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GET IT NOWMy Egg Roll In A Bowl Recipe Is Faster And Lighter Than Your Favorite Takeout
This egg roll in a bowl is just about the simplest healthy dinner you can make. It checks all the boxes for me, from flavor and texture to simplicity and speed. There are so many reasons I turn to it when I don’t know what’s for dinner — and why I think it’s better than takeout:
- Totally irresistible – That’s why this dish is sometimes called “crack slaw”! My secret is the garlicky, savory sauce with a hint of sweetness, combined with the cabbage that caramelizes as it cooks.
- Tastes like (lighter, faster) takeout right at home – I developed this egg roll in a bowl recipe to taste like my favorite Asian takeout egg rolls, minus the wrapper! It’s got savory ground pork, crisp and caramelized veggies, and the perfect balance of seasonings. The contrast of flavors and textures hits all those takeout cravings. Except now you don’t have to wait for my pickup or delivery order — or deal with a whole roll-making situation.
- Clean, simple ingredients – No specialty or artificial ingredients, only common staples from your local grocery store! And I stay true to my 10-ingredients-or-less motto, of course.
- One-pan weeknight dinner – Just 15 minutes, 4 simple steps, and one pan! It’s a lifesaver of a meal on busy weeknights.
- Light, feel good meal – Egg roll in a bowl is naturally low carb and gluten-free, and packed with protein and veggies. It’ll make you feel great!
- Wholesome Yum reader favorite – This dish has been so popular with many of you that I even included it in my first cookbook, which is filled with some of my best easy low carb meals.
One pan stir-fry-style dishes like this one are some of the first types of foods I learned to prepare decades ago, and their speed keeps them firmly on my favorites list. (My chicken stir fry and vegetable stir fry are the other two I make most often.) If you’re a fan of quick bowl meals and egg rolls, don’t miss this one. Make it with me!
“What have you done?!?! I’m INHALING this like I haven’t eaten in years. It’s such a perfect balance of flavors AND gives me that takeout fix at a fraction of the cost and with none of the hassle. I read the reviews and tried to temper my excitement… it’s totally worth the hype.”
-Ebony
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my egg roll bowl recipe, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Ground Pork – Older versions of my egg roll in a bowl used ground beef, but now I usually use ground pork, because it’s a more classic choice for egg rolls. Feel free to use ground beef if you prefer, or even other ground meat, like ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Garlic & Ginger – This dish tastes best when I use fresh minced garlic cloves and grated fresh ginger. But, I’ve tried 2 teaspoons of jarred garlic (or you can also use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder) and 3/4 teaspoon of ground ginger before when I was in a hurry. It’s still amazing this way!
- Coleslaw Mix – Making my egg roll in a bowl with coleslaw mix is my not-so-secret shortcut for making this dish super fast! (I use the same shortcut for taco slaw, cabbage and sausage, cabbage soup, and cabbage salad, too.) Of course, you can totally chop a head of cabbage yourself and toss in some shredded carrots. This recipe also works great with broccoli slaw or cauliflower rice.
- Coconut Aminos – This is a gluten-free soy sauce substitute, and I actually prefer it for this dish because it adds subtle sweetness. Feel free to use low-sodium soy sauce or tamari, though. If you opt for soy sauce and still want it a little sweet, you can add a few teaspoons of my natural sugar-free honey.
- Avocado Oil – For high-heat frying. Olive oil is great, too.
- Toasted Sesame Oil – For flavor. Since it’s not heat-safe, I only add this at the end after removing from heat.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – You can also add a dash of crushed red pepper flakes if you like extra heat, but my kids won’t accept that… yet. 😉
- Garnishes – Sesame seeds and green onions are my favorite finishing touches.
How To Make An Egg Roll Bowl
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Saute the aromatics. Heat the avocado oil in large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, and saute until fragrant.
- Brown the meat. Add the ground pork, and season it with sea salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until browned.
- Add the coleslaw mix and coconut aminos. Stir to coat. Cook until the cabbage is tender. (Sometimes I cook it longer to let it caramelize, kind of like sauteed cabbage.)
- Add garnishes. Remove from heat. Stir in the toasted sesame oil, green onions, and sesame seeds (if using). Naturally, you’ll want to serve your “egg roll in a bowl” in… well, bowls! I always add extra garnishes on top, as shown below.
My Recipe Tips
- Drain the meat if you like. I find that most of the excess oil cooks away at the high temperature, but you can drain it if it seems greasy.
