Egg Rolls – Make CRISPY Take-Out Egg Rolls
April 6, 2023
Air Fryer Appetizers Chinese Main Dishes Recipes Tastier Than Takeout
These homemade Egg Rolls are crisp on the outside with a delicious pork and shrimp filling on the inside! Learn the secrets to an ultra-crisp exterior and juicy, flavorful filling. Watch the video recipe and learn how to make egg rolls that are better than takeout! I love making these with a delicious Lo Mein or Fried Rice for a complete Chinese take-out meal at home!
Watch the Egg Roll Recipe Video Below!
Ingredients for Egg Rolls
I love this Egg Roll recipe because only a few ingredients will make crispy egg rolls that are better than take-out. Firstly, here are the ingredients you will need!
- Egg Roll Filling
- 1 lb ground pork 80% lean / 20% fat
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined, minced
- 1 cup bean thread noodle (this was 2 oz dry) – rehydrated, drained, and cut to ~1/2″ pieces with scissors
- 1 cup wood ear mushroom minced
- 1 cup carrot shredded
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp MSG or chicken powder
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
- Other Ingredients
- 40 egg roll wrappers I recommend the brand “Spring Home” or “Wei Chuan”
- 2 quarts Neutral oil for frying Avocado, Canola, Vegetable, or Peanut oil all work well
Which wrappers are the best to buy for Egg Rolls?
This is a super important component of making smooth, crispy egg rolls. I prefer the brand “Spring Home – Spring Roll Pastry” or “Wei Chuan Spring Roll Shell” which you can find in the frozen section of your asian grocery. These will result in the smooth, crispy spring rolls that you are familiar with.
Dynasty makes a type of egg roll wrapper that is typically found in the fresh dumpling wrapper/noodle section of the grocery store, but these will result in egg rolls with the rough or bubbled texture. If you prefer these types of egg rolls, go with the Dynasty brand!
Can I substitute the filling ingredients for Egg Rolls?
You absolutely can! I personally love the pork and shrimp combo for maximum flavor, but you can certainly substitute the filling with ground turkey, chicken, or even beef.
INGREDIENTS TIPS
GROUND PORK
I stick with an 80% lean, 20% fat percentage here which is the right amount of fat to create a flavorful filling.
LIGHT vs. DARK SOY SAUCE
Yes, they’re different! Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, and sweeter (as well as has a higher sodium content) than regular soy sauce. I use low sodium soy sauce for this recipe.
MSG
As always, this is optional 🙂
NEUTRAL OIL
My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil for frying!
FISH SAUCE
If you cannot or do not want to use fish sauce, you can sub shaoxing wine or use additional soy sauce!
Tips for the Best Egg Rolls:
Here is are my top tips for making the best crispy Egg Rolls:
- Keep Wrappers Moist – work with one sheet at a time when wrapping and keep the other wrappers covered with a damp kitchen towel or paper at all times to prevent them from drying out.
- Avoid Excess Moisture in the filling – water is your worst enemy when making Egg Rolls. Ensure no excess water from the rehydrated noodles are in the filling, and stick to dry spices/ingredients rather than fresh garlic or water-filled mushrooms. I use wood ear mushrooms for both their meatiness and low water content.
- Keep Oil at 350˚F – If the temperature drops too low, the egg rolls will be soggy and oily. If it’s too hot, they will burn before the filling is cooked through. Ensure the oil does not drop below 325F.
How to roll an Egg Roll: Recipe Instructions
Roll your Egg Rolls
To roll your egg rolls, take about 1.5 tbsp of filling and place in the bottom corner of the egg roll wrapper. Use your hands to shape the filling into about a 4″ log, then fold the corner over and wrap over the filling tightly. Roll the wrapper to about half way up the sheet, then fold in the corners to create an envelope shape. Roll then brush on the egg wash at the top corner and seal the egg roll!
Fry the Egg Rolls in Neutral Oil
After the egg rolls are wrapped and sealed, heat neutral oil to 350F in a heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven or a wok. Fry the egg rolls in batches for 6-8 minutes or until beautifully golden brown. Rest on a wire rack until cooled and ready to eat!
Note: if freezing the egg rolls, fry for 3 minutes and let drain and cool on a wire rack. Place them in a freezer back and freeze until solid. When ready to eat, air fry them for 10-12 minutes at 350F or bake for 15 minutes at 375F until golden brown and serve!
If you liked this crispy Egg Roll recipe, check out some of the most popular Chinese Take-Out recipes on the blog!
I love eating my egg rolls with a classic sweet chili sauce or simply by themselves for a quick and easy appetizer or snack! How do you like to enjoy your egg rolls?
RECIPE TIPS
MOISTURE
To prevent those ugly dark spots on your egg rolls, removing as much moisture from the filling is KEY. The dark spots are usually due to excess moisture leaking out during the frying process. This is why I prefer to use dry spices, wood ear mushrooms (less moisture), and make sure to dry my bean thread noodles extremely well before adding them to the filling.
INGREDIENT SIZES
I like to make sure my filling ingredients are roughly all the same size (shrimp, bean thread noodle, carrot, mushroom). This ensures an even texture of the filling and better mouth-feel. The frying process is more than enough time to cook the filling through, but if you want to ensure doneness, make sure the filling reads at least 145F internal.
Egg Roll Recipe – How to make CRISPY take-out style egg rolls
Ingredients
Egg Roll Filling
- 1 lb ground pork 80% lean / 20% fat
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined, minced
- 1 cup bean thread noodle (this was 2 oz dry) – rehydrated, drained, and cut to ~1/2" pieces with scissors
- 1 cup wood ear mushroom minced
- 1 cup carrot shredded
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp MSG or chicken powder
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
Other Ingredients
- 40 egg roll wrappers I recommend the brand "Spring Home" or "Wei Chuan"
- 2 quarts Neutral oil for frying Avocado, Canola, Vegetable, or Peanut oil all work well
Instructions
- In a large heatproof bowl, rehydrate bean thread noodle/vermicelli with boiling hot water until soft and pliable. Rinse and drain well, then cut into 1/2" pieces with scissors.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground pork, minced shrimp, bean thread noodle, wood ear mushroom, shredded carrot, egg, salt, garlic powder, sugar, white pepper, msg, light soy sauce, and fish sauce. Mix the filling in one direction until incorporated and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- If using frozen spring roll wrappers, defrost until pliable. Peel one spring roll wrapper carefully to prevent tearing. Keep the remaining egg roll wrappers covered with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out.
- Add 1.5 tbsp of filling onto the bottom corner of the wrapper and shape into a log about 4 inch long. Fold the bottom corner over the filling and tuck underneath. Roll tightly towards the center then fold in the sides, roll again then brush the last flap lightly with beaten egg wash and roll to seal. Repeat with remaining egg rolls until all are wrapped.
- Heat neutral oil to 350F in a wok or heavy bottom pan like a dutch oven. Fry the egg rolls in batches for 6-8 minutes until golden brown, making sure the oil does not drop below 325F.
- Serve hot with sweet chili sauce and enjoy!
Freezing Egg Rolls
- If freezing egg rolls, I prefer to par-fry them for 3 minutes at 350F then drain and rest until cooled. Place them in a freezer safe bag and once ready to eat, air fry for 10-12 minutes at 350F until crispy.