THE WRAPPERS
Egg roll wrappers: are commonly found in the refrigerated produce section of the grocery store, often at an end aisle or even with the salad dressings. If you can’t find them – just ask, because they are there! You will want a package with 18 egg roll wrappers. Many come in a 20 count, so you should be good to go. Cornstarch slurry: to seal the wrappers, you will need 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with water. This “glues” the wrappers closed much more effectively than just water or an egg wash.
THE PORK FILLING
Pork and vegetables combine to create the intoxicating layers of flavor and texture. The pork is further seasoned with pantry friendly Asian ingredients that take seconds to add for an exponentially delicious result:
THE VEGETABLES
Napa cabbage: is best for authentic flavor but you may substitute with green cabbage. You will need half of a small head of Napa cabbage, about 11 oz. Mushrooms: one 3.2 oz. pkg. shiitake mushrooms for their fabulous earthy, umami flavor but you may substitute with cremini mushrooms or omit if needed. Do NOT rinse mushrooms or they will suck up water and make your filling soggy; instead wipe with paper towels. Carrots: 2 medium carrots chopped into 2” chunks so they can easily fit into your food processor. Bean sprouts: again, don’t rinse or they can make your filling soggy. Green onions: I don’t recommend substituting with white/yellow onions or shallots because they will not soften like green onions in the egg rolls and therefore will be too strong. Ginger: you will need 1” peeled ginger – you don’t need to mince because the food processor will do all the work. Garlic cloves: just peel the garlic and the food processor will do all the work.
THE OIL
Our goal of deep frying the egg rolls is to create a deeply golden, crunchy exterior but be aware not all oils are suitable for frying. You will need an oil with a high smoking point (around 450°F/232°C) and neutral flavor. If you select an oil with a low smoking point, not only will you have an incredible amount of smoke, but the oil will break down creating an unpleasant odor and unappetizing taste. Vegetable oil is my go-to oil for frying because it has a smoking point comfortably above frying temperature and is very neutral. Other oils suitable for frying (although some aren’t as neutral as others) include:
Peanut oil Soybean oil Safflower oil Canola oil Cottonseed oil Corn oil Sunflower oil
Can I fill my Egg Rolls with Chicken?
Yes! You may substitute the pork for an equal amount of ground chicken. You can also make this egg roll recipe with lean ground beef, shrimp, or tofu, depending on your preference.
Make this a Vegetarian Egg Rolls Recipe
You can transform this homemade egg roll recipe into Vegetarian Egg Rolls by substituting the pork for extra firm tofu or your favorite plant-based protein, OR omit the meat and add additional vegetables to the filling. You can amp up the quantity of the mushrooms, cabbage, carrots and sprouts, or add additional vegetables. One of my favorite ways to add vegetables to egg rolls is to purchase a bag of stir fry vegetables with broccoli, carrots, snow peas, etc. and to stir fry them for a couple minutes then place them in the food processor to chop. You can also hand pick and add any of the following:
Celery Cauliflower Broccoli Bell peppers Jicama Water chestnuts Snow peas
Step 1 – Chop Vegetables: Add cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, sprouts, garlic, ginger and green onions to your food processor and pulse until finely chopped. You may need to scrape down the sides if a few stubborn veggies remain. If you don’t have a food processor, you can certainly chop by hand. Set aside. Step 2 – Brown Pork: Cook pork in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking into small pieces as you stir. If your pork is lean, you may need to add some oil to brown. If it is not lean, then dab with paper towels after cooking to remove any excess grease which can make our filling soggy and tear the egg roll wrappers. Step 3 – Add Flavor: Stir in soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, chili sauce, salt and pepper. Step 4 – Add Vegetables: Add chopped vegetables, and stir fry for one minute. Don’t cook longer because we don’t want the veggies to become too wilted. Step 5 – Chill Filling: Transfer pork and veggies to a baking sheet and place in your freezer for 15-30 minutes until chilled OR cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. It is crucial to chill the filling otherwise a hot filling will make the egg roll wrappers soggy and soggy egg roll wrappers easily tear. Step 6 – Make Dipping Sauce: No egg roll recipe is complete without dipping sauce! While the egg roll filling is chilling, make the sweet and sour sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until slightly thickened. Set aside. (Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.) Step 1 – Prepare Surface: Line your counter with parchment paper or a nonstick cooking mat to place rolled egg rolls on if frying or line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil if baking and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Keep egg roll wrappers covered when you’re not using them so they don’t dry out which will make them brittle and easily tear. Step 2 – Add Filling: Position an egg roll wrapper with one point towards you. Place ¼ cup pork filling centered in the bottom third of the wrapper. Step 3 – Fold: Fold bottom corner over filling and press out any air.
