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The most important part of an egg roll is flavorful filling, without that, you say “meh” after you bite into it. You don’t want to have to drown it in sauce in order for it to be delicious. Even worse is oil-laden egg rolls where you can’t taste anything other than the oil that is coating your mouth.
If you want to make perfectly crispy, super flavorful egg rolls, my mom’s famous Chicken Egg Roll recipe is simply the best. And, they are just in time for the Chinese Lunar New Year which is today!
I always think of Christmas when I think of making my mom’s egg rolls. Chinese food served on Christmas Eve was always a tradition in my family. My grandma’s tangy sweet & sour chicken, my aunt’s bbq pork, and my mom’s egg rolls. Nothing feels cozier than Chinese food (arguably the best cuisine on the planet) on the best holiday of the year.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SWEET & SOUR SAUCE
The homemade sweet & sour sauce in this recipe can’t be skipped. This is served warm and is delightfully tangy. It’s the perfect balance for these egg rolls that are full of fresh ginger and garlic flavor. I created this sweet & sour recipe to pair with my Crispy Crunchy Sesame Chicken Recipe which is a must-try. If you haven’t experienced this crispy style of sesame chicken I can assure you, your life is about to change for the better!
One more important thing to note is the importance of using fresh cabbage instead of bagged coleslaw. Sure, chopping down a cabbage is an annoying extra step that could be solved with the convenience of buying the pre-shredded bag, but there is a significant difference in texture.
HOW TO WRAP EGG ROLLS
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- Lay out one egg roll wrapper with a corner pointed toward you.
- Place a 1/4 cup of the cabbage mixture in the middle.
- Use your finger to spread a little bit of the flour mixture along all of the edges.
- Fold in half, then fold the two opposite corners together to make a triangle, fold the sides in and then roll tightly.
- Seal all the edges with the water/flour mixture.
HOW TO REHEAT EGG ROLLS
The egg rolls are best served immediately. To enjoy as leftovers, reheat in an oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, rotating half way through. You can also reheat these chicken egg rolls in an air fryer at 400 degrees fro 5 minutes.
Looking for other great yummy comfort foods?
Crispy Crunchy Sesame Chicken Recipe
Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe
Chicken Alfredo Fritta Olive Garden Copycat Recipe
Enjoy these egg rolls and be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback! If you make these or any other recipes, be sure to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking for a feature on my story.
Chicken Egg Rolls with Sweet & Sour Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Egg Rolls
- 1 package of egg roll wrappers found in produce aisle
- 6 cloves garlic grated
- Ginger 3-inch piece, grated
- 1 head green cabbage shredded
- 1 10 oz bag of shredded matchstick carrots
- 4 green onions green and white
- 1 can sliced water chestnuts diced fine
- 1 bag fresh bean sprouts
- 1 lb. ground chicken or ground pork or a combination of the two
- 3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Olive oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Vegetable oil - enough to deep fry
- 2 tablespoons water + 2 tablespoons flour to seal wrappers
Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
Egg Rolls
- Start with prepping all produce for this recipe. Shred cabbage as you would for coleslaw, then give it a few rough chops lengthwise so the cabbage strands aren't too long. Place into a large mixing bowl. Repeat with the shredded carrots and bean sprouts, roughly chopping so they aren't too long. Combine with the cabbage. Dice the water chestnuts and green onions and add into same bowl.
- Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add a heaping teaspoon of ginger and garlic and allow them to warm in the pan for 30 seconds. Add ground chicken and cook until no more pink. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Add a few more tablespoons of olive oil + 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add remaining ginger and garlic, then add the chopped veggies into the skillet. Stir and toss cabbage mixture to ensure even cooking.
- Once the cabbage mixture cooks down a bit (about 5 minutes), add the teriyaki sauce and soy sauce. Add chicken (and it's juices) back into the skillet and continue to toss all ingredients until they are combined and cooked down. Add salt and pepper and taste mixture to see if any additional sauce is needed. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
- While cabbage is cooling, set up a workstation for rolling the egg rolls. I rolled on my cutting board and placed the finished rolls on a cookie sheet covered by a clean towel to prevent drying. Mix together the water and flour in a small bowl and set at workstation. Begin to heat the oil in a heavy duty pot to 375 degrees. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the heat throughout the process.
- Strain out the access juices from the cabbage mixture by straining through a cheesecloth or layers of paper towels. If there is too much moisture, it will ruin the egg rolls.
Assemble the egg rolls:
- Lay out one egg roll wrapper with a corner pointed toward you.
- Place a 1/4 cup of the cabbage mixture in the middle.
- Use your finger to spread a little bit of the flour mixture along the edge.
- Fold in half, then fold the two opposite corners together to make a triangle, fold the sides in and then roll tightly.
- Seal the edges with the water/flour mixture.
- Work in batches wrapping a few at a time then frying them. If the egg rolls sit too long the wrap will begin to get wet and translucent.
- Fry egg rolls until lightly browned and crispy, turning occasionally.
Sweet & Sour Sauce
- To make the sweet and sour sauce, put a small saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, vinegar and water to the pan. Stir and allow to cook until the sugar is dissolved.
- In a bowl, whisk together the ketchup and cornstarch until combined and mostly smooth. Add this to the sugar mixture. Whisk well to combine, bring to a boil. Keep whisking as needed to create a smooth, thickened sauce. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. I like to serve the sauce while it's still warm.
