All of the delicious flavors of your favorite fried Chinese restaurant appetizer come together in a lighter, faster, one skillet meal! This "Egg Roll in a Bowl" is a quick and healthy dinner that's ready in about 20 minutes!
All of the delicious flavors of your favorite fried Chinese restaurant appetizer come together in a lighter, faster, one skillet meal! This “Egg Roll in a Bowl” is a quick and healthy dinner that’s ready in about 20 minutes!
It’s like an egg roll without the wrapper!
I honestly can’t take credit for this genius idea, since I’ve seen it plastered all over the internet in recent years. After a craving for Chinese food hit me like a ton of bricks (do you ever get those?!), I decided that it was time to get in the kitchen and create my own Egg Roll in a Bowl!
This Asian-inspired supper has all of the flavors that you love without any of the deep fat frying. It’s just a big, beautiful skillet full of fresh vegetables and lean protein stir-fried in a savory sauce.
In my typical fashion, I even managed to create a recipe that requires almost ZERO prep work! With help from a bag of coleslaw mix and a bag of matchstick carrots, I didn’t even have to pull out my cutting board or my knife for this dinner. Tip — use kitchen shears to snip the green onions right over the skillet. Again, no knife or cutting board necessary!
So, what ingredients will I need for this Egg Roll in a Bowl?
You’ll be happy to know that this easy recipe does NOT require any fancy, expensive, hard-to-find ingredients! You’ll want:
- a bag of coleslaw mix (or shredded cabbage); onion; and a few other fresh veggies (sliced mushrooms would be a delicious addition!)
- ground meat of choice (I used ground turkey here, but ground chicken, ground beef, or ground pork all work well)
- a simple stir-fry sauce made with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil (plus optional hoisin sauce, if you like)
Trust me — you don’t want to omit that toasted sesame oil! It’s heavenly, and it’s what gives the dish that quintessential “Asian” egg roll taste! Plus, you can pick up a very small bottle of the oil in the Asian food aisle of just about any grocery store, including places like Walmart and Target. Puh-lease…don’t skip it! I go through bottles of toasted sesame oil really quickly around here, because I’m constantly using it in recipes like my Dump-and-Bake General Tso Chicken, my Slow Cooker Orange Chicken and Broccoli, and my Cold Sesame Peanut Noodle Salad (just to name a few).
The simple, fresh flavors in this Egg Roll in a Bowl create a tasty, family-friendly dinner in one skillet. Which means that you have a healthy dinner to serve your crew in less than 30 minutes…with only 1 pan to wash at the end. I’m telling you — this is weeknight dinner perfection!
Other easy Chinese-inspired dinner recipes that you might enjoy:
- Dump-and-Bake Kung Pao Chicken
- Dump-and-Bake General Tso Chicken
- Dump-and-Bake Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Dump-and-Bake Chinese Pepper Steak
Egg Roll in a Bowl
All of the delicious flavors of your favorite fried Chinese restaurant appetizer come together in a lighter, faster, one skillet meal! This "Egg Roll in a Bowl" is a quick and healthy dinner that's ready in about 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground turkey breast (can substitute with ground chicken, ground beef, or ground pork)
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil*
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic**
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ cup less sodium soy sauce
- 1 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
- ½ cup grated or “matchstick” carrots
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
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Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground meat and cook, stirring, until no longer pink. Drain; return meat to skillet.
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Add diced onion, sesame oil, and rice vinegar to the skillet. Cook, stirring, for a few more minutes (until onion is tender).
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Add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce (optional), coleslaw mix, and carrots to the skillet. Cook, stirring, for about 5-7 more minutes, or until cabbage is wilted.
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Remove skillet from the heat. Stir in green onions and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Cooking Just for Two? Cut the ingredients in half! The cooking instructions remain the same.
*Don't skip the toasted sesame oil! This gives the dish its classic Asian flavor, and it's very easy to find a small bottle of the oil in the Asian food section at just about every grocery store (including places like Walmart).