Firmly fold the side corners towards the center over the filling so it looks like an empty envelope. I also tuck the very tips of the corners in.
Brush a small amount of the cornstarch slurry over the left and right corners of the wrapper – what looks like the open envelope lid. If your egg roll isn’t properly sealed, it will leak when cooking, so make sure it’s secure. Continue to tightly roll the egg roll up, pressing in the ends, until it is completely sealed.
Step 4 – Store: Place finished egg rolls on prepared nonstick surface as you make them and keep covered with a damp towel so they don’t dry out. Repeat process with the remaining rolls. Start to heat the oil as you near completion. Step 5 – Cook. Fry egg rolls, bake or air fry until golden brown.
I highly recommend an instant-read thermometer to ensure you have the correct temperature not only at the beginning of frying, but throughout the entire frying process. If your oil is too hot, then the egg rolls wrappers will brown quickly, but won’t be as crispy because there wasn’t enough time for the water to evaporate. If the oil is too cold, the egg rolls will never reach peak crispiness. You can still fry without a thermometer, but it may be more trial and error. If you are frying without a thermometer, make sure you add a pinch of flour or pinch off some extra egg roll wrapper and add it to the pot. If it boils, your oil is ready but if it boils and turns dark within a minute or so, your oil is too hot. You will have to remove from the heat, wait a few minutes, return to heat and try again. Take care you don’t overcrowd your pot so the egg rolls can cook evenly and so you have plenty of room to flip the egg rolls over with tongs. This also helps you keep a close eye on them so they don’t overcook. Use a stainless-steel strainer to transfer fried egg rolls to a paper towel lined baking sheet or serving platter so they stay crispy. If you don’t have a strainer, then you can use tongs but be careful not to puncture or drop the egg rolls! When you remove the egg rolls, place them on paper towels in a single layer without touching. You don’t want them sitting in oil or touching or they will lose their extreme crunch.
Cover wrappers. Keep the egg roll wrappers covered in their packaging when not using or else they will dry out and tear easily. You can wrap the package in plastic wrap or keep sealed in a freezer bag when not in use. Cool filling. You must take the time to chill your filling in the freezer or refrigerator before using. If it is warm, it will make your egg roll wrappers soggy and easily tear. Remove excess moisture. You don’t want any excess moisture because soggy filling will make soggy egg rolls that can easily tear. If your filling has excess moisture, blot it with paper towels. I found this was the case as I reached the end of the filling and more liquid had accumulated. Don’t overfill egg roll wrappers. I find ¼ cup to be ideal for rolling up egg rolls but if you find you can’t easily roll up and seal your egg rolls, then use less filling. Wrap tightly. Make sure you push out any excess air and roll your egg roll as tightly as possible to prevent the filling from leaking into the oil or the oil leaking into the egg roll and causing it to crack. Seal egg rolls completely. It is important that the egg rolls are completely sealed otherwise oil can seep in and cause them to break while cooking. If you find your egg roll wrappers aren’t sealing, it might be because the edges are too wet – don’t use too much slurry to seal. Cover egg rolls before frying. Just like you need to cover the egg roll wrappers before using, you need to keep the egg rolls covered with a damp towel at all times after wrapping and before frying to prevent them from drying and cracking. If the wrappers dry out, they will easily crack when placed in the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd pan. Be patient and cook just 4 egg rolls at a time depending on your pan size so they cook evenly. Adjust heat. If you find your egg rolls are cooking too quickly and surpassing the golden brown, then lower heat. Don’t stack. Resist the urge to stack the Chinese egg rolls or they won’t be as crispy. I know I didn’t follow my own advice in the photos so I can speak from personal experience that stacked egg rolls will steam and you will lose that shatteringly crispy coveted exterior. It is best to serve the egg rolls lined in a single layer with a little breathing room in between each egg roll.