- Add the cabbage in batches if needed. Depending on the size of your pan, it might seem like it’s about to overflow when you add the cabbage. Don’t worry, it cooks down a lot! If it doesn’t all fit at first, you can add half and let it cook down a bit, then add the rest.
- Feel free to add a little extra coconut aminos. I prefer the taste of this egg roll in a bowl with 1/4 cup, but my husband likes it better when I add 2 extra tablespoons. You can experiment and see what you like best.
- Don’t overcook the cabbage. Aim for a texture that’s tender, yet still slightly crisp. Overcooking can make your egg roll bowl kind of soggy!
- Turn off the heat before adding toasted sesame oil. It burns fast if you add it when the heat is on, leading to a bitter taste that can overpower the dish.
- This cast iron skillet is my favorite pan for this egg roll in a bowl recipe… and in general. , It’s pictured in this post, and goes from stovetop to table (or even to the oven when needed) beautifully. Any large pan you’ve got would work fine, but cast iron gets me the best browning, caramelization, and faster cooking.
- For something different, try adding other veggies. When I want to change up my bowl, I throw in other vegetables, such as diced onions, bell peppers, or bean sprouts. A stir fry is flexible that way!
Egg Roll In A Bowl (Easy 15-Minute Dinner)
My egg roll in a bowl recipe has simple basics like pork, cabbage, garlic, and ginger. An easy, 15-minute low carb dinner with takeout vibes!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Heat avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger. Saute for about a minute, until fragrant.
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Add the ground pork (or beef). Season with sea salt and black pepper, and use a spatula to break up the meat. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until browned, about 7-10 minutes. (Most of the excess oil cooks away at this temperature, but you can drain it if you like.)
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Reduce heat to medium. Add the coleslaw mix and coconut aminos. Stir to coat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender.
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Remove from heat. Stir in the toasted sesame oil and green onions. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you make this dish perfectly.
- Storage: If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Meal prep: My egg roll in a bowl keeps and reheats well, so I often find myself preparing it ahead. I portion it into meal prep containers for easy lunches! You can also brown the ground pork and shred the cabbage (if not using coleslaw mix) in advance, then stir fry right before serving.
- Reheat: I usually just warm up leftovers in the microwave for 1-2 minutes depending on the portion size, and add a little extra oil if it gets dry. If you have time, give it a refresh on the stovetop over medium heat for a better texture.
- Freeze: This meal freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating if you can, but I’ve totally just popped a frozen block into the microwave and it was still pretty good.
- Note on nutrition info: I didn’t include the sesame seeds in the calculations, since they are optional, but they don’t make a big difference anyway.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Easy Keto Cookbook here.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Egg Roll In A Bowl
Serving Ideas
This egg roll in a bowl recipe can be a main course all on its own, which is kind of the point for me! You don’t have to cook anything else with it. But if you want to make it more hearty, here are some of my popular healthy side dishes to go with it:
- Rice – My family’s go-tos with this dish are fried rice or cauliflower fried rice, but you can also opt for plain white rice, brown rice, fresh cauliflower rice, or frozen cauli rice.
- Noodles – Serve this over a bed of shirataki noodles, my simple roasted spaghetti squash, or your favorite pasta if that’s your thing.
- Sauce – When I have it on hand, I love to drizzle spicy mayo (or just sriracha) over my egg roll in a bowl for a flavor-packed finish. Give it a try!
More One-Pan Dinner Recipes
If you can’t tell yet, I’m passionate about my simple stir fry recipes! They were the beginning of my healthy cooking journey, and so they are near and dear to my heart. Here are more of my best ones for you to try:
289 Comments
Steve Reichert
0I have seen many recipes that use coconut aminos, coconut oil and such. I’m allergic to coconut. What can I use as a substitute?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Steve, Soy sauce or Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) can be used in place of coconut aminos. Coconut oil is more difficult to replace because several recipes rely on its ability to harden at room temperature. If coconut oil is used in cooking, it can be replaced with avocado oil, but recipes like the fudge require coconut oil.
Victoria
0I loved this dish!- I have also made it with stir fry beef or chicken chunks!- the sesame oil at the end with sesame seeds is fantastic- thanks
Tina
0I love this recipe. I substitute pork for beef.
