All the flavors of your favorite Chinese egg roll made lighter, faster, and in one skillet! This egg roll in a bowl is a quick, healthy dinner that’s ready in just 20 minutes.
The best part? It all comes together in one skillet with minimal prep. Thanks to coleslaw mix and pre-shredded carrots, there’s no chopping involved, and you can even snip green onions straight into the pan. Customize it with your favorite ground meat, adjust the seasonings, or toss in extra veggies to suit your family’s tastes.
Eggroll in a Bowl is a Perfect Weeknight Dinner
It’s like an egg roll without the deep fried wrapper!
This egg roll in a bowl recipe is a quick, healthy dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights. It has all the savory flavor of a classic egg roll filling; no deep frying required! With lean ground meat, crisp veggies, and a simple stir-fry sauce, it’s a wholesome meal you can keep low carb or bulk up with rice or noodles.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Use any ground meat that you like. We prefer ground pork, but ground turkey, ground beef, ground chicken, and ground sausage are all tasty here.
- Sesame oil is an essential ingredient for that true Asian flavor. Do not substitute with a different oil. The sesame oil has a unique nutty flavor that’s hard to replicate with other ingredients, and it truly makes the dish! You can find sesame oil in the Asian or International foods aisle at just about every grocery store these days, or order it online. Use any extra sesame oil in recipes like chicken and broccoli lo mein, chicken and bell pepper stir fry, sweet and sour meatballs, and ramen noodle coleslaw.
- Rice vinegar adds an acidic component that brightens up the sauce.
- I prefer low sodium soy sauce (or light soy sauce), but coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari will also work as gluten-free substitutes.
- Hoisin sauce is a thick, rich, sweet-and-salty Chinese bbq sauce that adds great flavor to the stir-fry. Find it in the Asian or International foods aisle at your grocery store, or order it online.
- A bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix is a perfect shortcut so that you don’t have to shred your own cabbage. Adding some broccoli slaw would yield a different texture and flavor, but would also work.
- You might not need any extra salt (since the sauce has a good amount of sodium), so taste it first and then season.
SO good … fast, easy and SO SO GOOD! I made it, loved it and then made it the following week again. I live on my own so I had it a few times each week!
– Cindy
How to Make Egg Roll in a Bowl with Coleslaw Mix
Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go, because this dish comes together very quickly!
- Brown the meat in a large skillet or wok on the stovetop. Don’t stir the meat too much while it’s browning. Let it sit for a few minutes before you break it up with a spoon. This helps the meat retain moisture and stay tender.
- Add the onion, oil, and vinegar; cook until the onion is tender.
- Stir in the slaw mix, carrots, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce.
- Stir-fry until the veggies are tender. Add the scallions and serve in individual bowls!
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Equipment
- Large skillet (I own and love this Smithey Ironware Co. cast iron skillet)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground meat (we love ground pork, but you can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground beef)
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ cup less sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (or add extra 1 tablespoon or so for a sweeter, richer sauce)
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (use pre-minced fresh garlic for an easy shortcut)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 ½ tablespoons grated fresh ginger (use a bottle of pre-minced fresh ginger for an easy shortcut)
- 1 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
- ½ cup grated or “matchstick” carrots
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: sliced green onions, chives, fresh cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, crunchy chow mein noodles, and/or a squeeze of fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground meat and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off excess grease; return meat to skillet.
- Add diced onion, sesame oil, and rice vinegar to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 4-5 more minutes.
- Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, coleslaw mix, and carrots to the skillet. Cook, stirring, for about 5-7 more minutes, or until the cabbage wilts.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the green onions and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
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- Do not omit the toasted sesame oil. It’s what gives the dish that quintessential “Asian” egg roll taste!
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- Use this recipe as a base and play around with the ingredients to suit your preferences. You might like to add diced celery, diced sweet bell peppers, snap peas, snow peas, or baby corn. An extra tablespoon or two of hoisin sauce also adds great flavor and richness to the sauce.
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
This easy egg roll in a bowl recipe is delicious on its own, or equally tasty when paired with sides like rice or cauliflower rice; ramen noodles, rice noodles, lo mein noodles, or spaghetti; frozen egg rolls; and steamed broccoli. The eggroll filling is also tasty wrapped in mandarin pancakes or flour tortillas and garnished with extra hoisin sauce or plum sauce (like mu shu pork).
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It gets soggy as the vegetables sit and absorb the sauce, but the flavor is still great! Some folks love to double or triple the batch to have extras in the fridge for quick meal prep.
- Reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 1 minute, or reheat a larger quantity in a skillet over low heat just until warmed through.
- I do not recommend freezing the leftovers. The cabbage and other vegetables will have a mushy texture when thawed, and will release extra water that thins the sauce.
Recipe Variations
- Use any ground meat that you prefer. We love ground pork in this dish, but ground beef, ground chicken, ground sausage, and ground turkey are also good options.
- Add egg to the filling. Just before serving, make a well in the center of the pan. Crack an egg into the pan, scramble, and cook until done. Mix the egg into the rest of the ingredients.
- For a vegetarian egg roll in a bowl, omit the ground meat and bulk up the stir-fry with mushrooms, diced tofu, or other veggies of choice (like bean sprouts).
- If you choose to shred your own green cabbage instead of using a bag of coleslaw mix, you will need a total of about 6 ¾ cups of finely-shredded cabbage.
- Make it spicy by garnishing individual servings with sriracha sauce or crushed red pepper flakes.
- Cooking just for two? Cut the ingredients in half. The instructions remain the same.
- If you’re looking for even more quick stir-fry recipes, be sure to try this ground beef stir fry with cabbage, a pan of chicken and broccoli stir fry, this 15-minute honey garlic shrimp, this pepper steak with onion, and this teriyaki ground beef, too!