More reasons to love this dipping sauce:
QUICK. This sweet and sour sauce takes minutes to make. Just whisk the ingredients together and simmer while your filling chills – that’s it! Make ahead. After you whisk the sauce together, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for weeks. Adaptable. While this sweet and sour sauce is just right for us, you can adjust it to make it just right for YOU and your family’s personal tastes. Just keep a note of your adjustments then whip out the perfect dipping sauce every time. sweeten it up with additional granulated sugar or swap the sugar for honey for a more floral taste add sweet heat with sweet chili sauce for extra tang, add additional vinegar spice it up with additional chili sauce amp up the ginger for a stronger punch of flavor or add Chinese 5 spice
pineapple juice: I purchase a pack of small cans – they are perfect for something like this. You can transfer the remaining pineapple juice to a plastic bag and freeze for later. red wine vinegar: has a distinct flavor and is best not to swap out for another vinegar in this scenario. sugar: granulated sugar is best here, use more or less to taste. ketchup: is non-negotiable. soy sauce: use reduced sodium like we do in the filling. seasonings: a pinch of salt and ginger powder enhance the flavors. Asian chili sauce: such as Sambal Oelek adds flavor but will not make your dipping sauce spicy. Of course, you can always add more or less to taste.
HOW DO I THIN DIPPING SAUCE?
Your dipping sauce will continue to thicken as it sits, so don’t thicken it on the stove to the exact consistency you want it, but leave a little wiggle room for it to thicken slightly. If it simmers to the point of too thick or sits and becomes too thick, don’t worry! It is easy to thin by whisking in some water over low heat. Alternatively, if your sweet and sour sauce is too runny, then return to a simmer to thicken.
HOW DO I STORE DIPPING SAUCE?
Dipping sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. When ready to use, just reheat over low heat with a couple tablespoons water, not to make it warm but to thin as it will thick upon refrigeration.
Main course: these homemade egg rolls pair beautifully with all sorts of Asian cuisine from Chinese to Japanese to Thai food. Seeing as I have so many Asian recipes, I’ll stick with some of my Chinese favorites: Beef and Broccoli, Mongolian Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Sesame Chicken, General Tso’s Chicken, Szechuan Chicken, Szechuan Beef, Cashew Chicken, Kung Pao Shrimp, Honey Lemon Chicken Appetizers: they make stand alone delicious appetizers or serve them alongside Potstickers, Chicken Satay, Yakitori, Korean Meatballs, Shrimp Spring Rolls, Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Chinese Chicken Wings or Pineapple Cream Cheese Wontons. Soup: I love apps and soups together! Egg rolls would pair beautifully with any of my favorite Asian inspired soups: Egg Drop Soup, Wonton Soup, Miso Soup, Thai Chicken Noodle Soup, Curried Butternut Squash Soup, Laska, Tom Kha Gai. Salad: round out your meal with any of my favorite Asian inspired salads: Crunchy Asian Salad, Chinese Salad, or Asian Pineapple Salad. Fruit: fresh fruit such as chopped pineapple is always an easy, welcome side or try Grilled Pineapple, Summer Fruit Salad, Perfect Fruit Salad, Creamy Grape Salad, and Pina Colada Fruit Salad.
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