Sara
0It’s tasty enough, but I can’t be the only one who had to cook off a ton of liquid at the end? Luckily, I had made it in the wok, and could just push the meat and slaw to the outside and let the liquid boil down a little. Even after that, there was a lot of liquid.
Lydia Cartmill
0I loved this recipe and want to thank you for posting it for us. That being said, I made it by your recipe the first time. But I really felt like putting the lid on the skillet for five minutes after I added the cabbage and amino acids was too much. It caused the cabbage to overcook and get really soggy real fast. It would have been much better to leave the lid off and stirfry for five minutes, which is what I did the second time and it was perfect. It is up to your preference, but I think I would not recommend covering the pan. Also the second time I made it, I decided to use the whole bag of coleslaw mix instead of measuring out 4 cups. There was only about 6 cups in the bag anyway and it seemed a waste to leave the 2 cups of coleslaw mix. So the second time I just put all 6 cups in the pan along with half a green bell pepper and 1/4 of a chopped red onion. I added the green pepper and onion to the meat and sautéed it a bit before I put the coleslaw mix in. In addition the one reviewer’s suggestion of adding a little bit of chili paste is a really great idea, I didn’t have any so I used crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Like I said this is a really great recipe and so easy. But it’s also very adaptable to changes. I love vegetables so the extra coleslaw mix, green pepper and red onion really added to it for me. And I really like spicy things so the chili paste or red pepper flakes is great. I put the recipe with my changes in to the my fitness pal app and it really didn’t alter the nutritional value that much. Thank you again.
Robin
0This was easy and delicious! We added some chili paste to taste for some spice. Great recipe.
Juli
0WOW OH WOW!! Doubled the recipe to feed 4 people (two big men/two ladies), and VERY glad I did. Made some additions….. added microwaved fresh chopped up green beans (to be soft), used 1lb ground beef and 1lb ground Italian sausage, chopped white onion at time of meat saute, as well as some chopped green onion, one head of Chinese cabbage and one bag coleslaw mix. This was so amazingly flavorful and filling. No leftovers to be found. Gone! I’ve NEVER made something like this before, but I will DEFINITELY be making this again and again!
Andrea
0I just made this for supper and it’s all gone!! thank you for the great recepie!!
Andrea Pow
0I doubled this recipe and it was all gone in seconds. It didn’t stand a chance with three hungry teenagers and a husband! I did make rice so that the kids could put egg roll in a bowl on top of it, and it was a nice way to give them more to eat as they’re not a big fan of keto. This would be amazing on top of cauliflower rice!
Margot
0So easy and very satisfying. It freezes well and then I just reheat it. I add a little more garlic and ginger than the recipe calls for but I like spicy foods. A WINNER!
Samantha
0Hi can I freeze this for meal prep?
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Samantha, yes, you can. You might need to freshen it up with a bit more coconut aminos and/or oil when reheating if it’s dry.
Denise Freitas
0I made this last night (I used 1/2 head of fresh cabbage, cut on mandolin). We like onion, so I added a bit of dehydrated onion flakes and a couple tablespoons of water. One thing that i appreciate about your recipes is that you include an actual serving size, i.e. 1 1/2 cups. So many Keto recipes just say “makes 6 or 8 servings” and it is so difficult to be accurate. Thanks for a great recipe. LOL, my husband grew up in Hawaii and his mom made something very similar that he loves.
Patti
0I h ave been making this for years. It’s really good way to get in extra vegetables. I am not sure why we need to add “Keto” to the title it way beyond just for those doing Keto. I t seems today any thing that is low carb has Keto being added to the title.
I usually add a few more veggies and add about Tbl spoon of water, this helps the meet from getting dry and help soften the cabbage a little quicker.
Marie
0This looks delicious. Does anyone have experience having this as a cold leftover salad? I’m looking for dinners and recipes I can pack my partner for work lunches, but his workplace doesn’t actually have a microwave or any way to re-heat food.
Planning on cooking it for supper tonight!
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Marie, I find that this recipe tastes better with time in the fridge. I think it would be fine served cold!
Judy
0Hi Maya,
this is another winner!! We loved it. Easy to make and flavorful. Yummy. Happy me, happy hubby.
Thank so much!!!
Laurie Pollock
0This Egg roll in a bowl is IRRESISTIBLE! Even my husband loves it. We eat this often. Highly recommend this recipe if you haven’t tried it yet…yummy. Really helps the Chinese food cravings.
