These homemade Egg Rolls are crisp on the outside with a satisfying pork and vegetable filling. Learn the secrets to an ultra-crisp shell. Watch the video recipe and learn how to make egg rolls that are better than takeout!
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Egg Rolls Recipe Video:
We love recreating our favorite restaurant dishes like Chow Mein, easy Stir Fry, and of course Chinese egg rolls. Watch the video tutorial and you’ll realize these are easier than you think.
This is our favorite egg roll filling with a well-seasoned blend of pork, rice noodles, mushrooms, and veggies. My mother learned how to make these in culinary school and taught me to make them. Growing up, we enjoyed her big stacks of freshly made egg rolls and they always disappeared fast. Thankfully this recipe makes a big batch so you can freeze a bunch for later.
The Best Egg Roll Wrappers:
The Key to an authentic egg roll is in the wrapper. It will make all the difference and is worth the effort to find the right ones.
- BUY Frozen Egg Roll Wrappers – the right kind of wrappers which are super thin and crisp up beautifully when fried are sold frozen.
- Suggested Brands – the ones that are available in our local Asian market are “Spring Home”, “Wei Chuan,” or “Little Chef.” They are about 8″x8″ in size. So long as they are the frozen variety, they will work.
- AVOID Refrigerated Egg Roll Wrappers – they are starchy, thicker, create a bubbly unattractive exterior when fried, and do not stay crisp, but soften quickly. I share examples of this in the video tutorial above.
- Where to Buy: Some grocery stores carry Egg Roll wrappers in the freezer section, but I had to find a local Asian market store to get them. Since they are frozen, you can stock up your freezer.
Spring Roll Vs. Egg Roll:
Some of the egg roll wrapper packagings will say “spring roll” which is used interchangeably with “egg roll.” They are the same thing.
Can I Substitute the Meat?
Our go-to filling is Pork because it is naturally very flavorful, but you can make these vegetarian by omitting the meat or substitute with different proteins:
- Ground turkey
- Ground chicken (dark meat is better)
- Chopped shrimp
How to Wrap Egg Rolls:
Wrapping an egg roll is really simple and you will be wrapping like a pro in no time. Here is a quick visual reference. The important points to remember are:
- Do not over-stuff (1/4 cup filling is all you need)
- Keep a tight roll from start to finish
- Seal the edge with egg wash
Tips for the Best Egg Rolls:
Here is our best advice for making egg rolls that will impress everyone.
- Keep Wrappers Moist – work with one sheet at a time and keep the remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel at all times to prevent them from drying out.
- Roll tightly to prevent oil from seeping into the egg roll
- Keep Oil at 350˚F – If the temperature drops too low, the egg rolls soak up more oil. If it’s too hot, they will darken too quickly.
- Fry in Batches – adding too many rolls at once will drop the temperature of the oil.
- Cool on a wire rack – the exterior will stay crispy all around if you cool them on a rack instead of paper towels.
- Cover finished rolls with a sheet of plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
How to Freeze Egg Rolls:
Egg rolls can be frozen cooked or uncooked. I find it is easier to fry all of them at once then freeze and reheat quickly when the craving strikes.
- To Freeze Fried Egg Rolls: cool to room temperature, put them in a large freezer-safe zip bag, and pop them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, I toast them in the air fryer until they are hot and crispy. Microwaving works but the shell won’t be crispy. You can also re-crisp in the oven.
- Freezing Uncooked Egg Rolls – to keep them from sticking together, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag. You can fry frozen uncooked egg rolls without thawing, just add an extra 1 to 2 minutes to the frying time.
How to Serve Egg Rolls:
Egg rolls are typically served warm or at room temperature as an appetizer with a sauce. We love pairing them with simple Asian sauces like sweet chili sauce, or a sweet teriyaki sauce.