**I use a bottle of refrigerated pre-minced fresh garlic for an easy shortcut.
Super easy for a week night meal! Thanks for sharing!
Exactly!!! Thanks, Karly!
Absolutely delicious!
Looks so healthy! I like that it’s a one skillet meal. It means simple cleaning especially if it’s a non stick skillet. Great photos also. Thanks for sharing, going into my Pinterest board.
So easy, right?! Thanks so much for sharing on Pinterest!
It’s equaly easy and cheaper and fresher to buy a head of green cabbage and shred it yourself instead of “coleslaw mix” and it takes 5 minutes by hand !
I have arthritis and shredding a head of cabbage on a box greater would hurt my hand so I’d buy coleslaw mix. I make my cauliflower rice in my Vitamix, but it wouldn’t work with cabbage. I also work nine hours a day and then I go pick up my children so it’s worth an extra dollar or two to buy slaw mix and not have to clean up as much mess.
Easy to do cabbage in your vitamix. Place chunks of cabbage in water in the container and pulse. Then pour into a colander. All done!!!
Great tip!!! 🙂
When I made this, it was really watery the next day. Then next time I made it, I made it as usual but left out the cabbage. Instead I put down a bed of fresh cabbage and put everything else on top. This way when it was reheated, it would be the first time the cabbage was cooked.
Gigi is correct. Cabbage does not shred in the Vitamix. It turns into tiny pieces like KFC’s coleslaw. It could be done with the slice blade in a food processor. However, it is a lot less mess to purchase a bag. To each her own!
You sarted the blog by suggesting a stir fry sauce instead of ithe individual ingredients – but you never say how much of the stir fry sauce and when to add it inn. Would appreciate it. Thanks
Hey, Barbara! I wasn’t suggesting a separate stir-fry sauce. I was saying that you stir-fry the vegetables in a savory sauce that you make with the ingredients listed (soy sauce, rice vinegar, etc.). Hope that helps clarify. 🙂
I made this as written the 1st time. 2nd time I added zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli slaw, cabbage, carrots, onion, garlic, I use liquid aminos (Bragg’s) chicken stock, sesame oil, fresh ginger, chicken stock and five spice powder. It was wonderful I have made it with chicken beef pork if you want more flavor marinade the meat for a little bit makes a big difference.
Thanks, Teresa! I’m so glad that you’ve used the original as a base to create your own variations. Sounds delicious!
I used Chinese Five Spice in my dish too! It really adds to it as you stated. This recipe can be as simple or complex as you’d like. It’s awesome because my husband enjoys this too. It was one of my go-to dinners when I was on Weight Watchers.
Will definitely be making this in the near future ! Sounds delicious…and easy…bonus !!
Yay! I hope that you enjoy it, Cindy! I’m hooked. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe ! I made it tonight for supper following the recipe as written , using all ingredients . I used ground turkey and served with basmatic rice and roasted garlic naan bread . It was a big hit and l’ll definitely be making it again ! 🙂
Yum!!! Sounds like the perfect meal, Cindy! So glad that you love it as much as I do!????
I made this for dinner tonight. So easy & delicious. Thank you Blair for this yummy recipe, I will be making this one often. I have found so many good recipes on your site. Thanks again.
Thanks, Mary! It’s definitely one of my favorites, too! 🙂
Do I need additional carrots if there’s carrots in the coleslaw mix?
Hi, Rachel! I often use a coleslaw mix that includes carrots, but I also add the extra carrots. Totally up to you, but I suggest including them. 🙂
Awesome! Thank you! I’m so excited to make this for my family over the weekend! I am totally craving egg rolls (????????) and this will be perfect !
Yay! Enjoy, Rachel!
Loved this recipe! I’ll be making it often.
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Deb!
