These homemade Egg Rolls are crisp on the outside with a satisfying pork and vegetable filling. Learn the secrets to an ultra-crisp shell. Watch the video recipe and learn how to make egg rolls that are better than takeout!
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Egg Rolls Recipe Video:
We love recreating our favorite restaurant dishes like Chow Mein, easy Stir Fry, and of course Chinese egg rolls. Watch the video tutorial and you’ll realize these are easier than you think.
This is our favorite egg roll filling with a well-seasoned blend of pork, rice noodles, mushrooms, and veggies. My mother learned how to make these in culinary school and taught me to make them. Growing up, we enjoyed her big stacks of freshly made egg rolls and they always disappeared fast. Thankfully this recipe makes a big batch so you can freeze a bunch for later.
The Best Egg Roll Wrappers:
The Key to an authentic egg roll is in the wrapper. It will make all the difference and is worth the effort to find the right ones.
- BUY Frozen Egg Roll Wrappers – the right kind of wrappers which are super thin and crisp up beautifully when fried are sold frozen.
- Suggested Brands – the ones that are available in our local Asian market are “Spring Home”, “Wei Chuan,” or “Little Chef.” They are about 8″x8″ in size. So long as they are the frozen variety, they will work.
- AVOID Refrigerated Egg Roll Wrappers – they are starchy, thicker, create a bubbly unattractive exterior when fried, and do not stay crisp, but soften quickly. I share examples of this in the video tutorial above.
- Where to Buy: Some grocery stores carry Egg Roll wrappers in the freezer section, but I had to find a local Asian market store to get them. Since they are frozen, you can stock up your freezer.
Spring Roll Vs. Egg Roll:
Some of the egg roll wrapper packagings will say “spring roll” which is used interchangeably with “egg roll.” They are the same thing.
Can I Substitute the Meat?
Our go-to filling is Pork because it is naturally very flavorful, but you can make these vegetarian by omitting the meat or substitute with different proteins:
- Ground turkey
- Ground chicken (dark meat is better)
- Chopped shrimp
How to Wrap Egg Rolls:
Wrapping an egg roll is really simple and you will be wrapping like a pro in no time. Here is a quick visual reference. The important points to remember are:
- Do not over-stuff (1/4 cup filling is all you need)
- Keep a tight roll from start to finish
- Seal the edge with egg wash
Tips for the Best Egg Rolls:
Here is our best advice for making egg rolls that will impress everyone.
- Keep Wrappers Moist – work with one sheet at a time and keep the remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel at all times to prevent them from drying out.
- Roll tightly to prevent oil from seeping into the egg roll
- Keep Oil at 350˚F – If the temperature drops too low, the egg rolls soak up more oil. If it’s too hot, they will darken too quickly.
- Fry in Batches – adding too many rolls at once will drop the temperature of the oil.
- Cool on a wire rack – the exterior will stay crispy all around if you cool them on a rack instead of paper towels.
- Cover finished rolls with a sheet of plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
How to Freeze Egg Rolls:
Egg rolls can be frozen cooked or uncooked. I find it is easier to fry all of them at once then freeze and reheat quickly when the craving strikes.
- To Freeze Fried Egg Rolls:cool to room temperature, put them in a large freezer-safe zip bag, and pop them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, I toast them in the air fryer until they are hot and crispy. Microwaving works but the shell won’t be crispy. You can also re-crisp in the oven.
- Freezing Uncooked Egg Rolls – to keep them from sticking together, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag. You can fry frozen uncooked egg rolls without thawing, just add an extra 1 to 2 minutes to the frying time.
How to Serve Egg Rolls:
Egg rolls are typically served warm or at room temperature as an appetizer with a sauce. We love pairing them with simple Asian sauces like sweet chili sauce, or a sweet teriyaki sauce.