I would love to hear about your favorite way to serve egg rolls in the comments.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
Our collection of Asian recipes is always growing because we are obsessed with making our favorites. If you enjoyed these homemade Egg Rolls, you will love these:
- Chicken Fried Rice – a brilliant way to repurpose leftovers
- Broccoli Beef – this saucy stir fry is perfect over White Rice
- Kung Pao Chicken – a restaurant-inspired dish
- Vegetable Stir Fry – easy, excellent side
- General Tso’s Chicken – in an authentic tasting sauce
Egg Roll Recipe - How to Make Egg Rolls
Ingredients
- 40 frozen egg roll or spring roll wrappers , (8"x8"), thawed*
- 3 oz vermicelli rice noodles , (Chinese angel hair rice sticks)
- 1 lb ground pork
- 8 oz mushrooms, brown or white
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, grated or cut into matchsticks
- 4 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp salt, or to taste, (divided)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Peanut oil or Canola Oil for frying, (2-3 inches of oil)
- 1 egg, (beaten) for sealing eggrolls
Instructions
- Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl and pour steaming hot water over the noodles. Separate the noodles by pulling them apart with forks and let it rest 5-7 minutes to soften until tender. Rinse with cold water to cool them down then drain really well. Chop the rice noodles to about 1-inch pieces on a cutting board and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Place a deep skillet over medium/high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and saute ground pork until cooked through and season with 1/2 tsp salt. Transfer to the mixing bowl with noodles.
- In the same skillet, add 2 Tbsp oil, sliced mushrooms, diced onions, and shredded carrots. Sautee until softened (5-6 minutes) then add 4 cups cabbage and sautee just until wilted (2 minutes). Season with 1/2 tsp salt and transfer to the mixing bowl with the noodles.
- Season egg roll mixture with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Since the filling is fully cooked, taste it, and add more seasoning to taste. Drain any excess liquid from the filling if present.
- Peel back 1 egg roll wrapper and place it in a diamond shape on a clean work surface. Keep remaining egg roll wrappers covered with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. Add 1/4 cup of filling onto the bottom third of the wrapper.
- Fold the bottom corner over the filling and tuck underneath. Roll tightly towards the center then fold in the sides, roll again then brush the last flap lightly with beaten egg and roll to seal. Repeat with remaining egg rolls. Keep the formed egg rolls covered with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.
- Heat oil in a dutch oven or fryer to 350˚F. Fry 5-7 egg rolls at a time for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Egg rolls should sizzle when they are in the oil. Keep the temperature of the oil between 340-350˚F while frying. Transfer to a wire rack and cool 15 minutes before serving with your favorite sauce.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This was one of our first recipes originally published in 2010. It was updated in October 2020 with new photos, a video tutorial. We improved the filling and added tons of great info for making the best egg rolls.
Hello Natasha!
We have onion sensitivities in the house. Will this still be tasty if we eliminate the onion.
Thank you
Hi TK! I haven’t made it without onion. The onions give this good flavor. You can omit, and if it’s lacking flavor, just season/salt to your preference.
Oh I love onion, but sadly some of us just can not eat it. Thanks for the advice.
Love the recipe. However, instead of rice noodles, I use bean sprouts. Delicious.
I’m excited to try this recipe. If I don’t love mushrooms, what is a good substitute?
Hi Rebecca! You can omit the mushrooms and use a little more of the other veggies for volume.
Hey, Natasha! I’m wondering if I can prepare the egg rolls earlier in the day to fry later?
Hi April! That should be fine if you’re frying them within a day or so. I would store them airtight or covered so they don’t dry out and allow room in between each so they don’t stick together.
Thanks for the reply! Good to know. Thanks again, and blessings to your sweet family. <3
I made these the first time with the wrappers in the cold shelve section and your right……. not the same. Made them the second time with the frozen wrappers and they were PERFECT!!!! Made them the third time and used shrimp and they were delicious also. Thanks, willing be following you more.
My 3rd time, 2nd w/my “chef” daughter, your recipe is definitely the Best! Making again this week, I thought there was a sauce to go with it? Sure I’ll find one!
Hi Marcia! I’m so glad you love this recipe! We love pairing them with simple Asian sauces like sweet chili sauce, or a sweet teriyaki sauce. See the section above titled “How to serve egg rolls.” I linked the sweet chili sauce that we use. I don’t have a recipe for it, it’s store bought.
Best egg roll ever, I like plum sauce 😋 thank you the recipe and the now to video, I do better watch the video.
You’re very welcome, Rebecca!
What settings and how long do I heat frozen rolls in Air Fryer?
