Egg Roll In A Bowl
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Enjoy the flavors of a traditional Chinese egg roll without the fuss in this delicious egg roll in a bowl recipe—a simple one-skillet meal that’s a surefire winner for the whole family.
Imagine the savory goodness of a classic Chinese egg roll, then reimagine it with a fresh, healthful twist in this egg roll in a bowl recipe. Traditional egg rolls, with their mix of shredded cabbage, aromatic garlic, onion, ginger, and roasted pork all wrapped in a wheat flour wrapper and deep-fried, are transformed here into a lighter, deconstructed version—unwrapped, un-fried, but still brimming with protein, veggies, and flavor. Ready in just 30 minutes, this quick-prep, one-skillet dinner is a perfect option for busy weeknights.
Table of Contents
“Perfect weeknight meal! Drizzled a little takeout duck sauce on top and served with rice…So good my daughter immediately added this to her ‘Mom cook list!’”
What You’ll Need To Make Egg Roll In A Bowl
- Scallions, Fresh Ginger, Garlic: These aromatics are foundational in Asian cooking and provide the base of flavor for the dish.
- Ground Pork: An 80% lean mix is ideal for the best flavor.
- Shredded Cabbage: Cabbage is a key ingredient in traditional egg rolls and adds crunch and sweetness to the dish. Using bagged coleslaw mix from the produce department is a convenient shortcut that also includes additional veggies like carrots.
- Soy Sauce: Adds umami and a salty depth to the dish.
- Sweet and Sour Sauce: Adds a tangy and slightly sweet contrast to the dish, mimicking the flavor profile of an egg roll dipped in sauce. If you have some duck sauce and Chinese hot mustard packets stashed away in your kitchen, you can serve those with it, too.
- Asian Sesame Oil: Imparts a nutty and rich flavor. It should be used sparingly due to its intense flavor.
- Salted Cashews: While nuts aren’t a traditional ingredient in egg rolls, they add a delightful, healthy crunch to this dish, compensating for the lack of a crispy fried wrapper (although go ahead and add crispy fried wontons if you like).
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Slice the scallions, chop the ginger and the cashews, and mince the garlic.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the light scallions and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
Mix in the garlic and cook 20 seconds more; do not brown.
Add the pork and continue cooking, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon.
Cook the pork until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the coleslaw and soy sauce to the skillet.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the coleslaw is wilted and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the sweet and sour sauce, sesame oil, cashews, and dark green scallions.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.
Serve with sweet and sour sauce on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can easily substitute the ground pork with other proteins like ground chicken or ground turkey. For best results, avoid anything too lean.
Yes, this dish reheats beautifully and can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container (wait to add the nuts until ready to serve). Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.
I always serve this dish with simply steamed white or brown rice. For a low-carb meal, it’s delicious on its own, with a steamed vegetable, or served over cauliflower rice. It would also pair nicely with a cucumber salad and/or dumplings.
You May Also Like
- Thai-Style Pork Fried Rice
- 30-Minute Hoisin Beef Bowls
- Tuna Poke Bowls
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Fried Rice
Video Tutorial
Egg Roll In A Bowl
Enjoy the flavors of a traditional Chinese egg roll without the fuss in this delicious egg roll in a bowl recipe—a simple one-skillet meal that’s a surefire winner for the whole family.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, light and dark green parts separated
- 1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger, from a 1½ inch knob (see note)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground pork (preferably 80% lean)
- 1 (1-lb) bag shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix (about 7 cups)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sweet and sour sauce, plus more for serving (I use Kikkoman No Preservatives Added)
- ½ teaspoon Asian/toasted sesame oil
- ⅓ cup salted cashews, chopped
- Rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the light scallions and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 20 seconds more; do not brown. Add the pork and continue cooking, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the coleslaw and soy sauce to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in the sweet and sour sauce, sesame oil, cashews, and dark green scallions. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired. Serve with sweet and sour sauce on the side.
- Note: Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This dish can be made up to three days ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container (wait to add the nuts until ready to serve). Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 454
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Sugar: 19 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Sodium: 1,244 mg
- Cholesterol: 71 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I haven’t made it but I would love to. That is SO much sodium! I know there is lower sodium soy, not sure of the other bottled sauces. Is there a recipe somewhere to make your own with a lot less sugar and salt?
Thanks!
Hi Carol, I do know that this is up there in sodium! I’m not sure if there is a low sodium version of sweet and sour sauce available in the supermarket, but if not, here is a homemade version that gets high ratings. (It contains soy sauce which you could replace with the low-sodium variety.) You could also use unsalted cashews. Hope that helps!
