This easy Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe features a mixture of ground pork, cabbage, and carrots that are flavorful with fresh garlic and ginger. Served with crispy wonton strips and a tasty Asian sauce, this has been a longtime family favorite!
I’m a super fan of this Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe’s ease in delivering the irresistible flavors of the beloved egg roll, all in the simplicity of a rice bowls meal. It’s packed with the familiar flavors and textures of egg rolls, including some wonton strips for salty crunch and a tasty rice vinegar sauce to drizzle over the top. (If you’re looking for more Asian-inspired recipes, try our favorite poke bowl recipe too!)
Why We ❤️ This Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe
Our family has a serious affection for egg rolls – it all started with the amazing egg rolls at one of our favorite local restaurants. Then we discovered the GIANT, super meaty ones at the Que Viet stand, a top food at the Minnesota State Fair. So we set the bar HIGH for this homemade egg roll in a bowl recipe. Here’s why we love it:
- Real egg roll vibes. Our family says that this egg roll in a bowl recipe is the BEST, because it includes ALL the elements of a traditional egg roll. My version includes the salty, crispy crunch of the fried egg roll wrapper AND a simple rice vinegar sauce. It’s perfectly yummy!
- Plenty of ginger. I always boost the fresh ginger in recipes. You might think I include too much when you look at the recipe, but just trust me. All that ginger works beautifully here.
- Quick & easy. There’s no need to roll and fry egg rolls – just cook up the egg roll filling in a skillet and serve it over rice. And it’s ready in under 30 minutes!
- Clean out the fridge: Our family loves my clean-out-the-fridge meals. They actually do! This is a great recipe for using up extra vegetables in the fridge. Just finely chop or shred nearly any vegetable and add it to the mix.
I have made other versions of this dish before and they have been good. Yours is GREAT! The vinegar sauce takes it over the top. This is a keeper. Thanks.
Kristen
What You’ll Need
There are two main components for this recipe: the egg roll filling and the sauce for drizzling over the top. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Sauce:
- Water – There are a lot of big flavors in the sauce, so water provides the base.
- Rice vinegar – Be sure to use unseasoned rice vinegar, which doesn’t have added sugar.
- Fish sauce – Flavor bomb! Don’t skip the fish sauce, it really adds a lot of depth and umami to the sauce.
- Sugar – Just a little bit adds balance to the flavor.
- Garlic – Mince this finely with a knife or use a garlic press.
- Salt – I use kosher salt.
- Red pepper – Crushed red pepper adds a small kick. You can add more for a spicier dish, or omit it if you’re not a fan.
For the Egg Roll Mixture:
- Sesame oil – Use toasted sesame oil for a fabulously nutty flavor.
- Pork – Ground pork is the traditional filling for egg rolls.
- Garlic and ginger – Two essential ingredients that add lots of flavor to Asian dishes. Don’t use ground ginger or garlic powder — you really need fresh, which packs more punch in flavor and aroma.
- Soy sauce – You can swap in tamari or coconut aminos if you want to make your egg roll in a bowl gluten-free, or a low sodium soy sauce if you’re watching your sodium intake.
- Black pepper – Freshly ground black pepper adds delicious depth.
- Sugar – To balance the acidity in the vinegar and the saltiness of the soy sauce.
- Cabbage and carrots – You can buy shredded carrots and a coleslaw mix to trim down your prep time.
- Rice vinegar – This brightens and livens up the flavor.
- Green onions – Although the green onions are used as a garnish, I wouldn’t consider them optional — they add a crisp texture and freshness that brings the dish altogether.
- Cilantro and wonton chips – We like to garnish this egg roll in a bowl recipe with fresh cilantro and homemade Wonton Chips. But you can certainly pick up some wonton chips or strips at the store if you like.
How to Make an Egg Roll in a Bowl
This recipe is made in one skillet and is super easy to prepare. Here’s how to do it.
- Make the sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients to a pot over medium heat and stir until everything has melded together. Set aside to cool.
- Start the filling. In a deep skillet, warm the sesame oil over medium heat. Brown the pork, breaking the meat apart as it cooks; this will take about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, black pepper, soy sauce, and sugar.
- Add vegetables and vinegar. Add the shredded cabbage and carrots. The amount will feel excessive, but its volume shrinks down in a massive way as you cook everything in the skillet. Continue cooking, folding every now and then, until the veggies are softened and shrunken, yet still have some crunch. Sprinkle rice vinegar over the top, and the filling is done!
- Serve. Divide the egg roll filling into bowls with white rice. Top with green onion, cilantro, and wonton chips. Offer prepared sauce on the side, for individuals to add as they like.
Tips & Variations
Now that we’ve covered the basics, here are some additional pointers and variations.