This is almost exactly how I make the filling for my egg rolls…. only I add a bit of dill weed and roasted garlic to it… OMG out of this world!!! Thank you for putting it in print.Now I don’t have to rack my brain trying to remember how I made it.. LOL… I also make a dipping sauce of roasted garlic and cream cheese and sour cream all heated thru. You could drizzle this over this meal instead of dipping..
Awesome! I love the idea of the dipping sauce. Sounds delicious!
How about the recipe for the dipping sauce? Sounds yummy!!!
OMG, what a hit with the guys in my family! They just loved it!!! The flavors were delicious and it was so easy…
Thank you
Yay! I’m so glad that they approved, Anne! 🙂
Made this tonight for dinner (used ground chicken). Was delicious, easy and a hit! Will definitely put it into my rotation. Thank you!
Wonderful! So glad that you enjoyed it, Lynne! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Hello Blair,
It looks so yummy and healthy to try at home now 😛 Going to try it tonight 🙂
Great! Thanks, Ellen!
I added a bit of cayenne pepper, for a slight kick, and scrambled and added 2 eggs like you do with fried rice. (Needed the extra fat for the keto diet.) Delicious!
Sounds perfect! Thanks, Lizzie!
Love the idea of adding egg! Protein plus! Thanks!
Thanks for the idea of using eggs. Now I add them and my fam loves this dish even more than before!
Wonderful! Thanks, Kat!
make this all time! however i add that ah-so sauce with the ground pork then add the rest comes out sooooo yummy!
Awesome, Tina! So glad that you love it! 🙂
Thank you Blair for the recipe.
Served it over rice…deliciousness! Next time, I will try this as a lettuce wrap. My husband ranted and raved over this meal.
Quick. Easy. Yummy ????
Wonderful! I love when we can get our husbands on board with healthy meals, too! 🙂
I made this tonite and it was awesome! I added cilantro and I used the hoisen sauce too. It was fantastic. What a great, healthy dinner option! Thanks for sharing!!
That’s great, April! Thank you for letting me know! It’s one of my personal favorites, too!
I used a bag of Kale Slaw mix, ground pork and a splash of oyster sauce. This is definitely a recipe to be made again. A can of drained bean sprouts would also be good added in.
Super easy and quick. Great taste. Added a little sriracha for some kick and used fresh ginger instead of ground. Will definitely add this to the weekly rotation.
Thanks, Shelley!
My new favorite meal!!! So easy and so delicious and now all my family and friends are making it. THANKS
Aweesome! So glad to hear that, Tina! 🙂
If there are leftovers, do you think they will stand up to be eaten the next day?
Yes! I love the leftovers! I often enjoy them cold — straight from the fridge. 🙂
Seriously??? I make a double batch to ensure I’ll have leftovers. I’m addicted to the stuff….
Is there a major difference in regular sesame oil and toasted sesame oil?
Hi, Haley! The toasted sesame oil just has a bit of a richer flavor (kind of like when you roast nuts versus eat them raw). Personally, I use both of the oils interchangeably in recipes and I think they both work equally well! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! My husband wants me to make a double batch next time. Thank you for posting!
Wonderful! I’m a big fan of leftovers, so a double-batch is always a good idea. 🙂
Well received at home and SO easy! Will make again.
Excellent! Thanks, Liz!!!
This recipe was SO GOOD! It was also super quick and easy. I don’t have a ton of time to spend in the kitchen and I love Asian food! This will definitely be on rotation!
I just made your Egg Roll in a Bowl and it is absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe as written. Used ground turkey. As a bonus, my coleslaw mix already had the carrot stix in it. So fast too. I was hoping to share it with my friends but I’m already on my second bowl. Shhh
That’s awesome, Donna! Thank you!
I made this tonight and my only mistake was not making a double batch! I used ground pork and ground beef which was a hit. I only had reg soy sauce and would definitely use low sodium next time ( although I was the only one who thought it was a bit salty). I added cooked rice noodles and mushrooms…and would do that again! Scrambled eggs would be a nice addition as well. So versatile!