We really love this one! It’s absolutely delicious and pretty quick, easy for a week night and we have leftovers for lunch the next day.
Flavourful and delicious, easy to prepare and my husband loved it. Definitely a recipe I will repeat. Note I used gluten free soy sauce.
Nice treat for me as I am gluten free and seldom get Chinese food.
Julie
Made it exactly as written and it was DIVINE! I have made a number of your recipes and that never disappoint. This is so easy, so quick and can be halved quite easily since we are a family of two. Go Girl!
This was VERY VERY GOOD and so quick and easy too! We are a family of 8 on a tight budget so I got pork shoulder on sale and ground it myself in the food processor. I did drain the far before adding the soy sauce. I added more ginger afterwards because I was afraid some of the flavor would have drained out with the fat. I added some siracha before serving but it was delicious even before that. Served it over rice and everyone loved it! Thank you for another simple delicious meal!!
I was rather disappointed in this recipe; felt it lacked flavor. It is easy and quick to make, but I won’t be making it again. Sorry, Jenn, because I would rate the majority of your recipes with 5 stars just not this one.
RIDICULOUSLY easy and tasty! I couldn’t believe how fast I was able to achieve deliciousness on a weeknight. Thank you Jenn – I’m so grateful for your always reliable, always amazing recipes.
Made this last weekend and my husband and I both loved it! I made it exactly as written and look forward to making it again soon. Thanks for a great recipe Jenn!
This was so good and super easy. I tasted it right after it finished cooking and felt like it needed something more but then got distracted getting the rice finished and came back about five minutes later and tasted it and the flavors were perfect. Just letting it sit a few minutes off the heat made it all come together. A hit with my entire family (3yrs to adult)!
Hi Jenn,
This sounds delicious. I’d like to make this and substitute tofu for the pork. How would you suggest preparing and cooking the tofu?
Hi Danette, I don’t have any experience cooking tofu, so I don’t have much wisdom to share but this guidance may be helpful. Hope you find it useful. 🙂
This is amazing!! Made it last nite and quite the hit. Added. duck sauce and Sriracha and the layers of flavor were soooo good. Another winner, Jenn!
This is the most amazing Asian style recipe I have ever made. I am usually disappointed with some oriental recipes for not achieving the flavor I would like. The mix of all the ingredients especially with the cashews and sesame oil produce a memorable meal.
Excellent! So tasty and easy to put together. We really enjoyed it!
A winner for sure!!
Amazing! This recipe was so good! My teenage boys devoured it.
Once again you have created a winner. This was delicious and very easy to make. I followed the recipe exactly except I used the juice of lemon instead of a lime. It will definitely be put on my rotation.
Next time I will double this recipe!
This is a good one for my husband son and I. At my local grocery store the butcher gave me fresh ground pork. It was delicious. Thanks!
Hi Jenn,
I’d give this recipe 10 out of 5 stars, if I could.
Thanks once again for making me look like a super chef!
This recipe was easy to make, tasted fantastic, was quick to put together and was a very welcome change to our usual meals. This will absolutely be added to our regular rotation! We all loved it.
(Note: Other than using low sodium soya sauce, all other ingredients were as you wrote it.)
So delicious! This recipe might just end up on a weekly rotation, I love it THAT much lol. I had to make my own sweet and sour sauce since I couldn’t find it in the store but found a simple easy recipe so problem solved. Served with some Trader Joe’s brown rice. Yummy.
Love it! I found this dish so healthy and easy to put together. I ate it without rice to reduce my uncontrollable love for rice and carbohydrates. Loved the tutorial on preparing ginger. I tend to be a little lazy and used Trader Joe’s frozen ginger (two cubes). Next time I will spice it up with either Sriracha sauce or pepper flakes.
Jenn, planning on making this on Sunday. Looks so good. Can I do early in the day and reheat in the microwave
Definitely – hope you enjoy!
Hope I will be allowed to review…first attempt was rejected saying I had already said something similar when all I did was ask my question. Jenn, this was a TERRIFIC dinner. Reheated on the stove, and had Trader Joes jasmine rice in the microwave. Serves with a dry late harvest Reisling. Lemon sorbet and your chocolate biscotti for dessert, friend could not stop raving. Fast, easy…I did add a good amount of sweet and sour sauce at the end. As much as I loved it, it is a sodium bomb so I won’t be making it too often as i have to watch my salt intake. Thanks for another wonderful recipe
Wow Jenn,
I truly love egg rolls so when I saw this recipe I had to try it. It did not disappoint. Wife started raving on second bite. She said this one seriously has to go into rotation. Served with Gaba brown rice.
Thanks again for all you do!
