Delicious Egg Roll Recipe

The egg roll is a classic Chinese-American dish that serves as the perfect appetizer, side, or even main course. See, when it comes to why egg rolls taste so good, there is really no mystery at all: fill a flaky wrapper with spiced meat and veggies and fry it in oil, and pure deliciousness ensues.

While you may be accustomed to getting your egg rolls from a favorite takeout place or buying them frozen from the grocery store, you just can't beat the ones you make fresh. "These are definitely tricky compared to [some dishes]," says chef and recipe developer Cecilia Ryu, but if you follow the recipe step by step with care a few times, soon enough, you'll be rolling out batches of egg rolls and trying out all sorts of your own spins on the ingredients. 

And once you're comfortable with homemade egg rolls, you'll have the ultimate buffet treat in your repertoire. "They are a perfect appetizer/finger food to serve at parties," says Ryu. Or for a quiet movie night, too.

If you think of the unassuming egg roll as a simple foodstuff, that impression will end when you see how much goes into them. The ingredients you'll need are canola oil, ground pork, minced garlic, minced ginger, chopped onion, thinly sliced cabbage, julienned carrot, thinly sliced scallion, finely chopped shiitake mushroom, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, salt, black pepper, egg roll wrappers, a beaten egg, and oil for frying.

Also, Ryu says: "You can substitute ground chicken for the pork and purple cabbage for the green cabbage," just note you'll need three times less if you switch cabbage types for how it cooks down. And you can always swap in an imitation meat if you're trying to eat vegetarian.

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil over a medium to high heat. Once it has warmed up sufficiently, add the ground pork, chopped onion, garlic, ginger, a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper for your egg rolls, and stir. 

Break up any chunks of the pork with a spatula, and cook until the meat has browned and the onions have begun to soften and grow translucent. Set the cooked meat and spices and veggies aside in a large bowl. (Note that the bowl will still need to accommodate other foodstuffs and allow room for stirring, so large is key!)

Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel, then add two tablespoons of oil and heat the pan over high. Next, add the cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and scallions, and then season with half a teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of black pepper. 

Sauté until the cabbage for your egg rolls is just wilted, which will take about three to four minutes. Now, remove the pan from the heat and add the vegetables to the pork mixture in that large bowl, and stir to combine everything well. In a separate small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Then, add this mixture to the pork and vegetable mixture, and stir until well-combined.

It's time to roll up these egg rolls! But first, beat the egg in a small bowl.

On a flat work surface, lay the first wrapper down oriented toward you in a diamond shape. Scoop about a half cup of filling and place it in the center of the egg roll wrapper, then fold the bottom point up and over the filling. Next, fold in the left and right points. Now, roll the egg roll over once. Using your finger, lightly coat the edges of the remaining wrapper with the beaten egg, then roll it over again to seal. Repeat the process until all filling is used.

"Do not overfill the egg roll," says Ryu. "If you overfill, it will be difficult to roll and will not seal properly." And that, as we'll see in a moment, can lead to a serious problem.

Fill a large pot halfway with oil and heat it on medium-high until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Nearby, place a wire rack on top of a sheet tray lined with paper towels, as the egg rolls will be dripping a lot of oil at first.

Now, remember when we talked about the importance of not overfilling and of closely sealing? Here's why: "You must seal the egg roll properly and carefully," says Ryu, as "otherwise, the juices will leak out when frying and cause the oil to splatter tremendously." And that can cause injury, fire hazards, or both.

Fry two or three egg rolls at a time, or more if they fit in the pot without touching, turning them occasionally. Fry them until they are golden brown, which will take approximately five to seven minutes. Drain them on wire rack. Serve immediately with your favorite sauce as a snack or as a side to a larger meal.