Marty
0Made this tonight, I used broccoli slaw and it was fabulous! I didn’t have sesame oil so I toasted some black sesame seeds to sprinkle over with the scallions. My husband and I talked about add ons while eating. This would work great in a lettuce wrap. Thanks for your site!
Alisa Fleming
0This is a recipe that I keep meaning to try! I absolutely love eggrolls and bowls like this. Interesting that you use coconut aminos, too. It’s a little sweeter than soy!
Brian
0I like it, just made it tonight. But in the future I will probably use to reduce sodium soy sauce and also I have a question. When I added the coleslaw and finished like the direction said it’s seem to dry out the meat. My question is how would I soften up the coleslaw and then added to the meat? Just put it in a pan and cover it for five minutes on low to medium heat? Thanks in advance
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Brian, The meat might have already overcooked if it got dry after adding the coleslaw – that shouldn’t happen. But if you really want to, I suppose you could remove the meat, cover to keep warm, cook the coleslaw, and then add the meat back. I’ve never had to do that, though, and it doesn’t turn out dry for me. You could probably salvage it with a bit more oil.
Tricia
0Made this for first time tonight. It was easy and very tasty. My entire family loved it. I see why they call it crack!
Shelley
0Just made this. Delicious! Don’t have any Coconut aminos so added some MCT Oil after it was cooked. Probably not as flavorful but loved it! A definite do over and very nourishing. Thank you Maya!
Shelley
0Hi Maya,
Love your site and your recipes! Want to try this one. Can I use MCT Oil at the end instead of the Coconut Amino as I don’t have any? Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Shelley, Thank you so much! Technically you could but it wouldn’t be similar at all. Coconut aminos is a replacement for soy sauce, not for an oil such as MCT oil.
Angie
0Oh my goodness this recipe is amazing! I’ve tried a few other versions of crack slaw/egg roll ina bowl and this one is the easiest and the best! Perfect comfort food for the hideous snow storm out my window!
Donna Langdon
0Can you freeze the leftovers, if only 1 person eating? Wonderful recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Donna, Yes, you can. You might need to freshen it up with a bit more coconut aminos and/or oil when reheating if it’s dry.
Susan
0Is there a substitute for coconut aminos?
Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Susan, Soy sauce also works, but I always recommend coconut aminos over that due to soy’s estrogenic effects.
Tanya
0I just made this for lunch, wow it is delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out amazing. I topped mine with a fried egg and sliced avocado. It reminds me a lot of a rice bowl I used to love to get at a local restaurant, just the low carb version. I will be making this again for sure, don’t think I’d change a thing. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Tanya! Have a great day!
Jan
0Crackslaw is awesome and we love adding a fried egg on top! OR some slices of avocado.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Jan! Eggs and avocado on top sound delicious.
Leslie
0I got onto Keto this month and your site has been my go-to for everything, I really appreciate all the recipes and information on this diet!
Do you think this slaw would hold up over the week? I thought about making it for this weeks lunches. Maybe I can add the green onion after re-heating and everything else will do ok? Since I’m single, I always have leftovers.
Thank you for the help!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Leslie! Yes, this will last several days in the refrigerator. Have a nice day!
June
0I made the Crack Slaw tonight and it is amazing! I served it on a cauliflower pizza crust. It was fantastic!! Quick, easy and nom nom!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, June! Sounds like a yummy dinner.
Michael A.
0How many carbs per serving ? I didn’t see a nutritional breakdown. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0There are 4 net carbs in 1 cup serving. Thanks for stopping by, Michael!
Pat Conley
0SOOOO FAST and EASY! I added crushed red pepper, juice of half a lime and substituted Tamari for the coconut aminos and garnished with black sesame seeds, cilantro and diced cucumber. If you have a left over protein that is already cooked this is a 7 minute recipe! I had a blueberry muffin for dessert. Thanks Maya!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Pat! Those adjustments sound amazing.
Patrick Conley
0How about (GF) Tamari instead of coconut aminos?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Patrick, I prefer not to eat soy but otherwise it’s totally fine to use here. You can replace the aminos with the same amount of tamari.
Nicole Soltis
0What do you use if you don’t have coconut aminos? How much?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nicole! You can use soy sauce if you’d like, preferably a gmo-free, organic one. Thank you!