Robert
We loved this!! As I’m watching carbs, I followed your suggested to substitute hot Asian chili garlic sauce for the sweet and sour, and it gave it a nice depth of flavor. It actually reminded me of the Chinese restaurant dish Mu Shi Pork—a favorite of mine! Thanks for another winner!
Another excellent recipe from Jenn. So easy to make and yet so delicious. I share this blog with everyone I know – the recipes are always a winner. Thanks so much Jenn!
Hi Jenn, loved the recipe- more like this please! If you wanted to heat, would you do some crushed red chili flakes?
So glad you enjoyed, John! Yes you could definitely add chili flakes; Asian chili garlic sauce would also be delicious.
Made this today with ground chicken and we loved it. Shredded my own cabbage and carrots and used Duck Sauce as that’s what I had in the fridge. Served with rice. Will definitely make again. Thanks for all your fabulous recipes.
This is so good! We made it exactly as written and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you, we love your blog and recipes and this one is fantastic!
This was an interesting dish. I liked all the components but felt like it lacked a depth of flavor. I added 2tsp siracha sauce and it helped, but thought overall that it was a glorified fried rice (I served it with rice). It was a nice way to get in cabbage.
Hi Jenn:
I’m allergic to ginger (so sad, right?!) Can you please share a good spice alternative for this recipe? Love so many of your recipes! Thanks!
Hi Laura, So glad you like the recipes! You can just omit the ginger or add a pinch of mace or cardamom to the mix. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn, Made this tonight for dinner, as written, except I used low sodium soy sauce. I served it over rice and topped it with fried wonton strips (from the produce section). My husband and I LOVED it! Very tasty, healthy, and delicious. Thank you for deconstructing egg rolls!
My three boys ages 3, 5, and 7 all asked for seconds and thirds. Delicious!!! I took a chance on this organic sweet and sour sauce and thought it went amazing with this dish. I cook from Jenn’s blog/cookbook at least three times a week and this was another winner. Thank you!!
https://www.amazon.com/Asian-Fusion-Sweet-Sauce-Ounce/dp/B0744J7VN4/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=XS70OD9OXGA&keywords=asian+fusion+sweet+and+sour+sauce&qid=1647388118&sprefix=aisian+fusion+swee%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-3
We have a nut allergy (and an egg allergy) in the family. Any other options for crunch?
Hi Robyn, you could just omit the nuts, or use something like chow mein noodles or wonton strips. Make sure you check them for allergens. Hope that helps!
I used chopped up water chestnuts (which are a vegetable and not a nut) as a substitute for cashews and they worked nicely for added crunch.
I was going to ask the same thing! I’m glad I scrolled through the comments first.
This recipe was tasty and easy to put together. Instead of pork, I used sausage meat that comes seasoned. Would definitely make it again. Your directions on your recipes, if followed, come together beautifully. Thank You.
I wanted to let you know that the egg roll in a bowl was delicious and a big hit with my family. Only thing I changed was adding some thinly sliced baby carrots and adding Thai Chili sauce. I didn’t have sweet and sour sauce. Loved how easy it was to make. I will definitely make again. Thanks for your expertise. Love your recipes.
OMG—–soooo good!! We had something else planned to make for tonight, but when I saw this new recipe, I sent hubby to the store the ingredients—it was DELICIOUS!! Next time will add extra green onions and maybe some broccoli and red peppers—this is so good you can definitely sneak in some extra veggies! Thank you Jenn—You are so talented..
Made this tonight. Was a big hit! Could use some oomph if you like heat but really good as written. Very quick.
Super easy to make and delicious! Tastes just like an egg roll. Next time I would use more cabbage mix/little less pork. I topped with won ton strips instead of cashews. Awesome!
Just made this. Didn’t have sesame oil, used a substitute. Baked wontons, cut into straps in oven. Served over the tip. This is a keeper!!
Strips & top 🙂
By one bunch of scallions you mean the whole bundle, right? Not an individual stock plus it’s offshoots?
Yes, the whole bundle 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I made this yesterday, And it turned out fantastic. I was hesitant, as often there’s a lot of complaints about cabbage, but no one took issue whatsoever! I couldn’t find Kikkoman sweet-and-sour sauce, I ended up using La Choy.
I added a tablespoon or so of oyster sauce, lots of fresh herbs, cilantro and Thai basil, and finished it with lime juice at the end.
So many favorite recipes from your site Jen, your approach is amazing.
I urge anyone to try this recipe that might be thinking twice, go ahead it’s great!
Thank you, for your detailed and thoughtful approach to recipe writing, and posting of ingredients and steps.
Thanks for your kind words (and so glad you enjoyed)!