I think I am going to experiment using this as an appetizer serving it with wonton cups ( bake them in a mini muffin tin)
I’m so glad I tried this recipe! Love, love ,love, love it!
Your additions sound great, Sandy! Thanks so much!
5 STARS! This is by far my favorite egg roll in a bowl recipe I have tried. I think some of the other recipes have you add in the sesame oil and rice vinegar at the end and it never tasted quite right. This one is perfect though. I added a couple of La Choy Chow Mein Noodles on top and added a dab or two of the Dynasty Chinese mustard for a little heat. Next time I am going to try a little duck sauce with it. Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Thanks so much, Cat!!!
I’ve tried a few of these recipes and this one is my keeper! After experimenting with different meats (chicken, pork, beef) I use Johnsonville ground Italian sausage. It’s so tasty and the sauce just adds to it. At the end, I like to fry an egg and put it on top. I mean, it is an egg roll bowl, right? Lol.
Great tip, Marie! The sausage (and egg) sounds delicious!
Tonight I am mixing it up with taco meat with a dollop of sour cream on top. Adding the onions and a bit of salsa. Black olives perhaps.
So good! Easy and delicious. I was short on the cabbage mix and added riced broccoli. It worked well. This will be a frequent dish at our house.
My husband and I made this the other night! Instead of cabbage we used broccoli slaw mix, added eggs and some bean sprouts. Super delicious!
Sounds perfect! Thanks, Kim!
sorry about the typoes – ( I cant see the screen)
Does anyone think this recipe could be frozen for lunches?
Yes. I tried it frozen and it works great if you don’t freeze rice!
I’ve made this twice since finding this a couple weeks ago- perfect easy and quick recipe! I double the soy sauce and sesame oil and leave out the vinegar and it’s still awesome…. thank you for the recipe!
Super easy to make and very delicious. I made it yesterday and took a serving with me today for lunch and it heated up nicely. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks, Kendra! 🙂
This was sooooo good! And my kids are every bite, too! I omitted onions but that was the only change.
Yay! That’s the best — when your kids agree that a healthy dinner is delicious! 🙂
i made this in my instant pot. after cooking the meat, i just put all the other ingredients (except the sesame oil) into the pot, and set the cook time for 1 minute. then i added the sesame oil right before serving.
i topped it with crunchy chow mein noodles.
Awesome! Great idea, Kerri. Thank you!
Love this dish. My husband gave it ” a 2 thumbs up” & we have been enjoying ever since. I have shared it with family & friends.It’s a perfect one dish meal, but even better on top of rice or noodles..
I dont have ground meat on hand. I’m guessing bite size chicken thighs would work???
Yes, I think that should work fine! 🙂
This was so good I ate all the leftovers for breakfast. I made it with turkey, but next time will try it with pork. I didn’t have any Hoisin sauce on hand, but felt it could’ve used it. My BF doesn’t know what Hoisin sauce is and didn’t miss it – he thought it was well-balanced as is. (I added a few pinches of sugar to make up for what I felt was the missing sweetness.)
I also added a lb of medium shrimp, cut in half (precooked, added back with the coleslaw), and some white mushrooms (cut in half, par-cooked, added back with the coleslaw), along with a few more shakes of soy sauce. I didn’t add the carrots, since there were already carrots in the coleslaw mix.
I topped it with Sriracha sesame seeds, and when i had it this morning, I added some Sriracha sauce.
SO GOOD! I can’t wait to make it again. So addicting!
That’s wonderful! Thank you! I agree that the hoisin sauce is an important addition. Gotta have that sweet touch! 🙂
P.S. I only have one problem with this recipe 🙂 Your notes say “Cooking Just for Two? Cut the ingredients in half! The cooking instructions remain the same.” NO!! Make the whole batch! You’ll be sorry you didn’t! 🙂 I can’t wait to make this again. Thanks again!!
