Pork Egg Roll Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Shred the cabbage finely and place in a bowl. Grate the carrot and add to the cabbage. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt (about 1/8 tsp) over the cabbage and carrots, toss, and let sit 5 minutes. Then squeeze out excess moisture using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and transfer drained vegetables to a bowl.

Cook pork

Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add a teaspoon of neutral oil if the pork is very lean. Add the ground pork and break it apart with a spatula. Cook until no longer pink and beginning to brown, about 4–6 minutes.

Aromatics & seasoning

Push pork to one side of the skillet (or remove excess fat if necessary leaving about 1 tsp). Add minced garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir into the pork. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, white pepper, and salt. Stir to combine and cook 1 minute to let sauces thicken slightly.

Combine with vegetables

Add the drained cabbage/carrot mixture and sliced green onions to the pork. Stir-fry together for 1–2 minutes just to combine and warm through—do not overcook; filling should be moist but not soggy. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a splash more soy sauce if needed. Transfer filling to a bowl and let cool to warm or room temperature (15–20 minutes).

Make egg wash

Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl until combined. This will be used to seal the wrapper.

Assemble egg roll

Place one egg roll wrapper on a clean work surface in a diamond orientation (point facing you). Spoon about 3/4 cup (approximately 120 g) of the cooled pork filling across the lower third of the wrapper, leaving about 1/2 inch border on the sides. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, then fold the left and right corners in toward the center. Brush the top corner edge with egg wash and roll up tightly to form the egg roll. Press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. You should make one large egg roll as described (adjust quantities if making more).

Heat oil

Pour oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet to a depth of about 1.5 inches (approximate amount given). Heat over medium-high until oil reaches 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test with a small piece of wrapper: it should sizzle and brown within 30–45 seconds.

Fry egg roll

Carefully lower the assembled egg roll into the hot oil seam-side down. Fry, turning occasionally, until evenly golden brown and crisp, about 3–4 minutes total. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to turn gently so the wrapper doesn't split. If frying multiple, do not crowd the pan—fry one at a time for best temperature control.

Drain

When golden, remove the egg roll and place on a wire rack or paper towels to drain for a minute or two. Let rest 1–2 minutes before serving to avoid extremely hot filling.

Slice the egg roll on a diagonal if desired and serve hot with the optional sweet chili-soy dipping sauce (mix the sweet chili sauce with soy sauce).