How to Make Egg Rolls

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 31, 2022 References Tested

Egg rolls are a classic appetizer at Chinese restaurants, but there are also many simple simple varieties to make at home yourself and enjoy anytime. The ingredients are basic, and crunchy homemade egg rolls go great with any dipping sauce that you like. With a little practice, you’ll be able to wrap up your own egg rolls like a pro!

Ingredients

Chinese Egg Roll Filling

1 lb (450 g) of ground pork
2 cups (140 g) of shredded cabbage
2 oz (70 g) of shredded carrot
1 tsp (4 g) of ground ginger
1 tsp (4 g) of garlic powder

Makes 8-12 servings

Shrimp Egg Roll Filling

1 lb (450 g) of cooked medium shrimp, roughly chopped
3 cups (210 g) of coleslaw mix
1/2 cup (35g) of bean sprouts
1 stalk of celery
2 green onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp (14 g) of freshly grated ginger
1 tsp (5 ml) of sesame oil

Makes 18 servings

Vegetable Egg Roll Filling

4 cups (280 g) of shredded cabbage
2 cups (140 g) of shredded carrots
4 cups (280 g) of sliced mushrooms
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp (2 g) of salt

Makes 12 servings

Assembling and Cooking Egg Rolls

1 qt (946 ml) of peanut oil
1 egg, beaten
Egg roll wrappers

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Chinese Egg Roll Filling

1
Season ground pork with ground ginger and garlic powder in a bowl. Place 1 lb (450 g) of ground pork in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle in 1 tsp (4 g) each of ground ginger and garlic powder. Mix it thoroughly with your hands until the seasoning is fully incorporated.^{[1]
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- If you don’t like pork, you can substitute ground beef or even ground chicken.^{[2]
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- It’s easiest to use powdered ginger and garlic, but you can use finely grated fresh ginger and garlic if you want a stronger flavor.^{[3]
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2
Cook the ground pork in a skillet on medium-high heat until it is browned. Heat up a skillet on the stovetop and add the seasoned pork to the pan. Stir it frequently with a spatula as it cooks and use the spatula to break it up until there is no pink meat left.^{[4]
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- You don’t need to add any oil to the pan because the ground pork has enough fat to keep it from sticking. Drain out any excess fat from the pan when you finish cooking the pork.
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3
Use a grater to shred or a knife to finely chop cabbage and carrot. Shred 2 cups (140 g) of cabbage and 2 oz (70 g) of carrot, or approximately 1 medium carrot and 1/4 head of cabbage. Put the shredded cabbage and carrot into a large mixing bowl.^{[5]
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- You can substitute pre-made coleslaw mix from the grocery store for convenience.
4
Mix together the cooked pork and the shredded cabbage and carrot in a bowl. Add the cooked ground pork to the bowl with the shredded cabbage and carrot. Mix everything together thoroughly with your hands or a spoon until the ingredients are evenly distributed.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Shrimp Egg Roll Filling

1
Chop up some cooked shrimp on a cutting board. Use 1 lb (450 g) of cooked, medium-sized shrimp and put it in a medium mixing bowl. You can use pre-cooked shrimp, or you can peel, devein, and cook some raw shrimp before you chop it up.^{[7]
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- You can tell if shrimp is pre-cooked when you buy it at the grocery store because it will be pink.
2
Combine coleslaw mix, bean sprouts, celery, and green onions with the shrimp. Slice 1 stalk of celery and 2 green onions thinly. Combine them with 3 cups (210 g) of coleslaw mix and 1/2 cup (35g) of bean sprouts in the same bowl as the shrimp.^{[8]
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- Coleslaw mix is a bag of pre-shredded cabbage and carrots. If you can’t find it at the supermarket, you can shred approximately 1/4 head of cabbage and 1 medium carrot yourself.
3
Mix in minced garlic, grated ginger, and sesame oil with the filling. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and grate 1 tbsp (14 g) of ginger and put them into the bowl with the shrimp and vegetables. Add 1 tsp (5 ml) of sesame oil and mix everything together thoroughly.^{[9]
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- If you like spicy, you can also add 1 tsp (5 ml) of Sriracha sauce to the filling and mix it in.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Vegetable Egg Roll Filling