I absolutely agree!!
Hah! Thank you! I agree — I just ate the cold leftovers for lunch yesterday and they were delicious (as usual). 🙂
I did the same!!!
Made this with broccoli slaw instead of coleslaw. Amazing recipe.
Thanks, Wannita!
Do you use fresh ginger?
Hey, Kristen! No, I just use the dry ground ginger. If you want to use the fresh ginger, you’ll need about 1 tablespoon of grated or minced fresh ginger.
I recommend using fresh ginger root. I use a grater over the skillet while it’s cooking. Also, this is really good with a few dashes of Frank’s hot sauce.
I did the same. Grated fresh ginger right over the skillet. Worked perfectly
Yes, fresh ginger!! Keeps forever in the freezer just grate some when you need it. I also cut the meat in half to make it healthier. I loved the way the hoisin made it taste like Mu Shu Pork. Yum!
Totally! It does remind me of moo shu pork!
The recipe you share is very detailed and easy to understand. I will stay and learn to make this dish. Thanks very much.
In one word….DELICIOUS!!! Absolutely will make this again. Thank you for posting!
Just stumbled upon your recipe on Pinterest, which led me to your blog. So glad I did! Recipe is wonderful, I made it last night,per your instructions with ground turkey. I have bookmarked your blog and look forward to following you!
Hi, Elaine! Welcome! I’m so glad that you found the blog, too. Enjoy the recipes! 🙂
This is delicious and I love that I can eat a lot of it for few calories. I gained so much weight this past winter.
This is now on our weekly meal rotation! It is super easy to make once you get the hang of it. I use our food processor for the cabbage, carrots and fresh ginger! I triple the recipe so we have a full meal of leftovers (there are 5 of us)
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear that, Ashley!
This was awesome! I used ground chicken and also added in diced mushrooms to bulk it up a little more. Definitely one of my new go-to meals.
That’s great, Kim. Thank you!!
I am making this week with a small pork roast I am going to grind up and add some red peppers and pea pods for extra crunch!!
Yum! Sounds delicious! 🙂
This is outstanding! I love this kind of stuff, but my picky husband had two bowls of it! He never eats my kind of meal. Thanks for the recipe, it’s definitely going in my rotation!
Awesome!!!
Totally yum! This recipe is a keeper.
Hi there, I have just recently found your great website . I have made so many of your lovely recipes ( the egg roll in a bowl, your chicken , broccoli , rice dump and bake , your shortcut apple pecan date bars which my husband claims was the best thing I EVER baked lol ). I just wanted to say , great job, I love your website, I literally check it out Sunday morning and plan my dinners and grocery list accordingly. Thanks for all your hard work…..heather from Ottawa Canada
That makes me SO happy to hear, Heather! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a kind note. Enjoy the recipes! 🙂
Made this tonight and oh my goodness! Do delicious. The only thing I would change is doubling the coleslaw. Tomorrow it’s lunch. Thanks so much for sharing!
I don’t cook a lot of Asian food so wasn’t familiar with some of the ingredients (although not hard to find!). At first I thought it was going to be dry so I added more sauce, vinegar, etc and probably overdid it a bit, but overall I thought was pretty good for my first try! Four stars for operator error on my part…there will be lots of leftovers because I have one who’s picky—hopefully will heat up well for lunch tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe—needing something different and this fit the bill! Ps: I added sliced almonds on top.
Thanks, Amy! I’m glad that it worked for you! 🙂 The leftovers are great the next day.
I just made this & smells awesome in my house!! As I’m single, does this freeze well? Thank you for the awesome recipe!!
Hey, Lora! I haven’t tried freezing it, but I would think that the cabbage (and other veggies) will get watery and kind of mushy after freezing and thawing. The texture definitely won’t be the same, so I would suggest enjoying as much of it as you can as leftovers this week. 🙂
Hi Lora
This dish is in my regular rotation but I’ve never frozen it. I have had it in the fridge for up to a week and it’s still delicious. I usually make two dishes and alternative them between my work lunch and my dinner. Enjoy!
