Your favorite weeknight obsession: egg roll in a bowl with baked wonton chips! The egg roll filling will remind you of your beloved Chinese restaurant’s egg roll filling. Serve it with some crispy wonton chips on the side for that satisfying crunch in every bite.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This egg roll in a bowl is a deconstructed version of the Chinese American takeout dish – fried egg rolls! Traditionally done at our Chinese restaurant, we added more pork so the customers get the best bang for their buck. At home, we make it with more cabbage because the dish will taste less greasy and taste overall healthier!
To have that crunch, I baked wonton skins to go with the cabbage and pork bowl. There’s no wrapping or deep frying required, so this dish is ready in 20 minutes!
If you’re into pork and vegetable recipes, you can go for Pork and Cabbage Stir Fry, One Pot Rice with Minced Pork and Thai Basil or Shanghai Rice Cakes.
Ingredients
Here’s a look at what you need to make this healthy egg roll in a bowl. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.
- carrots – shredded carrots or julienne cut carrots bring some softness and sweetness to the cabbage. Highly recommend shredded or sliced thinly so it’s not too crunchy when you’re eating the dish.
- green cabbage – thinly chopped cabbage or even a pre-packaged cabbage slaw would work great with this dish.
- neutral oil such as avocado oil or canola to fry the cabbage and pork! Using a good amount also crisps up the ground pork and renders the fat.
- ground pork or ground chicken – I tried both meats and they both tasted delicious. I prefer pork because that’s the authentic meat we used at the restaurant. When the pork fat gets absorbed by the cabbage, the dish is extra tasty. Chicken has less fat and won’t be as silky.
- garlic and ginger – fresh aromatics takes out the gaminess of the ground pork. It also adds a lot of flavor when being sautéed.
- Five spice includes star anise, cloves, cinnamon, ginger powder and nutmeg. Just the tiniest bit of this seasoning transforms your dish to make the flavors taste authentic, not like Christmas!
- white pepper – tastes very light and doesn’t make the dish taste spicy. Helps neutralize the gaminess of the meat. Black pepper can be substituted.
- soy sauce – adds saltiness and umami to the dish. I recommend to use low-sodium so you can get the flavor without being overly salty.
- sesame oil – a little bit of sesame oil brings out the five spice flavor. Be careful not to add to much as the sesame oil will overwhelm the light flavors of the vegetables.
- wonton wrappers – thin egg wrappers used to make dumplings can also be baked (or fried) to create a crispy chip that resembles the egg roll wrapper. You can find this at the asian grocery store.
Substitutions and Variations
- Baked Tortilla chips or rice crackers. If you don’t have time to make wonton chips, you can buy tortilla chips, rice crackers or potato chips to serve with your egg roll in a bowl!
- Add shrimp or extra firm tofu. Switch up the protein or make it pescatarian or vegetarian-friendly. If using tofu, make sure you use extra firm so the dish doesn’t get too watery.
- Spice it up. Add sriracha, red pepper flakes, or diced chilies for heat.
How to Make Egg Roll in a Bowl
Step 1: Grate carrots and set aside.
Step 2: Slice cabbage in thin slices. Set aside.
Step 3: Heat a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add some oil, ginger and garlic. Sauté for one minute.
Step 4: Then, add your ground pork, salt, five spice, and white pepper. Mix everything together and ensure there are no large clumps.
Step 5: Fry ground pork for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 6: Add cabbage and soy sauce. Mix together and sauté for 3 minutes until cabbage is wilted but not soggy (still has some crunch).
Step 7: Add shredded carrots and sesame oil. Turn off heat and garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.
Step 8: To make your wonton chips, cut the wontons in triangles and place on a baking tray with a light layer of oil and sprinkle of salt. Bake (or air fry) for 4 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until golden with a light spray of oil.
Expert Tips
- Bake wonton chips until just golden (3-4 minutes). Keep an eye on them—wonton wrappers bake quickly and can burn fast.
- Cook the carrots last and cook for less than a minute. Since they are shredded, they cook super quickly and we want to keep their structural integrity.
- Make sure you take the time to brown the meat, which renders the fat. Cooking the cabbage in the fat tastes extra delicious!
Recipe FAQs
You can swap in ground chicken, or even tofu for a vegetarian-friendly alternative—each works great and adds its own flavor twist. Make sure you use extra firm tofu so the texture can resemble ground meat. If the tofu is too soft, the cabbage stir fry will be watery.
Not at all—but they do add a delicious crunch! You can also use tortilla chips, rice crackers, or skip them altogether for a lower-carb meal.
Yes! It stores well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Just reheat in the microwave or a skillet when ready to eat.
This delicious egg roll bowl dish is great on its own, but you can serve it with steamed rice, One Pot Creamy Garlic Salmon, Filipino Pancit, Turnip Cake (Loh Bak Go) or even a side of Braised Tofu for a fuller meal.
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Egg Roll in a Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 carrot shredded
- ¼ green cabbage chopped
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- ½ pound ground pork
- 2 garlic minced
- 2 inches ginger minced
- ½ teaspoon 5 spice
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 10 wontons skins cut in triangles
For garnish:
- green onions
- cilantro
Instructions
- Grate carrots and set aside.
- Slice cabbage in thin slices. Set aside.
- Heat a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add some oil, ginger and garlic. Saute for one minute.
- Then, add your ground pork, salt, 5 spice, and white pepper. Mix everything together and ensure there are no large clumps.
- Fry ground pork for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Add cabbage and soy sauce. Mix together and saute for 3 minutes until cabbage is wilted but not soggy (still has some crunch).
- Add shredded carrots and sesame oil. Turn off heat and garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.
- To make your wonton chips, cut the wontons in triangles and place on a baking tray with a light layer of oil and sprinkle of salt. Bake (or air fry) for 4 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until golden with a light spray of oil.
Notes
Expert Tips
-
- Bake wonton chips until just golden (3-4 minutes). Keep an eye on them as the wonton skins bake quickly and can burn fast.
- Cook the carrots last and cook for less than a minute. Since they are shredded, they cook super quickly and we want to keep their structural integrity.
- Make sure you take the time to brown the meat, which renders the fat. Cooking the cabbage in the fat tastes extra delicious.
Team Cook With Dana says
This recipe packs all the delicious flavors of a classic fried egg roll. It’s a lighter, healthier, and easy-to-make version without all the greasy deep-frying. The baked wonton chips add the perfect crunch for a truly satisfying bite!