Awesome! My husband was skeptical at first but finished all and wants it again.
– Connie
More Asian-Inspired Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake Healthy General Tso Chicken
40 minutes mins
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
40 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Egg Roll Casserole
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Originally published in May, 2018, this post was updated in August, 2025.
I received an Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe in an email, thought it sounded quick and easy, decided to make it for dinner. I decided to Google other recipes for the same dish, chose this one and I am so happy that I did! I made the exact recipe with 2 very minor additions. I used a wok, sprinkled the ground chicken with Chinese 5 spice when browning, used shiitake mushrooms instead of shredded carrots, topped with crispy wontons (can) as well as green onions. This dish is so easy and flavorful! It will be a regular in our home.
Thank you so much, Sheri! We’re so glad you found our recipe and gave it a try.
We like heat so I added sriracha to the mix on top of some brown rice. Came out great.
I actually make egg rolls in air fryer with the leftovers. Thanks
Sounds delicious, Tricia! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
I made this recipe exactly as written. It is delicious. Will be making it quite frequently. Thank you for a recipe that makes dinner prep so easy!
Awesome! Thanks, Martha!
Absolutely delish ! It’s a quick , healthy go to meal that we eat often ,
Thank you so much, Connie!
I cook this every week. I double the garlic and onions and add brown sugar and cook it on a flattop with butter and sirachi. The hidden secret? Brown sugar. One of the best dishes you will ever eat.
Thank you so much, Levin! Your modifications sound delicious.
This is so good! Sometimes my husband and I eat it all (4 servings), lol! I add wontons or crushed peanuts on top because we like crunch.
We’re so glad you love it as much as we do, Sandra!
Too many ingredients for a basic representation of an egg roll. Salt and pepper should be incorporated with the meat, and traditionally it should be ground pork, but ground turkey or chicken for a healthier option. Nevertheless, what’s missing is topping it with wonton strips, available at most grocery stores, either in the produce section near salad bags, or in the salad dressing aisle. Makes all the difference to have that crunch!
Hi, Brandy! The wonton strips would definitely be a tasty addition! 🙂
It’s an easy recipe, easy to follow, even younger teens can make it, and mine do.
Salt and pepper can be added whenever, so you can see if you even really need it. Love that she used chicken or turkey for a healthier option. Half the time now, Chinese restaurants don’t even put meat in a real egg roll anymore so who would really know what’s “Traditional”
Sounds like you just needed a post to fuss at
Blair, we loved the recipe!
Thank you! We’re so glad your family enjoys this recipe.
Brandy it doesn’t need salt because of the soy sauce. I doubled recipe and it was seasoned perfectly.
This was excellent! I would say the hoisin sauce was not optional. I added a half cup of diced fresh pineapple which blended in well. Thank you!
Thank you, Gayla!
Made it with chicken and DELICIOUS! My picky kids loved it too! Recommend with an Asian hot sauce too! YUM! Will make again!
Thank you, Christie! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
Made this last night. We used ground pork. It was excellent! Hoisin is a must. Also topped with chopped cashews. Love that it’s a 20 minute dish! Well done!!!
Thank you so much, Lisa!
Made this for supper tonight. Wow, this was so easy and delicious. Will definitely be having this again. Thanks much for the recipe!
Thank you for trying it out, Lisa! We’re glad it was a hit!
This was so good. Family loved it!
Thank you so much, Mary Ann! We’re so glad!
Delicious! We doubled it and still didn’t have enough. Yum!
Thank you, Tawny! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
So delicious and so simple to make. And, its healthy!
Thank you, Diane! We’re glad you enjoyed it.
Can you freeze the leftovers?
Hi, Lea! I haven’t tried it, because vegetables tend to get mushy and watery when thawed after freezing. If you don’t mind the texture change, then yes…the dish will technically be fine in the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s just not my preference.
This is the best “Egg Roll in a Bowl” recipe that I have found! You include a broad group of seasonings, which I appreciate.
We like our flavors assertive here, so I increased the garlic and fresh ginger to 1 T each. Increased hoisin to 2 T; oyster sauce would be good, too. I added 2 T of sambal olek for some heat. Could add sriracha instead. This one’s a keeper–thank you, Blair!
Thank you so much, Sue! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
So good!! I added a little peanut butter too!:)
Sooo yummy! Quick and easy to make.
Thank you so much, Angelica! We’re glad you enjoyed it.
An awesome recipe. Beought some to my brother and he loved it also. I’m sending him the recipe.
Wonderful! So glad that you could both enjoy it!
It just did not taste good.
We’re sorry to hear you did not enjoy the recipe, Janet! It’s a favorite among readers. If there’s any way we can help you adjust the recipe to satisfy your preferences. Please let us know!
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I have been making another version of this for several years and have officially switched over to your recipe! Love using the coleslaw, also incorporated some of the other suggestions that were similar to the way I made it before. Added diced Shitake mushrooms, chopped julienned carrots and topped with some crunchies- toasted sesame seeds (black and tan combo) and Low Mein noodles! YUM!!!
Wow! Thank you so much, Laurie!
I made this last week and loved it. I made it with ground pork…. I’m going to make it tonight with ground sausage… a bit more spice. Plus also, I’m going to add the hoisin. Didn’t have that the last time. Not sure how that will do with the sausage, but I reckon we are about to find out. LOVE LOVE LOVE egg rolls… and now that I’m cutting back on the carbs… this is perfect and so versatile…
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mel! You’ll have to let us know how the sausage and hoisin version goes.
Delicious! I used some the next day in scrambled eggs, which was so good with some sweet chili sauce sprinkled on too. It was a great way to use some of it, as it makes a lot.
That’s such a good idea, Cindy! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed it.