Growing up, my favorite thing to eat in the entire world was my friend’s grandma’s egg rolls. One bite ruined me for all others. I could never get enough of her cooking – from crispy fried bananas to sweet barbecue pork.
She immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam after the war with her daughters, and while she spoke only a little English, we bonded through food. Because she knew how much I loved those egg rolls, she’d often freeze a Ziploc bag full for me to take home when I visited.
We were lucky enough that she shared her recipe, and it’s been a family favorite ever since – right down to the hundreds we made for my high school graduation.
Once you get the hang of rolling an egg roll, these couldn’t be easier to make. The filling is a simple mix of diced onion, celery, ground pork, and shredded cabbage cooked until tender, then seasoned with soy sauce, a touch of sugar, and egg yolks for richness. Everything gets wrapped in store-bought wrappers and fried until deeply golden and crisp.
Trust me – you won’t need another egg roll recipe after this one. Even better, they freeze beautifully and reheat like a dream in the oven.
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Ma’s Egg Rolls
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- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: 14–16 egg rolls 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
- 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (1 medium onion)
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 small cabbage (1 3/4 to 2 pounds), core removed and shredded
- 3/4 cup diced celery (2 to 3 stalks)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 1 pound egg roll wrappers
- About 4 cups neutral oil, for frying
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1½ cups diced yellow onion and 1 pound ground pork. Sauté, breaking up the pork with a spoon, until the onion softens and the pork is browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 1 small cabbage, shredded and ¾ cup diced celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is very soft and reduced to less than half its volume, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Let cool for 30 minutes. If more than a few tablespoons of liquid remain, drain. Add 3 eggs yolks and mix into the cooled filling until well combined. You should have about 7 cups filling.
- To fill and roll the egg rolls:
- Place one wrapper on a clean, dry surface (a cutting board works well) with one corner pointing toward you, so it looks like a diamond.
- Spoon about ⅓ cup of filling into the center center of the wrapper.
- Lightly brush all four edges of the wrapper with the egg whites.
- Fold the bottom corner (closest to you) up and over the filling. Use your fingers to gently tuck the wrapper around the filling, pulling it back toward yourself to tighten into a compact roll.
- Fold the left and right corners inward toward the center, like folding an envelope, pressing gently to flatten and keep the filling snug.
- Continue rolling upward toward the top corner, keeping the roll tight but not so tight that the wrapper tears.
- Press the final corner down to seal. If it doesn’t stick, dab with a little extra egg white.
- Place finished rolls seam-side down on a tray or baking sheet. Keep them covered with a towel while you finish rolling the rest so they don’t dry out.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 4 cups neutral oil to 350°F. Fry the egg rolls in batches until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch, turning occasionally. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Make Ahead
- Freeze uncooked: Place rolled egg rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Fry from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to cooking time.
- Freeze cooked: Reheat at 375°F (190°C) for 10 to 12 minutes, until crisp.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cool time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
