Classic Egg Rolls

These crispy homemade Classic Egg Rolls are a cinch to make with ground pork, cabbage, carrots, and ginger, all rolled up in egg roll wrappers and fried to golden perfection. Serve with my homemade sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce.

They taste so much better than takeout. These tasty appetizers are the perfect accompaniment to any Asian dish. I like to serve them with cream cheese wontons, bacon-wrapped pineapple, and hot shrimp dip.

How to make homemade egg rolls

In a small saucepan, whisk together the rice vinegar, water, brown sugar, and sambal oelek (ground fresh chili paste). Bring the mixture to a low boil and turn it to a simmer.  Stir together the water and cornstarch.  Whisk it into the chili sauce mixture and cook until slightly thickened.  Turn the heat off, cover it, and let it sit while you make the egg rolls.

Brown the ground pork in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain any excess fat and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil, cooking for about 1 minute. Then add the slaw mix and continue cooking over medium heat until the cabbage is wilted. Add the green onions and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the egg roll with one corner pointed to you like a diamond shape. Add about 1/4 of a cup of the cabbage mixture onto the egg roll as pictured above. Bring up the bottom point and fold it over the mixture. Fold in the sides, making it look like an open envelope. Now whisk together the water and cornstarch. Using your fingers or a small brush, apply the cornstarch mixture to the open point and roll up the egg roll. Repeat until all the cabbage mixture is gone.

Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven, heavy stock pot, or deep fryer. Fry the egg rolls 3-4 at a time until golden brown, turning several times. Remove to paper towels or wire rack to drain. For best results, serve promptly with warm chili sauce.

Recipe tips

• The sweet chili dipping sauce can be made several days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Keep the egg rolls and egg roll wrappers covered with lightly dampened paper towels while working with them. It keeps the wrapper from drying out and cracking.
• I love using ginger paste. 1 tablespoon of paste equals 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger. Always store it in the fridge. It stays fresh for up to a month.
• I use prepackaged coleslaw for convenience, but you can certainly shred your own fresh cabbage and carrots.
• This recipe also works well with shrimp, ground turkey, ground beef, and ground chicken. Just make sure they are cooked before frying the egg rolls.
• Other vegetables to consider adding are finely chopped broccoli, celery, or bell peppers.
• Keep the water and cornstarch mixture combined with a small whisk or fork.
• Turn the eggroll in the hot oil to brown both sides as they will float. They sometimes need to be held in place for a couple of seconds with a long set of tongs so they don’t flip again.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in an air- fryer at 350 degrees for a couple of minutes.
• To air-fry, coat egg rolls with cooking spray. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees. Place the egg rolls in the air fryer basket and cook for 12 minutes flipping halfway through the cooking time.

How to prepare homemade egg rolls in advance

To make egg rolls in advance, it is best to freeze them. Prepare the filling, and roll the egg rolls per the instructions. Place egg rolls seam side down on a parchment paper or aluminum foil covered baking sheet without touching each other to keep them from sticking. This technique is known as flash freezing.

Then place the sheet in the freezer on a level surface for about 2 hours or until they are frozen solid. Move the egg rolls to a heavy-duty freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Flash freezing allows you to remove as many or as few egg rolls as you want. Fry the egg rolls from frozen until golden brown on both sides.

How to bake Egg Rolls

Although I prefer these egg rolls fried, they do turn out delicious and crispy when baked. Brush the outsides with melted butter or cooking spray and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 15 minutes or 20 minutes from frozen, flipping halfway through the baking period.

More appetizers to love

Homemade Egg Rolls

Delicious Homemade Egg Rolls are so easy to make with ground pork and prepackaged coleslaw mix. Serve them up with warm sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce, and you will never go back to takeout. 

5 from 30 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Asian

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 14 egg rolls

Calories: 148kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Sweet Chili Sauce

• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sambal oelek fresh chili paste
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ tablespoon cornstarch

Egg Rolls

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger or ginger paste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons rice wine
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 4 cups coleslaw mix
• 4 green onions chopped
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ cup water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 14 egg roll wrappers
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, whisk together the rice vinegar, water, brown sugar, and sambal oelek. Bring the mixture to a low boil and turn it to a simmer.  Stir together the water and cornstarch.  Whisk it into the chili sauce mixture and cook until slightly thickened.  Turn the heat off and cover the saucepan.  
• In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground pork. Drain any excess fat and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil, cooking for about 1 minute. Add the slaw mix and continue cooking over medium heat until the cabbage is wilted. Add the green onions and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
• Place the egg roll with one corner pointed to you like a diamond. Place about 1/4 cup of the cabbage mixture onto the center of the egg roll. Bring up the bottom point and fold it over the mixture. Fold in the sides, making it look like an open envelope.
• Whisk together the water and cornstarch. Using your fingers or a small brush, apply the cornstarch mixture to the open point and roll up the egg roll. Repeat until all the cabbage mixture is gone. 
• Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven, heavy stock pot, or deep fryer. Fry the egg rolls 3-4 at a time until golden brown, turning several times. Remove to paper towels or wire rack to drain. For best results, serve promptly with warm chili sauce. 

Notes

• The sweet chili dipping sauce can be made several days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Keep the egg rolls and egg roll wrappers covered with lightly dampened paper towels while working with them. It keeps the wrapper from drying out and cracking.
• I love using ginger paste. 1 tablespoon of paste equals 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger. Always store it in the fridge. It stays fresh for up to a month.
• I use prepackaged coleslaw for convenience, but you can certainly shred your own fresh cabbage and carrots.
• This recipe also works well with shrimp, ground turkey, ground beef, and ground chicken. Just make sure they are cooked before frying the egg rolls.
• Other vegetables to consider adding are finely chopped broccoli, celery, or bell peppers.
• Keep the water and cornstarch mixture combined with a small whisk or fork.
• Turn the eggroll in the hot oil to brown both sides as they will float. They sometimes need to be held in place for a couple of seconds with a long set of tongs so they don’t flip again.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in an air- fryer at 350 degrees for a couple of minutes.
• To air-fry, coat egg rolls with cooking spray. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees. Place the egg rolls in the air fryer basket and cook for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time. 

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 78IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @smalltownwomanfoodnut or tag #smalltownwomanfoodnut!

On the hunt for more delicious recipes?  Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.