This Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe has all of the delicious flavors of your favorite Chinese appetizer, but without the deep-fried wrapper! Plus, all you’ll need is one skillet and less than 30 minutes to get this healthy dinner on the table.
Table of Contents
Making Asian stir-fries and takeout dishes at home is one of my favorite ways to get dinner on the table fast. And this deconstructed Egg Roll in a Bowl has been a go-to of mine for over 5 years.
I’ve served it to dozens of people of all ages. Every single time, the reaction is the same: This is incredible!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy: Ready in just 30 minutes, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you need a delicious meal in a hurry.
- One Skillet: Minimal cleanup required! Everything comes together in just one skillet, making it as convenient as it is tasty.
- Simple Ingredients: Made with easy-to-find ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, so there’s no need for a special trip to the store.
- Healthy & Flavorful: Packed with protein and veggies, this dish is a nutritious option that doesn’t skimp on flavor.
- Customizable: Tailor the recipe to your taste by adding extra veggies, swapping in different proteins, or adjusting the seasonings to make it your own!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Notes about the ingredients needed for this Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe are below. Jump to recipe for the exact measurements.
- Ground Turkey: A 93/7 ground turkey is my personal perference, but ground pork, ground chicken, or even a leaner ground beef can be used.
- Cabbage: Thinly shredded cabbage is best. You’ll need about 1 medium head of cabbage. You can also do a mixture of purple and green cabbage to give it an extra pop of color. (Learn How to Shred Cabbage if you don’t already know!)
- Carrots: Thinly shredded whole carrots or matchstick carrots can be used.
- Onion: A sweet onion is used but red or yellow may be substituted. Green onions also make a wonderful addition when serving.
- Ginger & garlic: Fresh ginger and garlic are both used to add a zippy punch of flavor. To make things easier you can buy the pre-peeled garlic and use ginger paste.
- Soy sauce: Traditional soy sauce works great if you are not avoiding soy or gluten. Tamari Sauce is my favorite soy sauce substitution if you are gluten-free; liquid coconut aminos also work well. Use low sodium soy sauce if you are watching your sodium intake.
- Vinegar: Rice vinegar delivers the most authentic flavor. Apple cider vinegar and white wine vinegar will also work, but the flavor will be different.
- Sesame Oil: Do not leave this very important ingredient out! It gives this dish a unique flavor.
How to Make Egg Roll in a Bowl
Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts. Jump to recipe for the printable instructions.
- Cut the veggies. It is best to slice the cabbage with a very sharp knife and cut it no thicker than ¼- to ½-inch thick. If you didn’t buy matchstick carrots, you’ll need to shred the carrots using either a large food processor or a cheese grater.
- Cook the ground meat. Cook the meat in a large skillet over medium or medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, or until it is almost cooked through. Be sure to break up the meat as it is cooking so there are no big pieces. (I use a potato masher to do this!)
- Mix in the veggies and seasonings. Push the cooked meat to the side of the pan and add the onion and the other tablespoon of oil. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add shredded carrots, garlic, and ginger and sauté for 2 more minutes. Stir the vegetables and turkey together. Pour the chicken broth in the pan and scrape the bottom of it to deglaze it. Add the cabbage, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir the mixture well and cover with a lid.
- Cook the cabbage and serve. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until cabbage is to your desired tenderness. Just before serving add toasted sesame oil and stir to combine. Top with green onions and toasted sesame seeds for extra flavor. Or sprinkle on some red pepper flakes for a spicy kick. You can serve it over white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice or enjoy it by itself!
(Learn more about how to shred cabbage if you’re not sure where to start. Or quickly julienne cut the carrots!)
What to Serve with Egg Roll in a Bowl?
This recipe is already pretty filling on its own, but you can serve it with any of these simple sides.
Asian Cucumber Salad, Air Fryer Asparagus, Chinese Green Beans are all excellent greens.
If you don’t mind carbs, serve it with Instant Pot White Rice, White Rice, Basmati Rice, or Jasmine Rice.
Or top this dish with some Asian Ginger Dressing. Want to up-level the flavor even more? Try a drizzle of some Sriracha Mayo or even this easy Peanut Sauce recipe!
Recipe Variations
There are SO many ways to make this dish your own! Experiment and find your favorite way to dig in.
- Add egg. A fried or poached egg will take this dish over the top!
- Up the veggies. Load it up with even MORE vegetables. Chinese broccoli, zucchini, and squash would taste great in here, too. Use different varieties of cabbage—green or purple cabbage both taste great!
- Lower the sodium. If you’re not on a Paleo, keto, or Whole30 diet you can use regular gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari instead.
- Save time. Opt for a coleslaw mix from the store.
- Switch up the meat. Ground beef, turkey, or pork all are fantastic in the recipe.
- Make it vegetarian. Skip the meat and go with tofu, chickpeas, or another meat alternative.
- Kick up the heat. Whip up some Sriracha Mayo.
- Give it a good garnish. Cilantro, peanuts, peanut sauce, cilantro, and lime juice are all excellent toppers.
