These homemade pork egg rolls make a great appetizer or side to an Asian-style meal. In this recipe, the egg rolls are stuffed with a combination of pork and vegetables that are flavored with a savory sauce.
The ingredients we use for this take-out classic are a little unconventional. We go with a broccoli slaw; it’s a combination of broccoli, carrots and red cabbage. I find it in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle of the supermarket, it comes prepackaged. You can use a coleslaw mixture or use your favorite vegetable mix. Whether you follow our recipe or experiment with your own ingredients, one thing is for sure, your homemade egg rolls will become your favorite!
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Powder (or grated fresh ginger if you have it on hand)
- 2 large Garlic Cloves, grated or minced
- Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper, optional
- 2 tablespoons Canola Oil, plus oil for frying (enough to cover the bottom of a large skillet with about ½ inch of oil) If you rather use a different oil, choose one with a high smoke point
- 1 pound Ground Pork
- 1 teaspoon Salt – we used Kosher salt
- 12 ounces Broccoli Slaw or Coleslaw Mix
- 2-3 tablespoons Green Onions, sliced
- 16 ounce Package of Egg Roll Wrappers (about 18-20 wrappers)
- 1 Egg, beaten
You will also need
- Pastry brush
- Baking sheet or large platter
- Paper towels or kitchen towels
- Parchment paper
Prep Work
The prep work is surprisingly easy for this take-out classic.
- Use a microplane grater to grate the garlic, or finely mince it.
- Slice the green onions, use kitchen shears to make quick work of this.
- Add the cornstarch, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper to a small jar or bowl. Stir well with a fork or small whisk to combine. Also, stir the sauce right before using; the cornstarch settles on the bottom.
Make the filling
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the pork and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt.
Cook the pork until it’s no longer pink, approximately 5-6 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula and break up any large pieces as you go.
Add the vegetables to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring almost constantly to mix the ingredients well.
Lower the heat to medium.
Add the prepared sauce (remember to stir it right before adding) and cook, stirring almost constantly for 4-5 minutes to continue cooking the pork and vegetables and to let all those flavors combine.
Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the green onions.
Allow the filling to cool. You can help it along by stirring occasionally to release some to the steam. Transfer it to a bowl when it has cooled down a bit. If there is any sauce or liquid left in the skillet use a slotted spoon to transfer the filling to a large bowl. Refrigerate the mixture until completely cool.
The pork mixture cannot be hot when you make the egg rolls. The wrappers are quite delicate, if the mixture is hot, or even warm, they will tear.
Make the egg rolls
Building the egg rolls is pretty easy. If you’ve never done it before, you might mess up one or two, but after that you’ll be a pro! Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Make sure the mixture is completely cool (I know I’ve said it already but it bears repeating)
- Cover the unused wrappers and the finished rolls with a moist (not wet) paper or kitchen towel. The wrappers dry out very quickly and will tear/crack. If the paper/kitchen towel dries out while you’re still working, moisten it again.
- Don’t overstuff the wrapper because it will tear when you try to roll it.
- Line a baking sheet or platter with parchment paper to place your rolls after wrapping. Give them their own space, don’t let them touch. They stick something awful and will tear when you pull them away.
Alright, let’s get started!
Add the egg to a small bowl and beat with a fork or whisk.
- Work with one wrapper at a time. Lay it diagonally in front of you (like a diamond). Then, add about 2 tablespoons of the filling in the middle. Arrange it so that it’s not mounded.
- Cover the filling with the corner closest to you and use the end of the wrapper to tuck in the filling.
- Use a pastry brush to moisten the corners to your left and right with the egg.
- Bring in the sides. At this point the egg roll should resemble an envelope.
- Use the pastry brush to moisten all of the exposed edges of the wrapper with the egg.
- Now, roll it away from you.
- Press the edge lightly to ensure the seal.
- If there are any open ends use a little bit of egg to moisten and press or tuck to seal.
Place it on a parchment lined pan or plate and cover with a moistened paper or kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and mixture.
