Best Egg Rolls

It's easier than you think to make restaurant-worthy egg rolls in the comfort of your own kitchen. With this top-rated recipe, you'll learn how to make perfect egg rolls (and how to roll egg rolls) in less than half an hour.

What Is An Egg Roll?

An egg roll is a fried appetizer that's found on countless Chinese-American restaurant menus. It consists of a thick, crispy wheat flour skin filled with shredded cabbage, pork, and other ingredients. Egg rolls are fried in hot oil, served warm, and usually dipped in duck sauce or soy sauce.

Why Are Eggs Rolls Called Egg Rolls?

Contrary to popular belief, egg rolls don't contain any eggs. So where does the name come from? Nobody quite knows, but there are a couple of theories. One legend holds that the popular appetizer is a twist on a dish called Dan Gun, which consists of ingredients (such as ham, sprouts, and mushrooms) wrapped in a thin omelet. Since omelets are made of eggs, the newer dish was called an "egg roll."

What’s In An Egg Roll?

This egg roll recipe calls for a ginger- and garlic-packed filling of pork, cabbage, and carrots. The filling is stuffed in a store-bought egg roll wrapper, which is sealed with a flour paste and fried to crispy perfection in hot peanut oil.

Egg Roll vs. Spring Roll

Egg rolls and spring rolls are both cylindrical appetizers associated with Chinese cuisines, but there are few notable differences. Spring rolls are wrapped in thin flour or rice wrappers before being baked, fried, or left uncooked. Egg rolls, meanwhile, are wrapped in a thick wrapper that is then deep-fried.

Spring rolls, which have ancient Chinese origins, are usually stuffed with seasonal vegetables and sometimes chicken or shrimp. Egg rolls, which were likely invented in the U.S, are often filled with pork and veggies. The egg roll is an ancestor of the spring roll.

How to Make Egg Rolls

You'll find the full recipe below (including step-by-step instructions for how to roll egg rolls), but here's a brief overview of what can you can expect:

Make the Filling

Cook seasoned ground pork until brown and crumbly. Mix cooked pork, cabbage, and carrots in a large bowl. Meanwhile, mix flour and water in a small bowl.

Fill and Roll

Lay one egg roll wrapper on a clean work surface. Place a scoop of the filling in the center of the wrapper and roll. Fold tightly and seal with flour paste.

Fry and Serve

Fry the egg rolls until they're golden-brown and crispy. Drain on wire racks and/or paper towels. Sprinkle the finished egg rolls with sesame seeds (if you have them) and serve with your dipping sauce of choice.

Egg Roll Dipping Sauce

Pair your homemade egg rolls with soy sauce, duck sauce, or one of these Asian-inspired ideas:

Quick Egg Roll Dipping SauceSesame Dipping SauceSweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

Explore our entire collection of Sauces and Condiments.

Where to Buy Egg Roll Wrappers

You can typically find egg roll wrappers in the international food aisle, the produce section, or the deli section of the grocery store. If your local grocery store doesn't have egg roll wrappers, you may have to check the nearest Asian market or order them online.

Cookdap Community Tips and Praise

“Best egg rolls ever,” raves jen. “I made these last night and my husband liked them so much he asked me to make them again tonight. They’re super easy to make. I doubled the amount of ginger and used fresh minced garlic.”

"These are great, although after making them a few times, I would recommend using canola oil to fry them in," says one Cookdap community member. "I got a much crispier egg roll using that instead of peanut oil. Also, I added scrambled eggs, and extra cabbage. Beware, this recipe makes a lot of filling!!"

“This was a great, easy recipe,” according to Melanie S. “I added soy sauce to the meat before rolling as others had suggested and they were wonderful. The entire crowd was thrilled! This one’s a keeper! Thanks!”