Free: Healthy 5-Ingredient Meals Ebook
Get It NowMy quick and easy egg roll in a bowl recipe 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. 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 are some of the first types of foods I learned to prepare decades ago, and they are still one of my favorites because they are so fast. (My chicken stir fry and vegetable stir fry are the other two I turn to most often.) And this “bowl meal”? You can have it on the table in just 15 minutes, and it tastes just like an egg roll, minus the wrapper!
Why You’ll Love My Egg Roll In A Bowl Recipe
- Totally irresistible – That’s why this dish is sometimes called “crack slaw”! The secret is the garlicky, savory sauce with a hint of sweetness. I can’t get enough of it.
- Better than takeout – My egg roll in a bowl captures the essence of your favorite Asian takeout egg rolls, without ordering out or all the work of making rolls yourself. And with savory ground pork, crisp veggies, and the perfect balance of seasonings, I think you’ll love the contrast of flavors and textures.
- Clean, simple ingredients – No specialty or artificial ingredients in sight… we’re only using common staples from your local grocery store! And I stay true to my 10-ingredients-or-less motto, of course.
- Healthy one-pan weeknight dinner – This easy meal is lightning fast: Just 15 minutes, 4 super simple steps, and one pan! It’s also naturally low carb and gluten-free, and packed with protein and veggies. So many reasons I often select it on busy weeknights!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose 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 below.
- 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.
- Avocado Oil – I always use either this or olive oil for frying, but here I think the more neutral flavor of avocado oil works better. You can totally use olive oil if that’s what you have on hand, though.
- 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.) But, 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. You can simply use low-sodium soy sauce or tamari if you prefer and can tolerate soy. If you opt for soy sauce and still want it a little sweet, you can add a few teaspoons of regular honey if your lifestyle allows, or use my natural sugar-free honey for a low carb option.
- Toasted Sesame Oil – I only add this at the end after removing from heat, because it is not safe for high 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 touch.
VARIATION: Add other veggies!
When I want to change up my egg roll bowl, I throw in other vegetables, such as diced onions, bell peppers, or bean sprouts. A stir fry is flexible that way!
How To Make An Egg Roll Bowl
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- 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. Season 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.
- 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 when it’s all done! I always add extra garnishes on top of mine.
My Recipe Tips
This egg roll in a bowl recipe is pretty simple and straightforward (another reason why I love it — I can cook it when I’m distracted trying to do 500 things at once). But watch out for these common pitfalls:
- 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 you want to.
- 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. But it cooks down a lot! If it doesn’t all fit, you can add half at first 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.
Storage Instructions
- Store: If you have leftovers, let them cool completely first. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Meal prep: 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 1-3 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 slightly better texture.
- Freeze: This meal freezes well, too! I like to divide it into individual servings and keep in the freezer (up to 3 months for the best texture). 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.
Serving Suggestions
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 side dishes to go with it:
- Rice – My recipes for fried rice or cauliflower fried rice are classic sides. But you could also serve this dish with simple white rice, brown rice, or plain 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 favorites:
My Go-To Pan For This Recipe
This cast iron skillet is my favorite pan ever, pictured in this post! It goes from stovetop to table (or even to the oven when needed) beautifully. Another type of skillet or saute pan would work fine for this egg roll in a bowl recipe, too. But cast iron heats exceptionally well for nice browning, caramelization, and faster cooking.
Egg Roll In A Bowl (Easy 15-Minute Dinner)
This egg roll in a bowl recipe uses simple basics like pork, cabbage, garlic & ginger. An easy shortcut makes it a 15-minute low carb dinner!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
-
Heat avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger. Saute for about a minute, until fragrant.
-
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.)
-
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.
-
Remove from heat. Stir in the toasted sesame oil and green onions. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Nutrition info doesn’t include the optional sesame seeds.