Jacque
0Hi Maya! I found this amazing recipe as I was watching a woman on you tube talk about her venture into the keto lifestyle. In her video she mentions ‘crack slaw’ and how that recipe got her motivated. I had NO IDEA what she was saying, until I did a search, and your recipe turned up amidst many others. I, of course, taped on yours…the rest is history! This is my ‘go-to’ weekly! Thank you for your dedication as it enables me to head down the same road so many people are headed down…Yours is the best for keto, and low carb, high fat delicious recipes! muah! I’m that grateful!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Jacque! Thank you for stopping by!
Cindy W
0My entire family enjoyed this last night with a broccoli slaw instead of coleslaw as that’s all I could find at the grocery store. They had it with basmati rice and I had it alone. I can see this in regular rotation! Thank you!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cindy! I am so happy your whole family enjoyed the slaw! Have a nice day!
Susan Claire
0I am not following any particular diet, just trying to stay away from processed foods and eat fresh food in moderation. I saw this recipe and just had to try it-so delicious! It was a big hit with everyone, this one is a keeper.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Susan! I am so happy you liked it! Thank you!
Brittany
0Can’t wait to make this for dinner tonight. Just wondering – how come the recipe calls for avocado oil (vs. say coconut or olive oil)? There are tons of contradicting ideas out there that claim one oil is better than the other. Do you have a reasoning for one vs. the other? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Brittany, There are some oils I avoid, but the main ones I use are all the ones you mentioned – avocado, coconut and olive oil. The reason I chose avocado oil for this recipe is because it has a neutral taste and very high smoke point (500 degrees). Olive oil has a lower smoke point. Coconut oil does as well, though it’s higher if you have refined coconut oil. Any of these oils will work fine in the recipe, avocado oil is just my preference.
Brittany
0Awesome, thanks for the info!
Cindy W
0Looking for saturated fat info or freestyle points information for WW. This looks amazing!!! Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Cindy! The only information I currently have is on the recipe card, but you can enter the ingredients you’re using into an online calculator to get the rest. I hope you’ll try this dish!
Cindy W
0Thanks, Maya! I’ll try that now! I’m new to the program and am still figuring out the tools.
Cindy W
0Hi again!
With a substitution of ground turkey for the beef and soy sauce since I don’t have access to coconut aminos, it appears that this recipe is worth 1 freestyle point per cup on WW. I’m trying it tonight.
Thanks again!
Cindy W
0My entire family enjoyed this tonight with a broccoli slaw instead of coleslaw as that’s all I could find at the grocery store. They had it with basmati rice and I had it alone. I can see this in regular rotation! Thank you!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love that, Cindy! Thanks for stopping by!
Debbie
0Everyone in my family loves this, even the grandkids! I’ve added this to my recipe repertoire! Maya, I can’t thank you enough for all the great recipes you’ve posted. Our whole family (3 generations) are trying to move completely away from sugar & bad carbs. Most of the favorite recipes have come from you!! XOXOXO
Jacque
0Hi Debbie, I’m reading your post and realise your words said basically the same thing I want to say! Isn’t this the absolute best recipe ever?!? It is at my house, and my husband who was a ‘meat n potato’ kinda guy, asks for this weekly!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I absolutely love to hear that, Jacque! Thank you so much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Debbie! That means a lot!
Brenda
0Love this recipe! I had a leftover boneless chicken breast substituted for the ground beef. With the chicken sliced very thin, it cooked a tad quicker than ground beef. I also added a small can of mushrooms. Since I live alone, being able to change the portions to adjust the ingredients is very helpful. This is definitely a do-again recipe!
Angelica
0I am totally on a mushroom kick right now, thanks for the tip! This is the reason I enjoy reading comments, it’s nice to hear what others have tried!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Brenda!
Rachel Keyte
0Hi Maya, this looks awesome, but I can’t find coconut aminos anywhere (I’m in Australia). Granted, I haven’t tried any specialty shops yet, just my regular supermarkets, but what is it like and is there something that would make an acceptable substitute?
Beryl
0You can buy coconut aminos at health food shops in West Aust. But go on line and look for recipes to make you own paleo soy sauce.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rachel, I buy coconut aminos on Amazon here but not sure if that would ship to you or not. Whole Foods also carries it – I checked and it looks like that store exists in Australia? Otherwise, coconut aminos is similar in taste and consistency to soy sauce, so if you are ok with that, that would be a substitute.
Rachel Keyte
0Do you know, I never knew that we had Whole Foods here, but I just Googled and you’re right! Worth checking out, thank you!