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My 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.
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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)
By
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!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]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.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
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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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:
306 Comments
Adele
0Another delicious amazing recipe! This is so good! I make it almost once a week!
Chad
0My family can be quite particular in their flavor preferences. Typically if I can get three out of our five to approve it’s a win and I will add the meal to the rotation. This egg roll in a bowl garnered a five out of five approval though – unanimous enjoyment! I’ve made this several times now and it’s always a hit. For my family the only change I make is that I reduce the soy sauce (coconut aminos) significantly and then allow family members to season as wanted. Thank you for the winning easy dinner!
bonnie
0Amazing. And Delicious. We love it! Thank you!
Kristi
0This is so fast, easy and delicious! I used the leftovers to make cauliflower fried rice, which was an even easier meal. Definitely a keeper!
Robert
0First off, a little suggestion: When you say, “Maya Krampf is a recipe developer and USA Today best-selling cookbook author who has been creating easy, healthy recipes for more than a decade …” healthy” might better be replaced with the grammatically correct “healthful.”
Second, at the end of your Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe, you say, “4. Remove from heat. Stir in the toasted sesame oil and green onions.” ‘Oil” should be changed to “seeds”, right?
Thanks for reading. I love Asian dishes and will surely try this in my recently acquired hand-hammered carbon steel, heat-treated, and well-seasoned 14″ wok.
– Robert H.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Robert, No, it’s oil. The sesame oil is highly recommended for flavor, while the sesame seeds are optional. I clarified the instructions on the recipe card to list them separately.
Chief
0I have made this twice now and it’s so easy and tasty. I didn’t have coconut aminos and used diced yellow onion. I added matchstick carrots for extra crunch. This recipe is a keeper.
Tee
0Loved this dish! It was so easy to make. I served it with ramen noodles. Next time I make it I think I will add some water chestnuts for more crunch.
Donna
0Very easy to make and very good! I had a craving for egg rolls and this satisfied!
Diane
0This was so awesome my husband loved it. ?
Dick
0Is the 1/4 C coconut aminos for taste only? Is there a substitute?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Dick, The aminos makes the sauce, you could also use soy sauce.
jean civittolo
0do you have to use avocado oil? i have so many different oils in my cupboard – don’t want to add another. also what is coconut aminos. i’d rather have recipes that don’t require me buying alot of ingredients. let me know if there are substitutes.
thank you
jean civittolo
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jean, You can use olive oil and coconut aminos is a soy sauce alternative.
Marcela
0I made this today and let me tell you that looks great and tastes so delicious!!! I made it using the exact same ingredients as your recipe, so easy to make and so yummy ?
Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes with us ❤️
Mg
0Excellent! Tasty and very easy with few ingredients! I used shrimp instead of meat and predominantly red cabbage with only a sprinkle of green cabbage. Will try again with ground turkey and chicken mix.
Paula B
0I served my own similar DIY recipe with diced chicken in Won Ton cups(bake wrappers in mini cupcake pan) as appetizers. It’s now a request with every invitation I receive.
Vella
0I loved it! Easy and delicious.
Debbie
0Made this tonight and it was so delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Lynn
0Forget take out! This was so easy and more delicious than the ‘real thing’s. Love how all the spices come together to be authentic tasting. Great job!
Sue
0Great recipe! Easy and fast to make and delicious to eat. I used ground pork and added dliced mushrooms!
PennyC
0Delicious! I used fresh cabbage because red cabbage looks wrong to me for this dish, and I subbed soy sauce for the coconut aminos. That gave me a serving count of 2.6 carb grams…pretty low. The toasted sesame oil gave it an amazing fragrance and taste.
PennyC
0I’m going to make this, but I see that 1/4 cup of coconut aminos contains 24 grams of carbs. That adds 6 grams to each 1-cup serving. As I’m at the beginning level of Atkins, I’m going wirth Kikkoman soy sauce instead.