Hi Alton. I don’t recall the exact time. I would try 350 for 8-10 mins but keep an eye on them in the air fryer just in case.
Does anyone have trouble with turning them? They will keep turning back to the other side, and if I don’t hold them in place, they are not always evenly fried. Also, for you with electric stoves, how about some pointers on keeping the temp steady at 350? Love this recipe. So good.
Hi Annette, I haven’t had trouble with that, but I hope our readers see and advise if they have had any trouble with electric stoves.
Love the recipe! Doing it a second time now. Two questions: Tips on keeping the oil at a steady 350 degrees, Second: I try to evenly turn the egg rolls and they keep flipping back! Any pointers? Wish I had a gas stove but I don’t!
Hi Annette, I would recommend a clip on thermometer and also not overloading the oil with egg rolls. If you add too many, it will cool down the oil quickly. Also the flipping can be a struggle. I would recommend staritng with the seam side down and hold them down for a few seconds to help them set in place.
can you use fresh crab meat in eeg rolls or do u use spring rolls still useing all the cabbage carrots onion etc etc
Hi Gil! I have not tested crab meat in egg rolls. I think it would be ok if you prefer that. You can use spring roll wrappers or egg roll wrappers. I prefer the spring roll wrappers because they are thinner and get more crispy.
Can I use puffed pastry if I don’t have egg roll wrapper’s
They are not the same the thing. I’m not sure how they would turn out.
I did find the TYJ wrappers. I had to go to an Asian market. I’ll let you know how they turn out!
I hope you love it, Lisa!
Help?! I use a thermometer to make sure the oil is reading past 340. But they turned out crispy and very greasy, so I wrapped them in paper towel, and now they are very soggy. Help what did I do wrong?
Hi Codie, did you use the same egg roll wrappers that I recommended? The ones typically found in the grocery stores will give you a softer texture in the wrapper once they have cooled. Also, wrapping in paper towels is not ideal because it traps the steam and makes them softer.
Wrapping them in a paper towel caused them to tent, losing this crispiness, next just just lie them on a cooking rack or paper towel. Don’t cover. 🤗
I followed the instructions completely but the egg rolls turned out very greasy. What could have gone wrong?
Hi Mickey! Be sure to let the oil get very hot. If you try to fry these in oil that has not reached a high enough temperature then they will soak in more grease.
These are awesome. I used portobello mushrooms and olive oil.
Yum! I bet they are delish!
I should have left a review a few years ago. I love this recipe so much. I do my own thing and cook this without the wraps and put it with either basmati rice or quinoa for my meal prep for work. So easy and so delicious every time. I switch out the protein every now and then. Thanks for the video to help me cook this. Going to try your Mongolian Beef recipe for New Years but can’t find a video to go with it. Happy New Year!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. I’m so glad you love the recipe. Happy New Year!
Another outstanding restaurant quality recipe! I used a quarter cup in each and it only made around 28. I may lessen the amount in each roll next time. I may or may not have been overfilling my 1/4. Otherwise, followed recipe verbatim!
Yes, you can try to lessen the amount in each roll when you try again soon. Thank for sharing!
Have been making these for years until yesterday when I tried your recipe. Well……it is truly the best yet!! Plus I learned a few things…(how to buy egg rolls wrappers AND putting noodles in).
I use many of your recipes often. Thanks for your diligent work and the extraordinary joy that you exude.
You’re very welcome, Cate! I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
I made these egg rolls. I live by the Pa National Forest. Can’t find frozen egg roll wrappers anywhere. Made them with the ones that are kept in the cooler. Had to drive 83 miles to get these. That was one way. When I fried they did get really greasy but I turned them all on their sides in a round bowl with paper towels on the bottom. These egg rolls are better than any I’ve ever eaten in a Chinese restaurant. One problem with them. They are highly addictive. Hahaha. Natasha….Absolutely fantastic recipe. Thank You. You are the best!!!
Hi Cheryl! What an adventure to make these! I’m so glad you found the ingredients you needed, and so happy it was worth it!
Hi Natasha, just wanted to let you know I made these a day in advance and wrapped each layer in between saran wrap and placed in the fridge overnight. I let them come to room temperature and fried them as directed and they were delicious!!
Thank you so mc=uch for sharing, we’re happy to know that you loved it!