1
Shred cabbage and carrots and slice some mushrooms. Shred cabbage with a grater until you have approximately 4 cups (280 g) worth, and carrots until you have 2 cups (140 g) worth and place them into a medium bowl. Slice 4 cups (280 g) of mushrooms and mix them in with the carrots and cabbage.^{[10]
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- You can use pre-shredded coleslaw mix instead of shredding the carrots and cabbage yourself.
- Make sure to slice the mushrooms thin enough that they will fit inside your egg roll wraps neatly.
2
Cook the vegetables with salt in a large pan over medium heat. Preheat the pan, add the mixed vegetables to it, then sprinkle them with 1/2 tsp (2 g) of salt. Stir the mixture while you cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes until the carrots soften.^{[11]
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- You can add a little bit of peanut or sesame oil while the vegetables cook for more flavor.
3
Mix the cooked vegetables with minced garlic. Drain the vegetables in a strainer before you put them back in your mixing bowl. Mince 5 cloves of garlic and mix the garlic in well with the cooked vegetable mix.^{[12]
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- Let the vegetable filling cool down to the touch before you fill your egg rolls!

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Assembling and Cooking Egg Rolls

1
Place an egg roll wrap on a flat surface in front of you with a corner facing you. Use a cutting board or a clean counter as a work surface. The wrap will look like a diamond in front of you.^{[13]
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- You can find egg roll wraps at Asian or specialty markets. If you can’t find egg roll wraps, you can also use wonton wraps, as they are made from the same kind of dough.^{[14]
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- Make sure you check how many egg roll wraps you need for the recipe you plan on using and purchase enough!
2
Use a spoon to put a scoop of the filling in the middle of the wrap. Place approximately 1/4 cup (55 g) of the filling in the wrap. Don’t overfill the wrap or it will be hard to roll and seal it.^{[15]
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- Try to fill each wrap as evenly as possible so that they cook evenly and are all approximately the same size.
3
Fold the bottom of the wrap up, fold the left and right sides in, then roll it up. Fold the bottom corner over the top corner first to make a triangle. Fold the left and right corners in, then roll the whole wrap up.^{[16]
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- There should be no filling seeping out of the sides of the roll.
4
Beat an egg with a fork or whisk in a bowl and use it to seal the egg rolls. Dip your finger in the beaten egg and wipe the last corner of the roll with the egg to seal it. Wipe some of the beaten egg on any other edges that look like they might come unstuck.
- You can mix flour and water to make a sealing paste instead of a beaten egg.^{[17]
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5
Heat up 1 qt (946 ml) of peanut oil in a pot or deep fryer. Heat the oil up to approximately 375 degrees F (190 C) in a deep fryer. Use the medium-high setting to heat the oil on the stovetop.^{[18]
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- Use vegetable oil instead of peanut oil if you can’t find peanut oil.
6
Place the egg rolls into the heated oil and fry them until they are brown. Use tongs or a slotted metal spoon to carefully put as many of the egg rolls in the hot oil as you can fit comfortably. Turn them occasionally until they are cooked evenly, and are a golden-brown color.^{[19]
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- It should take about 6-7 minutes per egg roll to cook them completely.^{[20]
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7
Drain the cooked egg rolls on a paper towel or a rack and serve them hot. Remove the rolls from the oil when they are done cooking, and place them on a metal rack or a plate with a paper towel to let the oil drain off. Serve them while they are fresh with a dipping sauce of your choice.^{[21]
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- Sweet and sour sauce or soy sauce are delicious options to serve with your homemade egg rolls! You can also try them with Sriracha or another hot sauce if you like.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I make egg roll wrappers?

Community Answer

You can make a dough of eggs and flour and roll it out thinly. Some cornstarch on the outside may help it stay together. An easier option is just to buy won-ton wrappers from the Asian aisle at the grocery store.
Question

Where do I get the wraps?

Aiden Holt

Community Answer

You can usually get them frozen at your local supermarket. Otherwise, if you have an Asian market in your area, check there.