This 30-minute Egg Roll in a Bowl is a budget-friendly takeout alternative perfect for busy families. Use a simple deglazing technique and the coleslaw mix shortcut if you prefer, to get maximum flavor with almost zero prep time.
What makes this recipe great
When I’m craving takeout but my bank account is begging for a home-cooked meal, this Egg Roll in a Bowl is my absolute go-to. It’s basically all the best parts of an egg roll — the savory pork, the hit of ginger, and that slightly sweet-and-spicy sauce — packed into an easy weeknight dinner.
- 🥡 Takeout taste on a budget: This costs a fraction of what you’d spend on a delivery app, and honestly, it’s faster than the driver getting to your house.
- 🥣 Choose your prep time: Use a bag of tri-color coleslaw mix to skip the shredding of three different vegetables; or make it from scratch if you prefer.
- 🍚 Healthy & filling: It’s naturally low-carb if you eat it as-is, but my kids love it over a big scoop of white rice.
- 🧼 One-pan cleanup: Everything happens in one large skillet, on a cutting board and with a couple of measuring spoons – so you’re not stuck at the sink all night.
Let’s see how we make this:
Ingredients we’re going to use
This is about swaps and notes – jump to the ingredient list for the measurements etc.
I prefer ground pork for that authentic egg roll flavor, but ground turkey or chicken works perfectly if you want something leaner.
If you want to skip the shredding, look for the 16 oz bags of tri-color mix. It has the red cabbage and carrots already in there. It’s the difference between a 30-minute meal and a 45-minute meal.
If you have an inch of fresh ginger, use it! If not, ground ginger from the spice rack is a totally acceptable substitute.
Recipe walkthrough
This is about tips and hints, and the process photos if you need a visual guide. Jump to the instructions for the precise steps.
1: The sauce.
I always like to make the sauce first, that way I won’t be left scrambling when it’s time to add it to the skillet.
2: Brown pork.
The secret to this dish isn’t just the sauce; it’s the pork browning technique. Most people just grey their meat and move on — don’t do that! After draining, let that pork sit in the skillet until it gets crispy and browned in spots.
3: Deglaze!
After the pork is browned, add a splash of water to the pan and scrape up all those dark, stuck-on bits. That is concentrated flavor! Stir those bits back into the meat before you take it out of the pan.
4: Cook the cabbage!
When it comes to the cabbage, you choose your adventure: if you like it fresh and crisp, only cook it for a few minutes. If you want that authentic, soft takeout texture, let it wilt down until it’s about half its original volume before adding the sauce back in.
5: Bring it all together.
Finishing the recipe is FAST – add the pork back to the skillet, add the sauce and stir-fry until heated through and saucy. Done!
6: How to serve.
This works on its own, but we love it over rice. Green onion and sesame seeds are great garnishes, and so is an extra dipping sauce.
I’m a bit “mayo-squeamish,” so instead of spicy mayo, I stir a little Sriracha into sour cream. It gives you that cool, creamy kick without the heavy mayo taste.
Tl; dr: All the important stuff at a glance
If you read nothing else in this post, this is what you need to know:
- Don’t fear the sear: Let the pork get deeply browned and crispy before removing it from the pan. That “color” is where the restaurant flavor lives.
- Brown the meat right: Once the meat is no longer pink, drain the juices. THEN let it brown. Use a few tablespoons of water to “wash” the bottom of the skillet after browning — don’t leave that flavor behind! Also, if you leave these stuck to the pan you will have a harder time stir-frying the cabbage and risk ending up with a burnt flavor in your dish.
- Quick recipe rundown: Brown pork, set aside. Stir-fry cabbage. Add sauce and pork to pan, cook until coated.
FAQs
Is this too spicy for kids?
It depends, if your kids are very young or very sensitive the sriracha might be too spicy for them. You can always leave the Sriracha out of the main pan and just add it to your own bowl at the end. When our kids were very little, I would make them a portion without any sauce at all.
What should I serve this with to make it a “full” meal?
I usually serve this over plain white rice to stretch the meal and make sure the kids actually stay full until bedtime (and so even the pickiest kid has something to eat.)
How do I store leftovers?
Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet until heated through to keep the cabbage from getting too soggy.
If you’re looking for more better-than-takeout recipes, try the Beef and Broccoli for a classic favorite, our favorite Pork Sweet and Sour, or this Teriyaki Chicken that always disappears in minutes!
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (Note 1)
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon sriracha (or more to taste)
Pork
- 1 yellow onion (cut into thin wedges)
- 1 pound ground pork (or ground turkey)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- ½ tablespoon oil
Vegetables
- ½ tablespoon oil
- 16 oz tri-color coleslaw (Note 2)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger (optional)
Instructions
- Make the sauce: Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce in a small measuring cup and set aside.3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 2 teaspoons light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sriracha
- Start cooking pork: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and pork. Lightly season with salt & pepper, and stir-fry to break up the meat JUST until no longer pink. Use paper towels to drain.1 yellow onion, 1 pound ground pork, salt & pepper
- Brown pork: Place the skillet back over medium-high heat. Add ½ tablespoon oil and continue stir-frying until the pork is cooked through and browning (Note 3).½ tablespoon oil
- Deglaze: Once the pork is browned, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the skillet to deglaze. Scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan and stir them into the pork mixture (Note 4). Remove the pork to a bowl and set aside.
- Cook cabbage: Place the same skillet back over medium-high heat. Add the remaining oil, then add the vegetables and stir fry until wilting. This can take up to 10 minutes, depending on your desired doneness (Note 5).½ tablespoon oil, 16 oz tri-color coleslaw
- Add aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Stir the garlic and ginger into the cabbage and stir fry until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.3 cloves garlic, 1 inch piece fresh ginger
- Finish stir-frying: Add the pork mixture to the cabbage, along with the sauce (whisk through the sauce one more time before pouring it into the skillet.) Increase the heat to medium-high and stir fry for a few minutes, until the sauce is coating the food evenly and the cabbage is done to your liking.Serve immediately (Note 6).
Notes
- Note 1: If you don’t want to bother with getting a bottle of toasted sesame oil, just use a neutral cooking oil. The flavor will be a little different, but still delicious.
- Note 2: Either use a 16-oz bag of tri-color coleslaw, or shed your own. If you shred your own, you’ll need ~5 cups shredded white cabbage, 3 cups shredded red cabbage (both not packed), 1 medium grated carrot.
- Note: If you choose to shred your own cabbage and grate your own carrots, add at least 15 extra minutes to that prep time.
- Note 3: Don’t be afraid to let the food and the skillet gain some color here, it adds a lot of flavor.
- Note 4: Don’t skip deglazing, all the flavor is concentrated there, plus deglazing at this step prevents your skillet from scorching later.
- Note 5: Choose how crunchy you want to leave your cabbage here – either leave it very crisp, or cook it all the way down.
- Note 6: Great sides are cooked rice with green onion, sesame seeds, cilantro and sriracha, if you like. You can add sriracha mayo, or stir a little sriracha into sour cream.
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