Hand Rolled Egg Rolls Recipe

Prepare aromatics and vegetables

Thinly shred the cabbage, grate the carrot, finely chop mushrooms, thinly slice green onions, and mince the garlic and ginger. Pat the shredded cabbage lightly with paper towels to remove excess moisture — you want it damp but not dripping.

Brown the meat

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil (from frying amount) and when hot add the ground pork. Break it up with a spatula and cook until no longer pink, about 4–5 minutes. Drain excess fat if there is a lot, leaving a thin coating for flavor.

Cook aromatics and vegetables

Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan with the cooked meat and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook 2 minutes. Add the shredded cabbage and grated carrot; stir-fry until vegetables are tender and most moisture has evaporated, 3–5 minutes.

Season and bind

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, cornstarch, white pepper, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Pour the mixture over the meat and vegetables, stirring constantly until sauce thickens and evenly coats the filling, about 1 minute. Stir in the sliced green onions. Taste and adjust seasoning (add a touch more soy or salt if needed). Transfer filling to a bowl and let cool to room temperature for 20–30 minutes (important so wrappers don't become soggy).

Make sealing paste

Mix the 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons water to form a smooth paste. This will act as the glue for sealing egg rolls.

Assemble egg rolls

Work with one wrapper at a time and keep the remaining wrappers covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Place a wrapper in a diamond orientation (one corner pointing toward you). Spoon about 2–3 tablespoons of cooled filling near the corner closest to you, leaving a 1–1.5 inch border on each side. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, then fold both side corners in toward the center snugly. Brush the top corner edge with a little flour paste and roll the wrapper tightly away from you to form a sealed cylinder. Repeat until all wrappers are filled. You should get about 12 egg rolls depending on filling volume.

Heat the oil

Pour about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of neutral oil into a heavy skillet or Dutch oven (about 2 cups). Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it registers 350°F (175°C) on a thermometer or a small piece of wrapper sizzles and turns golden in about 15–20 seconds. If you don’t have a thermometer, maintain a medium-high flame and test carefully.

Fry the egg rolls

Fry the egg rolls in batches—do not overcrowd the pan. Gently lower 3–4 egg rolls into hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp all over, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Adjust heat to keep oil between 325–360°F (165–180°C). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet or paper towels to catch drips.

Finish

While hot, optionally brush each egg roll lightly with 1 tsp toasted sesame oil for extra aroma. Let cool for 2–3 minutes before serving so the filling sets slightly.

Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey (or sugar), sesame oil and red pepper flakes or sriracha in a small bowl. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity as desired. Serve alongside hot egg rolls.