Baking · China

Egg Roll

Name: Egg Roll
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: Egg roll wrappers (purchased or made from scratch); Chicken or pork; Broccoli (optional); Bok choy (optional); Celery (optional); Spinach (optional); Bean sprouts; Powdered ginger; Soy sauce; Bamboo shoots; Oil to fry the filling, possibly including sesame oil; Oil to fry the finished rolls, possibly including shortening; Egg white

Egg rolls are a savory Chinese-American fried pastry. They consist of a filling wrapped in a wheat flour skin and deep-fried. Egg rolls may be eaten plain or dipped in sweet-and-sour sauce or teriyaki sauce. Note that these egg rolls do not contain cabbage and carrots, which are used by commercial egg roll producers to cheapen the filling; as a result, the filling in these egg rolls is superior to the commercial product.

Published October 16, 2026

EST. TOTAL TIME40 min

DIFFICULTYMedium

SERVESSee recipe

Time and difficulty are editorial estimates; allow extra time for your equipment and experience.

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What you’ll need

Tap an ingredient as you get it ready.

Let’s make it

Step 1

Cut the meat into tiny pieces. This is much easier to do if the meat is cooked, but the result will be better if you cut the meat raw and cook it after cutting.

Step 2

Cut the bamboo shoots into matchsticks.

Step 3

If using, chop the broccoli florets into little pieces ~⅜ inch in diameter. Cut the stalk into matchsticks.

Step 4

If using celery, cut the stalks lengthwise into ¾ inch-wide pieces and then crosswise into ⅛-inch slices.

Step 5

If using bok choy, cut the leaves away from the stalk. Treat the stalks as celery. Cut the leaves crosswise in ½-inch strips, then break the strips into 1.5-inch pieces.

Step 6

If using spinach, treat it much like the bok choy leaves.

Step 7

Wash the bean sprouts, discarding any that are not white and crisp.

Step 8

Place oil in a wok and turn on the heat. High temperatures can produce a better result, but they require rapid stirring to prevent burning. Beginners should use lower temperatures. Split the cooking into batches as needed to ensure that your wok is not too full; there should be plenty of room to stir and toss the food in your wok. You may prefer to cook each ingredient separately, then mix them at the end.

Step 9

Add the meat. If it is uncooked, lightly stir-fry it now. Drain juices and add more oil as needed.

Step 10

You may add a small amount of sesame seed oil and/or sesame seeds for flavor.

Step 11

Add soy sauce. For a typical wok full of food, add a tablespoon.

Step 12

Add ginger. About ½ teaspoon of ginger should be right, depending on taste. Ginger is somewhat hot.

Step 13

Add the broccoli, celery, and/or bok choy stalks. When done, they should be just slightly softened. Broccoli should end up being very bright green, losing the bluish cast but not gaining any hint of a yellow-brown cast.

Step 14

Add bok choy leaves and/or spinach. When done, they should be just barely wilted.

Step 15

Add the bamboo shoots and bean sprouts, and turn off the heat. Do not overcook the bean sprouts.

Step 16

Begin heating oil to fry the egg rolls. Deep-fat frying works best, though pan frying in ¾-inch of oil will also work. You will not need a basket; egg rolls may stick to a basket and rip. You will need tongs.

Step 17

Place an egg roll wrapper on a plate. Beginners may use flour to help avoid sticking, but this will quickly foul the oil.

Step 18

Turn the plate so that the wrapper has one point toward you and one point away from you.

Step 19

Place some hot filling on the wrapper.

Step 20

Fold over the corner that faces away from you.

Step 21

Paint some egg white onto this corner to act as glue.

Step 22

Fold over the left-facing and right-facing corners.

Step 23

Paint some egg white onto these parts also, and also onto the remaining corner.

Step 24

Roll the egg roll toward you, onto the remaining corner of the wrapper.

Step 25

Examine the wrapper to ensure that it is fully sealed. Tears may be patched up with pieces from a spare wrapper and some egg white glue.

Step 26

Place the egg roll into the hot oil. You may be able to cook several at once, but do not allow the uncooked egg rolls to sit for long. Egg rolls that sit uncooked will become sticky and easy to tear.

Step 27

Turn the egg rolls over a few times as they cook, and dunk them under the oil. Be sure not to break them open as you do this.

Step 28

Remove the egg rolls when they are golden brown. Place them onto a fresh plate, so that they do not become contaminated with raw egg whites. Be sure to not handle the cooked egg rolls with hands that may be contaminated with raw egg whites.

Step 29

Serve quickly; they are best eaten hot.