Time to fry
Cover the bottom of a large, deep skillet with about ½ inch of oil. Heat the over medium to medium high heat. Get the oil to 350°F.
Add 4-6 rolls to the skillet. How many to add will depend on the size of the skillet you’re using. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Fry the egg rolls, turning occasionally until they are golden brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes. Remove them from the oil and place on a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack or a paper towel lined plate.
Cook’s note: Between batches remove the skillet from the heat until you’re ready to put in the next batch. Don’t turn the heat off, just carefully move the skillet to a cold burner. I also lower and raise the heat as needed, not much just a notch or two to keep the oil at around 350°F.
Makes approximately 18 egg rolls. Enjoy!
Make ahead and storing
- You can make the pork filling up to one day ahead. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Build the egg rolls up to one day ahead. Make sure to place them on parchment paper without touching. Do not stack, place in a single layer. Cover with parchment paper and then wrap well with plastic wrap.
- Store leftover cooked egg rolls in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
You may also like these Asian-inspired recipes:
- Pork Potstickers
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Shrimp Lo Mein
- Beef and Broccoli
- Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry
- Asian Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Pork Egg Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Powder or grated fresh ginger
- 2 large Garlic Cloves grated or minced
- Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper optional
- 2 tablespoons Canola Oil plus oil for frying (enough to cover the bottom of a large skillet with about ½ inch of oil) If you rather use a different oil, choose one with a high smoke point
- 1 pound Ground Pork
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 12 ounces Broccoli Slaw or Cole Slaw Mix
- 2-3 tablespoons Green Onions sliced
- 16 ounce Package of Egg Roll Wrappers about 18-20 wrappers
- 1 Egg beaten
Instructions
- You will also need: Pastry brush, Baking sheet or large platter, Paper towels or kitchen towels, Parchment paper
Make the sauce
- Add the cornstarch, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper to a small jar or bowl. Stir well with a fork or small whisk to combine. Also, stir the sauce right before using; the cornstarch settles on the bottom.
Make the filling
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the pork and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink. Stir occasionally breaking up any large pieces.
- Add the slaw to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring almost constantly to mix the ingredients well.
- Lower the heat to medium.
- Add the prepared sauce (remember to stir it before adding). Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the green onions.
- Allow the filling to cool a bit, then transfer to a bowl (without any liquid that may remain in the pan) and refrigerate until completely cool.
Build the egg rolls
- Line a baking sheet or platter with parchment paper to place your rolls after wrapping
- Add the egg to a small bowl and beat with a fork or whisk.
- Work with one wrapper at a time. Lay it diagonally in front of you (like a diamond). Add about 2 tablespoons of the filling in the middle. Arrange it so that it’s not mounded.
- Cover the filling with the corner closest to you and use the end of the wrapper to tuck in the filling.
- Use a pastry brush to moisten the corners to your left and right with the egg.
- Bring in the sides. The egg roll should resemble an envelope.
- Use the pastry brush to moisten all of the exposed edges of the wrapper with the egg.
- Roll it away from you.
- Press the edge lightly to ensure the seal.
- If there are any open ends use a little bit of egg to moisten and press or tuck to seal.
- Place it on a parchment lined pan or plate and cover with a moistened paper or kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and mixture.
Fry the egg rolls
- Cover the bottom of a large, deep skillet with about ½ inch of oil. Heat the over medium to medium-high heat. Get the oil to 350°F.
- Add 4-6 rolls to the skillet. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Fry the egg rolls, turning occasionally until they are golden brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes. Remove them from the oil and place on a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack or a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining egg rolls.
Notes
- Cool the mixture completely. The wrappers will tear if the mixture is hot, or even warm.
- Cover the unused wrappers and the finished egg rolls with a moist (not wet) paper or kitchen towel. If the paper/kitchen towel dries out while you’re still working, moisten it again.
- Keep the oil at around 350°F, remove the skillet from the heat between batches and/or raise and lower the heat as needed.