Deep Fried Veggie Egg Roll Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Finely shred the cabbage and carrot, dice the onion, thinly slice the green onions, and finely chop the mushrooms. Mince the garlic and ginger. Measure out the cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper.

Cook filling

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook 1–2 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 15–30 seconds until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook 2–3 minutes until they begin to soften.

Add the shredded cabbage and carrot to the pan. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until the cabbage softens but still retains a slight crunch. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, then season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine and taste; adjust seasoning if needed.

If the mixture seems wet, sprinkle 1 teaspoon cornstarch over the vegetables and stir to absorb excess moisture. Remove the pan from heat and fold in the sliced green onions. Transfer the filling to a bowl and let cool to room temperature (10–15 minutes). Cooling prevents wrappers from tearing and helps sealing.

Prepare sealing slurry

In a small bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons water to make a thick paste. This will act as glue for sealing the wrappers.

Assemble egg rolls

Place one egg roll wrapper on a clean work surface in a diamond orientation (one corner pointing toward you). Spoon about 3 heaping tablespoons (approx. 1/4 cup) of the cooled filling across the lower third of the wrapper, leaving about 1/2 inch clear at the edges.

Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, tuck tightly, then fold in the left and right corners toward the center. Roll the wrapper up toward the top corner until nearly closed. Brush the top corner edge with the flour slurry and finish rolling to seal. Place seam-side down on a tray and repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. You should get 4 egg rolls; adjust filling per roll if using different wrapper sizes.

Heat oil

Pour 2 cups neutral oil into a deep skillet or pot to a depth of about 1 to 1.5 inches or use a deep-fryer. Heat oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C) or test by dropping a small piece of wrapper — it should sizzle and rise immediately.

Fry egg rolls

Working in batches if needed (do not overcrowd), gently lower 2 egg rolls into hot oil seam side down. Fry for 2.5–3.5 minutes, turning occasionally to brown evenly, until golden brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the cooked egg rolls to a wire rack or paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining rolls.

Let the egg rolls rest 1–2 minutes to finish crisping. If desired, hold in a warm oven (200°F / 95°C) briefly while frying the rest so they remain hot and crisp.

Slice egg rolls on the diagonal and serve hot with sweet chili sauce and soy sauce on the side for dipping.