Egg Rolls Recipe

Prep vegetables

Shred the cabbage finely and grate the carrot. Thinly slice scallions, mince garlic, and grate ginger. Pat the shredded cabbage dry with a towel or squeeze in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture (important to prevent soggy filling).

Cook protein

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon of neutral oil. Add the ground pork (or chosen protein) and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until no longer pink, about 4–6 minutes.

Add aromatics

Push the meat to the side and add minced garlic and grated ginger to the pan for 30 seconds until fragrant. Mix with the meat.

Combine vegetables and seasonings

Add shredded cabbage, grated carrot, and sliced scallions to the pan. Stir to combine and cook until cabbage wilts but still slightly crisp, about 2–3 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), sesame oil, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Cook another 1–2 minutes until liquid mostly evaporates. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the mixture to a bowl and let cool to room temperature (important so wrappers don’t tear).

Prepare egg wash

Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl to make an egg wash for sealing the wrappers.

Fill wrappers

Lay one egg roll wrapper on a clean work surface in a diamond orientation (one corner pointing toward you). Place about 3–4 tablespoons of the cooled filling near the corner closest to you, forming a compact log about 1–1.5 inches wide. Do not overfill; you should have a little wrapper at the edges for sealing.

Roll and seal

Fold the bottom corner over the filling, tuck it snugly under the filling, then fold the two side corners toward the center. Brush the top corner edge lightly with egg wash and continue rolling tightly to the top corner so the wrapper is sealed. Repeat with the second wrapper and remaining filling. If you have extra filling, you can make more but this recipe yields 2 egg rolls.

Heat oil

Pour oil into a heavy skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of about 1–1.5 inches. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F (175°C) or until a small piece of wrapper sizzles and browns within 10–15 seconds.

Fry egg rolls

Carefully add the egg rolls seam-side down to the hot oil (do not overcrowd; fry both one at a time or one at a time in a small pan). Fry, turning occasionally, until evenly golden brown and crisp, about 2.5–4 minutes total depending on size and heat. Use tongs to keep them rolling so all sides brown evenly.

Drain

Transfer fried egg rolls to a wire rack set over a sheet pan or paper towels to drain for 1–2 minutes. Let rest 1–2 minutes before cutting so the filling sets slightly and you don’t burn yourself on hot juices.

Whisk together hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Adjust spiciness to taste. Serve alongside the warm egg rolls.