I would love to hear about your favorite way to serve egg rolls in the comments.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
Our collection of Asian recipes is always growing because we are obsessed with making our favorites. If you enjoyed these homemade Egg Rolls, you will love these:
- Chicken Fried Rice – a brilliant way to repurpose leftovers
- Broccoli Beef – this saucy stir fry is perfect over White Rice
- Kung Pao Chicken – a restaurant-inspired dish
- Vegetable Stir Fry – easy, excellent side
- General Tso’s Chicken – in an authentic tasting sauce
Egg Roll Recipe - How to Make Egg Rolls
4.96 from 248 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
These homemade egg rolls are super crispy and way better than takeout. This makes a big batch of pork egg rolls which is perfect for meal planning. They freeze and reheat really well.
Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Ingredients
Servings: 40 egg rolls
- 40 frozen egg roll or spring roll wrappers , (8"x8"), thawed*
- 3 oz vermicelli rice noodles , (Chinese angel hair rice sticks)
- 1 lb ground pork
- 8 oz mushrooms, brown or white
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, grated or cut into matchsticks
- 4 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp salt, or to taste, (divided)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Peanut oil or Canola Oil for frying, (2-3 inches of oil)
- 1 egg, (beaten) for sealing eggrolls
Instructions
Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl and pour steaming hot water over the noodles. Separate the noodles by pulling them apart with forks and let it rest 5-7 minutes to soften until tender. Rinse with cold water to cool them down then drain really well. Chop the rice noodles to about 1-inch pieces on a cutting board and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Place a deep skillet over medium/high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and saute ground pork until cooked through and season with 1/2 tsp salt. Transfer to the mixing bowl with noodles.
In the same skillet, add 2 Tbsp oil, sliced mushrooms, diced onions, and shredded carrots. Sautee until softened (5-6 minutes) then add 4 cups cabbage and sautee just until wilted (2 minutes). Season with 1/2 tsp salt and transfer to the mixing bowl with the noodles.
Season egg roll mixture with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Since the filling is fully cooked, taste it, and add more seasoning to taste. Drain any excess liquid from the filling if present.
Peel back 1 egg roll wrapper and place it in a diamond shape on a clean work surface. Keep remaining egg roll wrappers covered with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. Add 1/4 cup of filling onto the bottom third of the wrapper.
Fold the bottom corner over the filling and tuck underneath. Roll tightly towards the center then fold in the sides, roll again then brush the last flap lightly with beaten egg and roll to seal. Repeat with remaining egg rolls. Keep the formed egg rolls covered with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.
Heat oil in a dutch oven or fryer to 350˚F. Fry 5-7 egg rolls at a time for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Egg rolls should sizzle when they are in the oil. Keep the temperature of the oil between 340-350˚F while frying. Transfer to a wire rack and cool 15 minutes before serving with your favorite sauce.
Notes
*Thaw packaged egg roll wrappers at room temperature 45 minutes before using. We recommend frozen brands like "Spring Home" "Wei Chuan" or "Little Chef." We found them in our local Asian market store.
Nutrition Disclosure: oil content is estimated at 1 tsp oil per egg roll.
Nutrition Per Serving
130kcal Calories10g Carbs4g Protein8g Fat2g Saturated Fat9mg Cholesterol242mg Sodium88mg Potassium1g Fiber1g Sugar518IU Vitamin A3mg Vitamin C13mg Calcium1mg Iron
- Full Nutrition Label
- Nutrition Disclosure
Nutrition Facts
Egg Roll Recipe - How to Make Egg Rolls
Amount per Serving
Calories
130
% Daily Value*
Fat
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Cholesterol
9
mg
3
%
Sodium
242
mg
Potassium
88
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
10
g
3
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
1
g
1
%
Protein
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
518
IU
10
%
Vitamin C
3
mg
4
%
Calcium
13
mg
1
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Keyword: egg rolls, pork egg roll
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 130
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This was one of our first recipes originally published in 2010. It was updated in October 2020 with new photos, a video tutorial. We improved the filling and added tons of great info for making the best egg rolls.
Natasha Kravchuk
