An Egg Roll In A Bowl Deconstructs Your Favorite Takeout Appetizer

Let's be real, the true draw of going out to a Chinese restaurant or ordering from your favorite takeout joint is the cherished egg roll. Filled with vegetables, herbs, sometimes meat or shrimp, and always wrapped in a sumptuously crispy golden brown egg wrapper — this is the stuff dreams are made of. But sadly, it's reserved as a rare treat when eating out, because they're not all that easy to make in a regular home kitchen. And even if you have the nimble fingers necessary for carefully slicing each vegetable, stuffing the wrapper just-so, and then wrapping them with utmost precision, you still have to monitor the rolls in a vat of super hot frying oil — hard pass from us. 

So let us introduce the egg roll in a bowl. It offers all of the same flavors and textures of a proper egg roll without all the stress and sweat-drenched cooking. Choose your fillings, sautee, then serve over a bowl of rice or noodles. Some people leave it here as a low-carb snack, but if you still seek that same crunchy texture of the egg roll, just shallow fry a few sheets in a high smoke point oil and then crumble them over the top. Top with your favorite fixings, such as spring onions, cilantro, or sesame seeds, and there you have an egg roll in a bowl. 

You can build your deconstructed egg roll out of whatever you like, but they are typically served with ground pork, though beef or even turkey work if that's what you have on hand, or just with veggies, typically thinly sliced carrots, cabbage, and green onions — pre-shredded, bagged slaw works just fine. But the real magic around making your egg roll in a bowl taste like it's from a Chinese restaurant all comes in the seasoning. 

If you're using any, allow your meat to brown before adding in the veggies, and after a minute or two, it's time to season. Soy sauce, oyster or fish sauce, chili paste or oil, and freshly grated ginger and garlic will help your sauce gain complexity and plenty of umami. A mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, and Chinese five spice is also great, as is a mixture of hoisin and soy. While you're getting your fixings nice and browned, toss a sheet or two of egg roll wrappers into some frying oil until golden brown on one side, then crumble over your egg roll fillings and rice or noodles.