Egg rolls are ground pork wrapped in a wheat-flour shell and deep-fried until the outside blisters and crunches. This recipe makes roughly 40 of them — two full packs of wrappers, two pounds of pork — so the effort pays off well beyond a single meal. Freeze half and you have a fast dinner or last-minute appetizer ready to go for weeks.
Before you start
Two things determine whether these succeed or fail. First, drain the filling thoroughly before you roll. Ground pork releases moisture as it cooks, and coleslaw mix adds more — any liquid left in the pan will steam the wrapper from the inside and turn it soggy. Spread the cooked filling on a sheet pan or press it in a colander for a few minutes before rolling. Second, keep your oil at a steady 350°F. A thermometer is worth using here: oil that drops below 325°F soaks into the wrapper instead of crisping it, and oil above 375°F browns the outside before the center is hot. Fry in small batches — crowding the pot drops the temperature fast.
Ingredient notes
- Egg roll wrappers: Found refrigerated near tofu or wonton wrappers in most grocery stores. Spring roll wrappers are thinner and made from rice — they behave differently and won’t give you the same flaky, blistered shell. Use egg roll wrappers specifically.
- Coleslaw mix: A 14-oz bag of pre-shredded cabbage and carrot works perfectly and saves prep time. If you shred your own, aim for similar fine shreds so the filling compacts well when rolling.
- Sesame oil: A small amount added at the end of cooking, off the heat, gives the filling its characteristic flavor. It burns easily, so don’t add it while the pan is still on high heat.
- Ground chicken swap: Works well in place of pork — cook it to 165°F (74°C) internal temperature and make sure no pink remains before rolling.
What can go wrong
- Wrappers splitting during frying: Usually caused by rolling too loosely or skipping the water seal on the final edge. Press the seam firmly and let the rolled egg roll rest seam-side down for a minute before it goes in the oil.
- Filling falls out at the ends: You’ve overfilled, or the ends weren’t folded in tightly before the final roll. Use about 2–3 tablespoons of filling per wrapper — less than you think you need — and fold the sides in snugly before rolling forward.
- Greasy texture after frying: The oil temperature dropped, likely from adding too many egg rolls at once. Fry 4–5 at a time maximum and let the oil return to 350°F between batches. Skip the paper-towel stack — drain them on a wire rack so steam escapes and the bottom doesn’t go soft.
- Reheated egg rolls turn chewy, not crispy: Microwaving is the culprit. Reheat frozen cooked egg rolls in a 350°F oven for 25–30 minutes, turning once, or use an air fryer at 375°F for 8–10 minutes. Both methods bring back real crunch.
- Filling tastes bland after freezing: Seasoning mutes slightly in the freezer. Taste the filling before rolling and season it a little bolder than you think necessary — it will land in the right place after cooking and reheating.
Crispy and Flaky Eggroll Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 package coleslaw mix
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger - ground
1 tablespoon garlic - minced
½ teaspoon salt - optional
1 pound ground pork (minced pork)- 40 pieces egg roll wrappers
1 quart vegetable oil - for frying
Instructions
- Start by combining 1 head of shredded cabbage and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 heaping teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. Mix well.
- In a frypan, brown 1 pound of ground pork and 1/2 of a yellow onion are minced.
- Drain the pork/onion mixture and then stir it into the cabbage. Mix well.
- Prepare a mise-en-place of the pork mixture, a small bowl of water, and a package of egg roll wrappers.
- Peel off one egg roll wrapper and place it in the middle of your workspace. Now, put approximately 1 tablespoon of the pork/cabbage mixture onto the bottom, centre of the wrapper.
- Fold each of the sides inward, slightly lapping over the filling.
- Roll up the egg roll wrapper, trying to get a tight roll (lots of air inside will cause problems later). Seal with a bit of water.
- You should prepare no more than 2 egg rolls in advance. Get them into hot (375 degrees Fahrenheit) oil ASAP. They will hiss and pop if any of the oil gets out.
- You may notice that they prefer to lay on just one side. Use tongs or bamboo skewers to flip them over halfway through cooking for even browning.
- Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
- That’s it! Serve with your favourite sauce. I prefer Thai Sweet Chili sauce.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I make the filling the night before?
Yes, and it actually helps. Chilling the cooked, drained filling overnight firms it up, which makes rolling faster and neater. Store it covered in the fridge and roll the egg rolls the next day straight from cold.
How do I freeze these so they don’t stick together?
Freeze them in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan for about two hours first, then transfer to a zip-lock bag or airtight container. If you skip the initial freeze and bag them straight away, they fuse together and you end up pulling them apart and tearing the wrappers.
How many egg rolls should I plan per person for a family dinner?
Three to four per person works as a main alongside rice or noodles; two per person if you’re serving other dishes. This recipe’s yield of roughly 40 egg rolls feeds a table of eight to ten comfortably as a main, with leftovers worth saving.
More mince recipes to try
- Crispy Pork Dumpling Delight
- Savory Pork Noodle Stir-Fry
- Japanese Pork Lettuce Cups
- Authentic Szechuan Dan Dan
