Egg Rolls
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Egg rolls are the thick, bubbly, deep-fried rolls from American-Chinese takeout, filled with a savory mix of cabbage and pork. The defining feature is the wrapper: egg rolls use a thick, chewy wheat wrapper (traditionally made with egg) that fries up crunchy and blistered — quite different from the thin, delicate, shatteringly crisp wrapper of a Chinese spring roll. The filling is heartier too, usually ground pork with cabbage, carrot and aromatics. The keys to great egg rolls are to cook the filling first and let it cool completely so its moisture doesn't steam the wrapper soggy, to roll them tight like a burrito and seal the edge with a little beaten egg or cornstarch paste, and to fry at a steady 350°F until deep golden. They air-fry well for a lighter version, and uncooked rolls freeze beautifully — fry them straight from frozen. Serve hot with sweet and sour or duck sauce.
Why you'll love this egg rolls
- The thick, blistered, crunchy takeout wrapper — not a thin spring roll.
- A savory pork-and-cabbage filling seasoned just like your favorite restaurant's.
- Fry them or air-fry them, and freeze a batch to cook straight from frozen.
- Every hard-to-find ingredient has an exact US-grocery substitute.
Ingredients
Filling
- ½ lb ground pork
- 4 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 carrot, grated
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp light soy saucesubstitutes →
- 1 tbsp oyster saucesubstitutes →
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oilsubstitutes →
- ½ tsp white peppersubstitutes →
To wrap & fry
- 12 egg roll wrappers, thick wheat wrappers, refrigerated aisle
- 1 egg, beaten, for sealing
- 4 cups neutral oil, for frying (or 1 tbsp if air-frying)
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Hard-to-find ingredients, delivered
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Equipment
- Wok or deep pot — For deep-frying at a steady temperature.(shop →)
- Spider or slotted spoon — For turning and lifting the rolls.(shop →)
Instructions
Cook the filling
Stir-fry the pork over high heat until no longer pink, then add the garlic, ginger, cabbage, carrot and scallions and cook 3–4 minutes until the cabbage wilts. Season with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and white pepper.
Cool & drain
Spread the filling on a tray and let it cool completely, draining off any liquid. This is essential — a hot, wet filling steams the wrapper and makes the egg rolls soggy.
💡 Cooling and draining the filling is the single biggest factor in crispy egg rolls. Don't skip it.
Wrap tightly
Set a wrapper as a diamond, add 3 tbsp filling in a log across the center, fold the bottom corner over the filling, fold in both sides, and roll up tightly. Brush the top corner with beaten egg to seal.
Fry until golden
Heat 4 cups oil to 350°F. Fry the egg rolls in batches, turning, until deep golden and crisp, 3–4 minutes. Drain on a rack. (Air-fryer: brush with oil and air-fry at 390°F for 12–14 minutes, turning halfway.)
Serve
Serve hot with sweet and sour sauce or duck sauce. Let them rest a minute first — the filling is very hot straight out of the oil.
Tips & notes
- Egg rolls vs spring rolls: egg rolls use the thick, bubbly wheat wrapper and a heartier pork filling; spring rolls use a thin, delicate wrapper that fries lighter and crispier.
- The filling must be cool and well-drained before wrapping, or the rolls steam from the inside and go soggy.
- Roll them tight with no air pockets and seal the seam well with egg, so they don't burst or absorb oil in the fryer.
- Freeze uncooked rolls in a single layer, then bag them — fry straight from frozen, adding a minute or two; don't thaw first.
- For a vegetarian version, skip the pork and oyster sauce (use a mushroom 'oyster' sauce) and add extra cabbage, shiitake and bean sprouts.
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AIPaste any fuzzy step (少许, 火候正好, 焯水) and get exact amounts, temps and times.
Egg Rolls
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 5
- Level
- Intermediate
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground pork
- 4 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 carrot, grated
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 12 egg roll wrappers, thick wheat wrappers, refrigerated aisle
- 1 egg, beaten, for sealing
- 4 cups neutral oil, for frying (or 1 tbsp if air-frying)
Instructions
- Stir-fry the pork over high heat until no longer pink, then add the garlic, ginger, cabbage, carrot and scallions and cook 3–4 minutes until the cabbage wilts. Season with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and white pepper.
- Spread the filling on a tray and let it cool completely, draining off any liquid. This is essential — a hot, wet filling steams the wrapper and makes the egg rolls soggy.
- Set a wrapper as a diamond, add 3 tbsp filling in a log across the center, fold the bottom corner over the filling, fold in both sides, and roll up tightly. Brush the top corner with beaten egg to seal.
- Heat 4 cups oil to 350°F. Fry the egg rolls in batches, turning, until deep golden and crisp, 3–4 minutes. Drain on a rack. (Air-fryer: brush with oil and air-fry at 390°F for 12–14 minutes, turning halfway.)
- Serve hot with sweet and sour sauce or duck sauce. Let them rest a minute first — the filling is very hot straight out of the oil.
Nutrition (est., per serving): 320 cal · 11 g protein · 30 g carbs · 17 g fat
Egg Rolls FAQ
What's the difference between an egg roll and a spring roll?
Mainly the wrapper. Egg rolls use a thick, chewy wheat wrapper (often made with egg) that fries up bubbly and crunchy, with a heartier, usually pork-based filling — they're an American-Chinese creation. Spring rolls use a thin, delicate wrapper that fries lighter and shatteringly crisp, and the filling is typically lighter and vegetable-forward. Egg rolls are thicker and chewier; spring rolls are thinner and crispier.
How do you keep egg rolls from getting soggy?
Cook the filling first and let it cool completely, draining off any liquid before you wrap — a hot, wet filling steams the wrapper from inside. Roll them tightly with no air pockets, seal the seam well, fry at a steady 350°F so they crisp instead of absorbing oil, and drain them on a rack (not paper, which traps steam).
Can I make egg rolls in an air fryer?
Yes. Brush or spray the wrapped rolls all over with oil and air-fry at 390°F for 12–14 minutes, turning halfway, until deep golden and crisp. They're lighter and far less messy than deep-frying. The oil coating matters — dry spots on the wrapper stay pale and papery.
Can you freeze egg rolls?
Yes, and they freeze beautifully uncooked. Freeze the wrapped rolls in a single layer until firm, then transfer to a bag. Fry or air-fry them straight from frozen — do not thaw, or they'll get soggy — adding an extra minute or two to the cooking time.
What kind of wrapper do you use for egg rolls?
Egg roll wrappers — the thick, square wheat wrappers found in the refrigerated produce section of most supermarkets (often near the tofu). They're noticeably thicker than spring-roll or wonton wrappers, which is what gives egg rolls their signature bubbly, crunchy shell.
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