Storage and Meal Prep
- Prep-Ahead: Chop the veggies and make any sauce you plan to use (like the sriracha mayo!)
- Storage: Store refrigerated for 3-4 days. I would not recommend freezing this recipe. Excess water will accumulate after thawing, which will cause the cabbage to become mushy.
- Reheating: Warm up leftovers in a skillet over medium-low heat for the best taste and texture. You can also warm it up in the microwave, but it will be soggier.
More Simple Dinner Recipes
If you are looking for other delicious meals that are low in carbs, try one of these next:
Tap stars to rate!
Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe
This Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe has all of the delicious flavors of your favorite Chinese appetizer, but without the deep-fried wrapper! Plus, all you'll need is one skillet and less than 30 minutes to get this healthy dinner on the table.
email this recipe!
Enter your email and we’ll send it directly to you.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 small sweet onion finely diced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 small head cabbage about 8 cups shredded
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For Serving (Optional):
- Cooked white rice
- Green onions green parts only, thinly sliced
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey and cook until almost cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.
- Push the turkey to one side of the pan and add onion and remaining tablespoon of oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shredded carrots, garlic, and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the cabbage, tamari or soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir well and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until cabbage has reached your desired tenderness. Remove from the heat and add toasted sesame oil.
- Serve egg roll in a bowl over white rice, if using, and top with green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and sriracha mayo, if desired.
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!
Tap stars to rate!
Video
Notes
*Recipe was updated on 11/6/23 to include an additional cup of cabbage, tablespoon of soy sauce, teaspoon of rice vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Prep-Ahead. This is the perfect make-ahead dish, the flavor marries as it sits, so you can prepare it a couple of days in advance. Or, simply shred the carrots and cabbage the day before to have them ready.
- Storage. Store refrigerated for 3-4 days. I would not recommend freezing this recipe. Excess water will accumulate after thawing, which will cause the cabbage to become mushy. Warm up leftovers in a skillet over medium-low heat for the best taste and texture. You can also warm it up in the microwave, but it will be soggier.
- Cabbage. Freshly shredded cabbage is best.
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 1367mg, Potassium: 909mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 5599IU, Vitamin C: 88mg, Calcium: 120mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this recipe?Leave a comment below!
I have made this twice, as afterall what are you going to do with half a head of cabbage, but make it again. It is absolutely delicious. I tweaked it a bit to my liking, but overall delicious. I used ground white meat turkey. My favorite takeout was always the egg roll. Now I can have my egg roll and eat it too. I don’t even miss the wrapper.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Mary-Lynn! I don’t miss the wrapper, either. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Highly recommend this recipe! Wonderful flavor. I made the recipe as written and will say nothing needs to be added or changed. It is now part of our meal planning in the future.
Great recipe! We’re on a diabetic diet, so we try to limit to 30 carbs at a meal. We made egg roll wrapper bowls by spraying cooking spray on the outside of an upside down microwaveable bowl. Formed the wrapper over the outside of the bowl and sprayed the cooking spray on the wrapper. Microwave for about 90 seconds, watching so it doesn’t get too brown. Take it off the bowl and let it cool. Makes a low carb crunchy shell for your egg roll ingredients. Delicious!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, LM! That sounds awesome. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
I have one word delicious!! Fast and easy to make. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Ms Green! This is one of the most popular posts, so you’re not alone! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Could you use shrimp instead of the meat? I am thinking this would be great using shrimp and served over cauliflower rice.
Hi Patsy! I don’t see why you couldn’t! Just be sure the shrimp is cooked through before serving. Let me know how it turns out.
I have made this with ground beef, and ground pork. I added cooked shrimp. Instead of serving over cauliflower rice; I mixed it in. I added extra seasonings, soy, and chicken broth. Turned out awesome! Both my husband and son loved it!
Delicious! Followed recipe first time around…
on second attempt I added more ginger, more amino acids & thai seasoning along with green peppers & red cabbage….. oh so good!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Loretta! Those additions sound delicious. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
So delicious! I made this dish for friends, and they loved it too!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Lori! That’s great to hear. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
I have celiac, I miss egg rolls. This recipe is perfect! La Choy soy sauce is gluten free, some say too salty, I like salt. I didn’t add regular salt, I did add MSG, I also added chopped water chestnuts. I will be making this often. Thank you.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I’m so glad you found a way to enjoy a food you’ve been missing. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Hello London
Tried this recipe last night and boy was it good. I did some substitutions to use what I had on hand like sausage instead of Turkey and I had a bag of broccoli slaw which was not enough so added extra carrots, mushrooms and garlic to make up the difference. Came together so quickly after prep and was tasty yummy good.
I am always inspired by all of you great chefs out there as you put the base package and so easy to take what you have on hand to make a great meal. Love few ingredients, less prep time and under 30 minutes.
Thank you.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Corrine! I’m glad you could make it work! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
This was an instant family favorite–and SO quick and easy!!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Shannon! I’m all about quick and easy. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!