Egg Roll Bowl Recipe: Quick Stovetop Asian-Inspired Dinner

Take the filling from your favorite egg roll, sauté it in a skillet, and you have a flavorful Egg Roll in a Bowl. This version skips wrappers and deep frying, creating a healthier meal you can make in about 30 minutes.

This low-carb, one-skillet recipe is full of bold flavors. Serve it alongside a simple Asian cucumber salad or a mandarin orange salad for a fresh contrast.

Egg Roll in a Bowl

After many requests for more low-carb recipes, Egg Roll in a Bowl was an obvious choice. It’s adaptable for Keto or Whole30 with a few swaps (details below). Even if you love carbs, this dish deserves a spot in your rotation: it’s fast, satisfying, and made in a single skillet in under half an hour.

Egg Roll In A Bowl Ingredients:

• Red onion: I prefer red onion for its flavor, but yellow onion or shallots work fine.
• Garlic: Finely minced fresh garlic or jarred minced garlic for convenience.
• Ginger: Fresh minced ginger or ginger paste. If needed, substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.
• Ground pork: Ground pork is my favorite here, though ground turkey, chicken, or beef all work.
• Red bell pepper: Any sweet pepper is fine. You can also substitute mushrooms, water chestnuts, or bean sprouts.
• Green cabbage: Use a bagged coleslaw mix to save time, or chop a head of cabbage.
• Matchstick carrots: If you’re using coleslaw mix it typically includes carrots; otherwise add matchstick carrots.

The Sauce Ingredients

The sauce brings everything together and is easy to whisk in a small bowl.

• Soy sauce: Use reduced- or low-sodium to control saltiness.
• Chicken broth or stock: Low-sodium is recommended.
• Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce. (Use a substitute if needed.)
• Sesame oil: Adds a toasty, authentic flavor.
• Rice vinegar: Provides a mild tang that balances the sauce.
• Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar; honey also works to balance flavors.
• Sriracha: Adds heat — omit or reduce if you prefer milder flavors.

How To Make Egg Roll in a Bowl

(Step-by-step photos correlate to the numbered directions.)

1. Sauté thinly sliced onion in a skillet for a few minutes.
2. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.
3. Brown the ground pork (or your choice of ground meat).
4. Combine the browned meat with the aromatics.
5. Stir in bell pepper, chopped cabbage (or coleslaw mix), and matchstick carrots; cook briefly until the cabbage begins to soften.
6. Pour the sauce over the mixture and cook until the sauce is absorbed and the vegetables are tender-crisp. Serve immediately.

Dietary concerns

• Whole30: Use compliant oil, swap soy sauce for coconut aminos, omit cornstarch and brown sugar, and confirm Sriracha and mayo comply. Serve over cauliflower rice for a Whole30-friendly bowl.
• Keto: Use low-carb substitutes such as tamari or Bragg’s Aminos instead of soy sauce, skip brown sugar, and use a keto-friendly hot sauce. Omit starchy additions like white rice.

More Easy Dinner Recipes:

• Chicken Ramen — ready in under 30 minutes
• Chicken Gnocchi Soup — a comforting Olive Garden-style soup
• Stuffed Peppers — another low-carb option
• Vegetarian Cajun Chow Mein — a reader favorite
• One-Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls — all made in one pot

Egg Roll in a Bowl

All the flavor of an egg roll without wrappers or deep frying — a quick, nutritious 30-minute meal.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Equipment

• Wok or large, deep sauté pan (12 inches minimum)

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons chicken broth or stock
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon Sriracha
• 1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper

“Egg Roll”

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion (about 1/2 large onion)
• 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
• 1 pound ground pork (or turkey, chicken, or beef)
• 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (1 pepper)
• 1 (16-ounce) package coleslaw mix, or 16 ounces chopped cabbage + 1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
• 2–3 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish
• Sriracha mayo (optional)
• White rice (optional)

Instructions

1. Whisk the sauce: combine cornstarch with 1 tablespoon soy sauce until smooth, then add the remaining soy sauce, chicken broth, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, Sriracha, and pepper. Set aside.
2. Prep vegetables: thinly slice half a red onion, mince ginger and garlic, slice the red pepper thinly, and prepare coleslaw mix or chopped cabbage and carrots. Slice green onions for garnish.
3. Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add oil; when shimmering, reduce to medium and cook the onion 3–4 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, add ginger and garlic, and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
4. Push aromatics to the pan edges, add ground pork to the center, and let it sear 30 seconds. Crumble and cook until no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes, then mix the onions, garlic, and ginger into the meat.
5. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add red pepper and the coleslaw mix (it will seem like a lot but cooks down). Stir-fry 2 minutes, then pour in the sauce. Cook 2–4 more minutes until the sauce is absorbed and vegetables are tender-crisp.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning with extra soy sauce, Sriracha, or pepper if desired. Top with green onions and serve as is or over rice. Add Sriracha mayo if you like a creamy component.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: For coleslaw mix, choose a 12–16 ounce bag with matchstick carrots, or use a head of green cabbage cut to yield about 6 packed cups plus 1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots.

Note 2: To make Sriracha mayo, whisk 1/2 cup mayo, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon lime zest, and 1 tablespoon Sriracha until smooth.

Note 3: To cook rice: rinse rice until water runs clear, soak while bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil, add rice, boil for 5 minutes, then drain.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. To freeze, use a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat gently on the stovetop, adding fresh cabbage if needed to refresh texture.

Nutrition

Per serving (approximate): Calories 403 | Carbs 12 g | Protein 22 g | Fat 30 g

Nutrition facts are estimates and should be used as a guide only.