Egg Roll In A Bowl

I make egg roll in a bowl when I want all the flavor of a takeout egg roll without any of the frying. It is a deconstructed egg roll, so it tastes exactly like it sounds. You get that same classic egg roll taste, savory beef, sesame, and ginger with tender cabbage, just without the fried shell. The cabbage cooks down but still keeps a little bite, and every forkful has that warm, nutty sesame flavor running through it.

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I make this all year long. It is one of those easy dinners I can pull together fast, and it bends to whatever my family needs that night. My son is a vegetarian, so I swap in Beyond Meat for him, and when I want something lighter I make it with ground chicken or ground turkey. It works every time, no matter which one I reach for.

Here is why this is the version I keep coming back to. Most egg roll bowls come out too salty with a puddle of liquid sitting in the bottom of the pan. I fixed both. Low-sodium soy sauce and the right amount of it means this one is seasoned all the way through with nothing watering it down. If you love takeout flavors at home, my Korean beef bowl is another fast one my family asks for on repeat.

Family FavoritE

Why I Went Back Into the Kitchen and Retested This

I went back into the kitchen after readers told me their batches were coming out too salty. I cut the soy sauce down to a quarter cup of low-sodium and dialed the ground ginger back to half a teaspoon. Now it is seasoned just right, and there is no liquid pooling in the pan at all.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ground beef. I keep the beef in larger pieces instead of crumbling it into tiny bits. Bigger pieces give you a heartier, more egg-roll-filling bite. Beef is what I use most, but ground pork, chicken, or turkey all work here too.
• Low-sodium soy sauce. The most important ingredient in the whole recipe. Low-sodium keeps the dish balanced instead of overwhelmingly salty. Regular soy sauce throws the whole thing off.
• Coleslaw mix and shredded carrots. This is the shortcut that makes the recipe so fast. A bagged coleslaw mix and pre-shredded carrots mean no chopping and no peeling. Both are easy to find at any grocery store.
• Sesame oil. This is where that signature egg roll flavor comes from. It has a deep, nutty taste that instantly says egg roll. Do not skip it.
• Dry seasonings. Onion powder, garlic powder, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes get stirred together with the soy sauce and a little oil before they go in. Mixing them into a quick sauce first spreads the flavor evenly through the whole pan.

How to Make Egg Roll in a Bowl

Step 1: Brown the Beef in Larger Pieces Cook the ground beef in a large deep-sided skillet over medium heat until it is no longer pink. Resist the urge to break it into tiny crumbles. Keep the pieces larger for a better texture.

Step 2: Add the Onion and Garlic Drain the grease and return the skillet to the stove. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook until the meat is deeply browned. Keep the pan on the cooler side so the garlic does not burn. Burnt garlic turns sour and takes the whole dish with it.

Step 3: Add the Sesame Oil and Vegetables Add the sesame oil, shredded carrots, and coleslaw mix to the skillet. Use tongs to toss everything together and cook for about 5 minutes, until the cabbage starts to soften.

Step 4: Mix and Pour the Sauce In a small bowl, stir together the onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, ground ginger, low-sodium soy sauce, and vegetable oil. Pour it over the meat and cabbage mixture and stir to coat.

Step 5: Finish Cooking Reduce the heat and cook for about 5 more minutes, until the cabbage is tender and everything is coated and hot.

Step 6: Serve Serve it hot, topped with sliced green onions if you like.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave until hot all the way through.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

• Beef Ramen Stir Fry
• Chicken Ramen Stir Fry
• Bang Bang Shrimp

Video

4.82 from 224 votes

Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves — 6

Egg roll in a bowl gives you all the flavor of a takeout egg roll without the frying. I keep the beef in larger pieces and use low-sodium soy so it never turns salty.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 1½ pounds ground beef
• ▢ 1 large onion diced finely
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• ▢ ½ cup carrots peeled and finely shredded
• ▢ 16 ounces coleslaw mix
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ¼-½ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ▢ green onions for garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• Cook ground beef in a large deep-sided skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Be careful to not break the ground beef into smaller pieces, keep the pieces larger.
  1½ pounds ground beef
• Drain grease and return to the stovetop. Add the onions and minced garlic and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Again, keep the ground beef in larger pieces.
  1 large onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Add 2 tablespoons sesame oil, carrots, and coleslaw mix to the skillet. Use tongs to combine. Let cook for about 5 minutes.
  2 tablespoons sesame oil, ½ cup carrots, 16 ounces coleslaw mix
• In a small separate bowl combine the onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, ground ginger, soy sauce, and vegetable oil. Pour over meat and coleslaw mixture.
  ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼-½ cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Reduce the heat and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage:

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, warm them in a skillet over medium heat or pop them in the microwave until heated all the way through.

Tips:

• Egg roll bowls tend to fail in one of two ways — too salty, or too watery with liquid pooling in the pan. Both problems trace back to the soy sauce.
• Low-sodium soy sauce is non-negotiable here. Regular soy sauce will oversalt this dish every time, no exceptions. Start with a quarter cup — that’s the amount I landed on after multiple rounds of testing, and it seasons the beef and cabbage all the way through without leaving liquid sitting in the pan.
• If you want a deeper, more savory flavor, you can work your way up to a half cup. But start at a quarter, taste, and add from there.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 482mg | Potassium: 606mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1906IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3mg

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