- Recipe is from my Easy Keto Cookbook.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© 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. 🙂
200 Comments
Dottie Bacon
1Oh my GOSH! This is so good, and easy to make. Literally bursting with flavor! This has become a favorite at our house. I think I’ll add some cilantro next time…? Thank you for all your delicious recipes! Haven’t had a “fail” yet! 😉
Sandy B
1This was very very good! Just as good reheated for lunch the next day!! I think I will add a little more cabbage next time I make it. We like cabbage.
Katie
1This is great! I omitted the sugar, and used a sesame chili oil for some extra kick. My husband loves celery so I added that to the mix. I also used all of the green onions as garnish. Between the cabbage, celery and spice my picky eater husband loved it, so I’ll make it again so sure. Thanks!
Lori Collins
1Followed recipe exactly but used low sodium soy instead of coconut aminos. Served it in lettuce leaves as a wrap. Really good and tasty.
Kimberly Newman
1I love the recipes I find here!! My husband is diabetic so I make all his food plus I have another diet I need to follow for health reasons. So, needless to say I spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing food. The recipes save me! This recipe like so many on this website. Is easy to repair and absolutely delicious! My husband loved it! Thank you for all your great recipes!!
Ebony Robinson
1What 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. I’ll make this my special occasion treat rather than a meal in the rotation. I refrigerated a meal and froze a meal. Can’t wait to see how they turn out reheated!
4hough
0I made it last week. Doubled it for a group. We loved it. Plus it was very easy to make.
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.
Cecile
0Huge family favorite for several years. By the next morning any left overs are long gone!
Judie McKnight
0This is one of our favorite recipes!! We make it at least 3 times a month! didn’t have sesame oil the first time so just used olive oil and continue to make it that way.
Cynthia Knox
0Loved it!! But for some reason caused a BIG sugar spike 🙁 need to figure out why so I can have this again!
Janice
0This egg roll bowl recipe is really delicious. I love how easy it is to make, and the ingredients are simple. This is the best option for dinner. Would cook some on the weekend!
Greta
0I loved that it took me just 15 minutes to make it. It was so simple yet so delicious. Thanks x
Lindsey
0I made this for dinner last night and it was great! I used pork but next time I might mix it up and use ground chicken or turkey. In spite of some of the comments I used the full amount of ginger and I have no regrets! I thought it made it super flavorful and fresh tasting.
Healing Tomato
0Sent this recipe to my friend and she loved it. She said it was so easy to make and the ingredients were not expensive. She will be making this frequently.
Michelle
0Loved how quick and easy it was to throw everything together — had dinner ready in minutes!
Elizabeth S
0This was really good. The only alteration I made was using olive oil instead of avocado oil but that really makes no difference. This was satisfying and delicious, the flavors were perfect. Will be making again.
Kathy Grant
0I make a similar recipe to this one, but I use Braggs aminos instead. I also add a fried egg to the dish by making well in the bottom and tossing until cooked through. I also add toasted pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels which are very low carb). It is great as a leftover too.
Sharon trauring
0I would like to buy some ingredients today for coconut brownies. Are the ingredients marked kosher? Thanks
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sharon, You will have to check the ingredients in the store to make sure they are kosher.
Heather
0Delicious and flavorful! I’ve tried a number of recipes for egg roll in a bowl and this is the best one by far!
Laura
0I think this was a delicious recipe, I would start with 2 tbsp of amino soy sauce, instead of 1/4 cup, a bit salty, but other than that, oh and maybe 3 tbsp ginger, minced. Ginger can be quite strong so I suggest starting a little lighter you can always add more the next time you cook it. Overall this is really good, just a little salty. I think next time I am going to add an egg, and see if the added texture adds a bonus
Bonnie
0I only have regular aminos, can I use it for the cracked slaw?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Bonnie, Yes, that would work.
MonaLisa
0I just made this for dinner tonight. Although I didn’t have enough sesame oil, it was very tasty. I’m sure it will be excellent when I make it next time with the full amount of sesame oil Thank you, Maya!
Lisa
0I thought that there was way too much ginger and oil in the recipe. Not my favorite.
Lannette
0So simple to make and so delicious. Yet another winner.
Coonue
0Quick delicious and easy. Every time. I subbed chicken meat for beef.