Crunchy Mini Shrimp Egg Rolls Recipe

Everyone loves the salty, chewy taste and texture of egg rolls. For anyone who has ever considered making this crispy creation at home, recipe developer Cecilia Ryu is here to walk you through each and every step of preparing mini shrimp egg rolls you can serve for your next get-together or for a relaxing night of Netflix and chillin' at home.

Just don't be intimidated! First, you will shop for a few specialty ingredients, which will help you turn out truly authentic egg rolls, and then, believe us when we say that this recipe is totally manageable. Ryu offers great tips for making mouthwatering mini egg rolls your friends and family will rave about — if you decide to share. As a matter of fact, this appetizer is so delicious, as Ryu tells Mashed about her dish, "These don't even need a dipping sauce." Still, she admits, "I love to dip them in my favorite Sriracha hot sauce!"

Some of the ingredients needed to make the mini egg rolls will be familiar to you, and some may not be. Here is what you will need: canola oil, 1 pound of shrimp (peeled and deveined), dried mung bean noodles, chopped bok choy and cabbage, and a carrot. Let's stop there. As far as why Ryu decided to incorporate both bok choy and cabbage in this recipe, she says, "They have different flavors. Each contribute a unique flavor and texture to this recipe."

Meanwhile, you will also shop for scallions, shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, and mirin, with Ryu noting about this ingredient, "Mirin is a cooking wine that is frequently used in Japanese cooking. It is similar to sake but has more sugar content. If you can't find mirin or don't have any on hand, you can substitute sake or a dry white wine."

Finally, add sugar, oyster sauce, garlic, black pepper, ginger, sesame oil, egg roll wrappers — this recipe calls for 60 — as well as an egg and oil for frying to your shopping list. You will also need mung bean sprouts, which Ryu explains, "They are often used in Asian cooking for stir fries or soups, like Pho. They have a crunchy texture and can be eaten raw."

The first step to creating your mini shrimp egg rolls is to prep your noodles. If you are not familiar with mung bean noodles, no worries! As Ryu explains, "They are noodles made from mung bean starch. They are often called cellophane noodles, glass noodles, or bean thread noodles. They are used in stir fries, spring rolls or egg rolls, and sometimes in soups. They are also gluten-free!" 

So, in a medium bowl, soak the mung bean noodles in lukewarm water for about 10 minutes. Why soak them? "They are sold dry, and you need to reconstitute them in water to use," Ryu notes. Then, drain them, and chop the noodles into small pieces. Set them aside.

Meanwhile, Ryu advises home cooks, "You can substitute sweet potato noodles for this recipe as well. They are the same type of noodle, but made with sweet potato."

Your next step is to take a small bowl, and combine the soy sauce, mirin, oyster sauce, black pepper, and sugar, with Ryu instructing home cooks to stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved. This liquid will get incorporated into your cooked shrimp and veggies later on, but for now, set it aside.

Now, prep and sauté your veggies. You will chop your bok choy and cabbage, julienne the carrot, mince your garlic and ginger, thinly slice the scallions, and chop your mushrooms.

Add the garlic and ginger to a large skillet, heated with 2 tablespoons of canola oil, set over medium-high heat. After about 30 seconds, the mixture will become fragrant. Then, add the bok choy, cabbage, carrot, scallions, and mushrooms until the veggies are just wilted, with Ryu noting that this should take about two minutes. Set the mixture aside in a large bowl.

Now, it's time to sauté the shrimp, and you can do this in the same skillet. However, Ryu advises home cooks to wipe it out with a paper towel. Then, add 1 tablespoon of canola oil, and sauté your peeled and deveined shrimp on high heat, until they are just cooked through. You'll be cooking them more later when you fry up your mini egg rolls. 

Once the shrimp is ready, add them to the vegetable mixture. In the same bowl, you will add the prepared sauce, as well as your mung bean noodles, mung bean sprouts, and the sesame oil. Mix everything well to combine, and set the filling aside to cool completely.

Now comes the fun part! It's time to roll up your egg rolls. First, place the egg roll wrappers on a cutting board, carefully cutting them into 4x4-inch squares. And then prep your egg wash by beating an egg in a small bowl. Ryu also advises home cooks to drain any liquid that has accumulated in your vegetable and shrimp mixture, so as to avoid a soggy roll that may break while frying.

On a flat work surface, you will lay an egg roll wrapper down in a diamond shape. In each roll, place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Now, fold the bottom point of the diamond up and over the filling. Fold in the left and right points. Roll the wrapper with its filling over once.

To seal your egg roll, take a small brush, and lightly coat the edges of the remaining wrapper with the beaten egg. Finally, roll the wrapper over again to seal it. Repeat this process until all of your filling is used up.

You are finally ready to fry up your mini shrimp egg rolls. You will first fill a large pot halfway with oil. Heat the pot over medium-high heat, until it reaches 350 F. (This is also the time to prepare a wire rack atop of a sheet tray lined with paper towels for your egg rolls once they are finished frying!) 

Now, get frying. Ryu recommends frying five mini egg rolls at a time, turning them occasionally until they are crispy and golden brown. This process should take about three minutes. 

Nervous your egg rolls won't turn out as pretty as Ryu's? So they won't break apart, she recommends "assembling the rolls and frying them right away." Ryu further explains, "Because the wrappers are very thin, if you let the assembled rolls sit for too long, liquid from the filling will accumulate and cause the wrapper to break." She also notes that if you overfill the egg rolls, the wrappers may break.

The very last step is to drain the egg rolls on the wire rack. Okay, we lied. The very last step is to enjoy the mini shrimp egg rolls right away while they are nice and hot!