These take-out favorites are so much fun to make and incredibly delicious.
We absolutely love classic Chinese food, and we can’t order takeout without ordering some sort of appetizer. We are crazy about crab rangoon and pork potstickers. But these have to be our favorite of all time. And what’s so great is that our version is simple and comes together in about 30 minutes!
How To Make Homemade Egg Rolls
Crispy on the outside with a super flavorful filling, these homemade egg rolls are the bomb!
And they are really surprisingly easy to make. The egg roll wraps are found in almost all major supermarkets (usually in the chilled produce section), or at any Asian food market.
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The Ingredients You Will Need
The traditional filling for egg rolls is pork or chicken with shredded cabbage and carrots. Sautéd garlic, ginger, and onion deliver an authentic taste.
Mung bean sprouts are often used, and we love to add them to the filling, too.
Then you really amp up that incredible Asian taste with hoisin sauce and sesame oil.
EXPERT TIP: For the cabbage and carrots, we make it easy on ourselves and use quality pre-packaged coleslaw mix. Of course, you could thinly chop Napa cabbage and julienne a carrot, but they will take more time. The filling can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.
How To Roll Egg Rolls
Rolling them is not difficult. Adding a little water around the edges of the wrapper, and then a little more as you fold and roll helps to seal the roll into place.
It may take a couple of tries to get them just perfect, but rolling these homemade egg rolls is fun. Get the kids to help out…they’ll love it!
EXPERT TIP: Deep-frying the egg rolls is most common, but, for a healthier version (and still quite delicious), simply brush olive oil all over the rolls and then bake them in a 400°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Egg Rolls vs. Spring Rolls
Lots of folks ask what’s the difference between an egg roll and a spring roll. There are lots of different answers to this question, too.
But essentially, the wrapper for egg rolls contains (big surprise) eggs and they tend to be thicker. And typically an egg roll includes some sort of meat, whereas spring rolls often are just julienned vegetables.
Read much more detail about the difference between an egg roll and a spring roll here.
Other Classic Chinese Take-Out Recipes
Asian take-out is popular pretty much all over the world. Making these classic dishes at home is even better. Here are some of our all-time favorites:
Vegetarian Steamed Dumplings
Sesame Chicken
Crispy Sesame Beef
Orange Chicken
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Vegetable Stir-Fry
Slow-Cooker Chicken Chow Mein
Kung Pao Shrimp
But in the meantime, don’t you think it’s time to whip up a batch of these babies? We think so!
Ready to make the best Chinese appetizer in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of them, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Homemade Egg Rolls
Equipment
- Wok, or large sturdy skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger minced
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2½ cups coleslaw (or 2 cups shredded cabbage and 1 cup julienned carrots
- ¼ cup mung bean sprouts optional
- 2 scallions thinly chopped, green and white parts
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- vegetable oil, for frying (or olive oil, if baking)
- 12 egg roll wrappers (plus water for brushing)
For the Easy Duck Sauce
- ¾ cup apricot jam
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic chili sauce
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the onion, garlic, and ginger until just soft and aromatic, about 3 minutes.
- Add the pork and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat, if desired.
- Add the coleslaw mix (or cabbage and carrots), bean sprouts (if using), scallions, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix together with a large spoon.
- Working one roll at a time, place about 2 tablespoons of the filling across the center of a wrapper. Brush all four sides of the wrapper with a little water. Fold the bottom corner over the filling and gently tuck in. Next, fold the two sides in and tuck the sides in. Brush a little more water over the top. Roll the egg roll to enclose and the flap is sealed. (See image in post for reference).
- Heat enough of the vegetable oil in a large skillet to cover a roll, about 2 to 3 inches. Heat the oil to 350°F (using a candy thermometer ensures correct temperature).
- Using a fork, gently slide 1 or 2 of the rolls into the hot oil. Using a couple of forks, keep the rolls submerged until browned all over, flipping a couple of times. About 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining rolls.
- To make the duck sauce, mix together all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in June 2018, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and a fabulous new video in September 2022.
My daughter makes excellent egg rolls and I’m giving you guys 5 stars because your recipe looks so similar to hers.
Here’s her little secret for making them extra good.
Mix in a little peanut butter!
Hi Barbara! Thank you so much! And we’ll definitely try your daughter’s secret next time we make them! Thanks for sharing and for the GREAT review!!!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Please see previous comment from me: My apologies to Wesley for spelling his name with an L- too many martinis
LOL! No worries at all, Mark! Our niece’s 5-year-old girl has called him Leslie since she was a baby. That’s what often refer to him as! Have a GREAT week!!
These are easy to make, and delicious! I fry them in about an inch or so of oil and just keep turning them. I made a simple duck sauce out of Apricot preserves and red wine vinegar. So good!
Hi Stacy!! We are so thrilled you loved the egg rolls!! And your apricot preserves sounds heavenly!! Thank you SO MUCH for letting us know and for the great review! That means the world to us!! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Delicious as usual Kris – enjoyed these totally! Tell Lesley I totally agree with him!
Did you mean to say 1 Tablespoon minced ginger, minced or grated? Recipe lists garlic twice. Thank you
Hi Cheryl! YES! 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated. Thanks for catching that. We’ve updated the recipe. xoxo
We love your recipes! What temp and how long do you bake? Thanks so much!
Hi Elizabeth!!! So very sorry for the extra late delay in responding to your question. If you roll the egg rolls the same way and then brush olive oil all over them. And then bake them in a 400°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden all over, should do the trick! Let us know if you make them and how they turn out. Best, Kris & Wesley
I really enjoyed this, it’s a fantastic recipe. It was fast and easy and made a lot . I used broccoli slaw with the beef and the crew here ate it all up with no left overs. Next time I will double the amount. Thanks for sharing
Thank you, Dianne. Glad you are enjoying the recipes! We love these egg rolls, too!! Broccoli slaw sounds absolutely amazing. Thank YOU!! Kris & Wesley
These look so good! We love egg rolls and I had never considered trying to make them at home. Will now for sure!
Just found you on Youtube! We add hoison sauce in the eggroll mixture. In place of cabbage, we like minced fresh spinach. Love you guys! Will be looking forward to more of your videos. I see a very successful future for you both…best wishes in your adventures!