the pork over medium heat, breaking up with a spoon, until lightly browned and cooked through.
- Stir in the ginger, garlic, coleslaw, and green onions. Cook 3 minutes, or until cabbage is wilted.
- Stir in the soy sauce and remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. I like to refrigerate about 10 minutes, so the meat doesn't make the wrappers too soft when rolling.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup filling onto the bottom corner of an egg roll wrapper. Fold in the 2 corners and then roll like a burrito, until it looks like an envelope. Brush the top triangle with the egg. Continue rolling and seal. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. I like to keep a damp paper towel over the top of the wrappers while rolling, so they don't dry out.
- In a skillet, heat 1-inch of oil to 350°F. Place 4 to 5 egg rolls in the oil at a time. Fry until browned, flipping occasionally. Turn down the heat if they are browning too fast.
- Place egg rolls on a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool slightly. Enjoy warm with sweet and sour sauce.
Notes
- You can use ground chicken or beef in place of pork.
- You may also omit the beef and double the amount of vegetables or add rice noodles. If taking out the meat, cook vegetables in 1 Tablespoon oil.
- Optional veggies to add: mushrooms, bean sprouts, carrots.
- For extra flavor add a teaspoon or two of sesame oil.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Appetizers, Asian, Freezer-Friendly, Mini appetizers, Nut-Free, Side Dishes
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
Yum! Do you make your sweet and sour sauce from scratch? Would love a recipe-it looks delicious!
Yes! Here is the recipe I use for the sweet and sour sauce: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/sweet-and-sour-sauce/. Enjoy! :)
My kids love Chinese takeout, but I am not a fan of all the “junk” in it! So I was pumped when I found this made from scratch recipe! Thank you! They turned out delicious.
You are so welcome! I’m glad your family enjoyed them :)
These reminded me of the ones my mom used to make when I was little! So yummy, especially dipped in sweet & sour sauce!
Everyone at my house loved these egg rolls!! I can’t wait to make it again!