- Be sure to use a large skillet with tall sides. You will need room for folding in all the shredded cabbage and carrots. If you don’t have such a skillet, just use a large pot.
- If pork isn’t your thing, try ground chicken, turkey, or beef. We prefer egg roll in a bowl made with ground pork, for the most flavor and authenticity when it comes to mimicking our favorite egg rolls, but definitely feel free to mix things up!
- Swap in your favorite sauce. If your family has a favorite dipping sauce for egg rolls — whether it’s homemade or store-bought — you can swap that in for the sauce portion of this recipe.
- Spice it up. If you’re a fan of spicy food, add sriracha, chili oil, chili crunch, or extra crushed red pepper to either the sauce or the egg roll filling to crank up the heat.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the egg roll filling over hot white rice, with sliced green onions and fresh cilantro. For a lower carb alternative, try cauliflower rice, or just enjoy the egg roll in a bowl all on its own
And don’t forget the rice vinegar sauce. I serve it alongside, basically like a salad dressing to drizzle over the top. I tend to like quite a bit of the sauce with my pork egg roll in a bowl.
Also, please tell me you’ll include some crispy wonton chips or strips. This deconstructed egg roll recipe deserves that salty crunch!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store leftover egg roll in a bowl in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Freezer: This recipe freezes well. Transfer leftovers to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm up your leftovers in a skillet set over medium heat or use the microwave.
More Asian-Inspired Dinner Ideas
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1½ cups water
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1½ tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (Use more if you like heat!)
Egg Roll Mixture
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 pound bulk ground pork
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 5 cups shredded green cabbage (Or use a 14-ounce bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix instead.)
- 1 cup shredded carrots (Pre-shredded carrots works great!)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 green onions, chopped
- chopped fresh cilantro leaves and wonton chips, optional garnish
Instructions
- Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium to medium-high heat, stir together all sauce ingredients. Once sugar and salt have dissolved, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Egg Roll Mixture: Heat a large skillet with tall sides over medium heat. Once hot, add sesame oil and let it warm for about 1 minute. Add pork, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring and breaking up occasionally, until pork is about half-way browned.
- Add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, black pepper, and sugar to the pork, and stir to combine. After pork is thoroughly browned, fold in cabbage and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage and carrots are softened but still a bit crunchy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle rice vinegar over the top of the egg roll mixture and fold one last time.
- Serve: Spoon the hot mixture over white rice. Top with green onion, cilantro, and wonton chips. Offer prepared sauce on the side, for individuals to drizzle over the top.
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2019, then updated in 2025.
Made this for my family tonight and it was a hit! Everyone couldn’t believe how much it tasted like an egg roll!! Even the picky one said they didn’t think they would like it but had to admit it was yummy after all! It’s a winner. Thanks.
I love egg rolls but don’t always want to get into deep frying because of the mess and extra calories. This is the perfect solution to get the egg roll taste without the splatter. There is a little mess created when cooking the pork and vegetables but an easy clean up. I was skeptical when I was making the egg roll sauce. I kept thinking I made a mistake along the way. But I didn’t. It is the perfect compliment to the egg roll mixture and rice. I did add a little garlic chili sauce to make it a little hotter. This is a delicious and addictive meal. So happy I have some leftovers.
So happy you liked this! Our girls crinkle their noses when making the sauce – but they LOVE it drizzled over the bowls. I like your garlic chili sauce addition – will give that a try!
Any thoughts on substitutions for the fish sauce? Would soy sauce work okay, do you think?
Hi Tricia – You could try some soy sauce, but soy sauce is definitely saltier than fish sauce, so start out with a lighter amount.
This is a great weeknight meal! The dish came together so quickly. I was worried about the 1/4 cup ginger, but it wasn’t an issue at all. I used ground turkey instead of pork. Thanks for the recipe!
Made this as meal prep for lunches and it turned out great! I didn’t bother with the sauce and definitely should’ve waited to add the wonton strips until just before eating – will do next time.
Yay, I’m so happy to hear you liked this! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I really enjoyed this! It was affordable and easy to put together!!! And the leftovers are great too!
Wonderful, so happy to hear this!!
Made this today we loved it! Didn’t need the wontons even thou I looked in the market but couldn’t find them
Thank you for posting Flavor was great I used ground chicken.
So glad to hear this, Joan. The wonton strips aren’t necessary, but certainly are fun! Thanks for letting me know. :)
This is a very special recipe. I fried my own wonton strips.
I have made versions of this dish before and they have been good. Yours is GREAT! The vinegar sauce takes it over the top. This is a keeper. Thanks.
YAY!! I love to hear this, because I always felt other recipes I tried were missing something. Thanks for coming back to let me know!
love this, great flavors and textures
OH my, so yummy! Wish I had a bowlful right now.