Had to try this right tonight – got everything and it was really delicious. We love ‘meals in bowls’ so a great meal for a Friday night. I made cauliflower rice and served that underneath. I can’t say enough. Every one of your recipes turns out as expected. No unpleasant surprises. This will be another ‘go-to’. Thanks so much.
Great recipe! Thanks, Jenn. Tried it this evening and we both really enjoyed it. Made it as directed. Easy prep, came together quickly. Served it with Ready Rice. It’s definitely enough for 4; we had half and there is enough left for another meal. I can see adding extras such as water chestnuts, cilantro, things like that. But it’s great as is.
I’m not rating this as I substituted for the sweet and sour sauce, and the flavor was a little off. I added some chopped broccoli, and a tin of water chestnuts which worked well. A great “clean out the vegetable crisper” recipe, as many other vegetables could be added! Next time, I would cut back on the ratio of meat to vegetables, and serve it with noodles as I didn’t care for it with rice.
Hi Jenn,
we just finished dinner,and another huge “thank you” to you-your recipes never disappoint!!!😊
Your recipe “Egg Roll in a Bowl” was in my email this morning & after looking it over,I knew what what was for dinner.
So simple & fun to make – and sooo good! Upon finishing,my fiancé asked to have it again.
Wanted to share I did not have sweet & sour sauce so I made my own.
Next time I will add water chestnuts for a little more crunch.
Also, because it was just the 2 of us,I reduced the amount of pork ,but kept the amount of ginger, scallions, & garlic the same. So, so good!!!
Thank you Jenn ,you’re a treasure!
Hi Jenn,
I’m a fan for sure! This looks great. What replaces the egg roll? Is it the cashews? Would love to add the egg roll crunch. Any suggestions?
Dolce
Yes, the cashews add a nice crunch in place of the crispy egg roll wrapper. I was going for healthy/high-protein, but you could use fried wonton strips as well.
Hi Jenn! This looks fabulous as do ALL your recipes. We’re keeping carbs low so sweet & sour isn’t so good. What other sauce would you suggest? (We love spicy.)
Hi Maryalice, Most egg roll in a bowl recipes don’t call for any sauce, so you could just omit it. That said, I think it does need a little something to boost the flavor. You could try Chinese hot mustard or Asian chili garlic sauce, but I would add those to taste when serving. Hope that helps. 🙂
Hi! Can’t wait to make! It looks in the picture like you added red peppers? And rice?
Hi Cheffy, I didn’t add peppers; I think you’re seeing the red cabbage and carrots in the shredded cabbage/coleslaw mix. I did serve it with rice. Enjoy!
Glad I read ALL the comments otherwise I would have missed the great sub of mushrooms. I am trying to do plant based dinner three nights a week. Making this tomorrow night.
This looks great and would be even healthier if you use cauliflower rice or a mixture of cauliflower rice and rice. It would dramatically lower the carbohydrates. I will be making this for dinner tonight.
Hi Jenn,
We don’t eat pork but this looks amazing! Would you recommend making it with ground chicken? Thank you!
LOVE your recipes!!!!
Sure, ground chicken will work; just be sure it’s not too lean.
That was going to be my question. Cant wait to try it. Every recipe I’ve tried from you has been a winner!
Hi Jenn,
I Made it tonight with ground chicken. It was fabulous. Didn’t have sesame oil but i threw in some sesame seeds i had in the freezer. My teenage nieces loved it too!
Yes, exactly. I made this yesterday with ground chicken and made a note for myself to maybe try ground turkey thigh next time as it has more fat. Or, if using chicken maybe brown it first and then put it in a separate bowl, make the rest and lastly throw in the chicken. I LOVE this recipe. It is incredibly good! I just had leftovers and it is better the next day. I also made homemade sweet and sour sauce. Easy -red peppper/ pineapple, rice vinegar, tad sugar and cornstarch slurry to thicken. No MSG! I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce too.
Have not yet tried this yummy looking recipe but will this coming weekend.
Question/ I have a family member who is a vegetarian. Any other food that can be substituted for the pork yet keep the same flavor
? Thanks so much! Patricia
Hi Patricia, I think mushrooms would be really good. I’d use the pre-sliced “gourmet blend” of mushrooms sold at most supermarkets. You’ll need to increase the oil by about a tablespoon. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it.
Ooh I can’t wait to try this! I love egg rolls especially the filling. I actually used to just open them and eat the insides as a child. I’m sure this will be delicious!
I am so excited to see this! I tried a recipe from a healthy eating site and I had a week’s worth of lunches that were not very yummy. Looking forward to making this next week!
Thank you Jenn!
Doreen