This is one of my favorite meals! I cook for only myself and still make a double and eat it all week at work. I also make baked wonton chips and use them as scoops. So delicious! Sometimes i just want to use up some left over mushrooms, bok choy, celery and will add that. I think you could add almost anything. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks, Wendy!! I totally agree — throw in any veggies that you want to use up! 🙂
This is a fabulous recipe! Thank you!! Made it exactly as your recipe intended and loved it! Will have fun adding things that I might need to use up in the fridge. Great to have another ground turkey recipe!
Thank you, Heather!
Holy Moly this dish was incredible! My husband and I both couldn’t get enough!
I would really like to know how you diced the sweet onion without a knife or cutting board. Haha. Did you buy it pre-diced?
Hey, Chelsea! Yep — frozen pre-diced onion is one of my favorite shortcuts! 🙂
Is sesame oil the same as toasted sesame oil
Yes, you can use either toasted or regular sesame oil. The toasted has a bit of a richer flavor (which I love), but both work well in this recipe!
Great Recipe!! Just needs a drizzle of duck sauce over the top
Yes, that sounds like a perfect addition! Thanks, Kathy! 🙂
How could you make this without the meat? Would it lose the flavor? Or is there a spice I could add? Thanks so much!!
Hi, RuthAnn! It will obviously have a different flavor if you go the vegetarian route, but it will still be good! I would just bulk it up with a few more cups of extra veggies (shredded cabbage, carrots, or whatever else you love). Enjoy!
Thank you!!!
I’d add some fresh sautéed crimini mushrooms or baby Bella’s to kinda give it a meaty flavor without the meat.
So delicious! It’s honestly better than Chinese takeout and healthier. Faster than ordering takeout too! I used ground pork like you suggested as a sub for ground turkey and served over some jasmine rice. Was a huge hit and will be adding it to the rotation instead of takeout!
Perfect! Thanks, Erin!
This is a great recipe! Super easy and tasty. Loved it! I added a dash of sriracha for some heat and used ground chicken. Yum!
This was so incredible! And all four of my kids ate it!
Yay! Thanks, Jessica!
Absolutely LOVED this recipe! Added some mushrooms and shrimp, but otherwise followed the recipe. Great for leftovers as well.
Yay! I bet the shrimp were a delicious addition!
For a bit of a Korean twist I used gochuchang sauce instead of hoisin and added a fried egg on top. Super good!
Sounds perfect! Thanks, Peggy!
I’m obsessed with this dish!! The only variation I made was using fresh grated ginger. I finish it with a drizzle of sriracha – YUM!
I have found that the refrigerated minced garlic quickly takes on a rancid odor and avoid it, but I only recently discovered the frozen squares that I have fallen for and now use almost exclusively. Aldi did not have ground pork when I was there so I used Italian sausage and liked the result. Good quick dish when you have that yen for Chinese.
Just made this, and. I am deliciously addicted! Such a great meal, and so incredibly flavourful!
This was very good and so easy. We don’t do keto so I topped it with a few chow mein noodles. It was a great week night dish. Thanks so much.
Wonderful! Thanks, Rose! 🙂
Yummy the best one yet, will keep this one as favorite egg roll in a bowl
Thank you!
This is absolutely awesome, thank you so much. My husband can’t get enough !!
Excellent! Thanks, Rose!
Hi Blair,
Your recipe is really awesome. I will try to make this recipe. Can you tell me that heart patient take it? Thanks
This has been a regular in my dinner rotation for about 6 months now. It’s a family favorite! When we want a little heat to it we top it with gochujang. YUM!!
That’s awesome, Ashley! Thanks for taking the time to leave a note and let me know. So glad that you like it!