With this deconstructed Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe you can enjoy the traditional flavors but in a healthier, Keto and low-carb way! (And in under 30 minutes!) Quickly cook up ground turkey, or another ground meat, with shredded cabbage, carrots, soy sauce and other Asian seasonings in one pot for an easy recipe the whole family will love!
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Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe
It was exactly 5 years ago that I first created this easy egg roll bowl recipe.
Since then, it has been the all-time FAVORITE easy dinner recipe on the Evolving Table site, and I think I know why!
- You get all of the delightful Asian flavors of a traditional egg roll but in an easier, deconstructed, inside-out fashion.
- It’s made with healty, low-carb and keto ingredients. (Shredded cabbage and ground turkey, to name a few!)
- All cooked up in a large skillet or one-pot in less than 30 minutes!
Think you’ll miss that fried egg roll wrapper?! I promise you won’t.
(Want to take it up a notch? Next time drizzle some of this Sriracha Mayo made with sriracha sauce to give it a spicy kick!)
Ingredients
- 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. Finally, liquid coconut aminos are free from gluten and soy and make a great Whole30 and Paleo substitute. Use low sodium soy sauce if you are watching your sodium intake.
- Vinegar: Rice vinegar delivers the most authentic flavor. Apple cider vinegar is the second best one to use and is a great Whole30 and Paleo substitute for rice vinegar. White wine vinegar will work if that is all you have.
- Sesame Oil: Do not leave this very important ingredient out! It gives this dish a unique flavor.
Recipe Tip
Instead of shredding your own cabbage and carrots, you can buy a bag of coleslaw mix without the dressing to save time!
How to Make Egg Roll in a Bowl
Please see the recipe card below for more detailed instructions and ingredient measurements.
1. Cut the Cabbage
How thinly you shred the cabbage makes a big difference on the finished recipe. For the cabbage, it is best to slice it 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.
(Learn more about how to shred cabbage if you’re not sure where to start. Or quickly julienne cut the carrots!)
2. 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!)
3. Mix in 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.
4. Cook 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!
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. (This makes a great recipe to meal prep for busy weeks!)
Want to up-level the flavor even more? Try a drizzle of some Sriracha Mayo or even this easy Peanut Sauce recipe!
What is Egg Roll in a Bowl?
An Egg Roll in a Bowl combines all the flavors and fillings of a traditional egg roll, but skips the wrapper. This method is great when you are looking to cut calories or carbohydrates.
FAQs
Usually, egg rolls contain vegetables like cabbage, carrots, or onions along with meat, typically pork, turkey, or shrimp.
Full of fresh ingredients, a serving of egg roll in a bowl is under 300 calories, making it a relatively low-calorie food option.
Unfortunately, egg roll in a bowl does NOT freeze well. The cabbage will wilt and lose its flavor and texture.
Recipe Tips
- Make it colorful. Use different varieties of cabbage—green or purple cabbage both taste great!
- Choose your favorite. Ground beef, turkey, or pork all are fantastic in the recipe.
- Adjust to your meal plan. If you’re not on a Paleo, keto, or Whole30 diet you can use regular gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari instead.
- Pack a punch. Load it up with even MORE vegetables. Chinese broccoli, zucchini, and squash would taste great in here, too.
- Top it off. This dish is fantastic on white or brown rice. Or make it healthier on riced cauliflower. But, it is also delicious by itself!
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.
More Low-Carb Dinner Recipes
If you are looking for other delicious meals that are low in carbs, try one of these next:
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Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe
Email this recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. oil avocado or olive, divided
- 1 lb. ground turkey pork or beef, 90/10 or 93/7
- 1 ½ cups sweet onion finely diced
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ tsp. ginger paste or minced ginger
- ¼ cup chicken broth regular sodium
- 6 cups shredded cabbage cut into ¼-inch shreds
- 3 Tbsp. soy sauce Tamari or coconut aminos, gluten-free*
- 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ¾ tsp. salt to taste
- ¼ tsp. pepper to taste
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- Toasted sesame seeds optional
- Green onions optional
Instructions
- Cook Ground Meat: In a large saute pan over medium heat drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and add ground meat. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until turkey is almost cooked through.2 Tbsp. oil, 1 lb. ground turkey
- Sauté and Deglaze: Push turkey to the side of the pan and add onion and other tablespoon of oil. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add shredded carrots, garlic, and ginger and saute for 2 minutes. Stir the vegetables and turkey together. Pour chicken broth in the pan and scrape the bottom of it to deglaze it.1 ½ cups sweet onion, 1 cup carrots, 3 cloves garlic, ½ tsp. ginger paste, ¼ cup chicken broth
- Mix in Cabbage and Seasonings: Add cabbage, coconut aminos or soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir well and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until cabbage is to your desired tenderness.6 cups shredded cabbage, 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar, ¾ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper
- Finish with Toppings: Add toasted sesame oil just before serving and top with green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve over regular rice, cauliflower rice, or eat it in a bowl by itself.1 tsp. toasted sesame oil, Green onions, Toasted sesame seeds
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Notes
- Make it colorful. Use different varieties of cabbage—green or purple cabbage both taste great!
- Choose your favorite. Ground beef, turkey, or pork all are fantastic in the recipe.
- Adjust to your meal plan. If you’re not on a Paleo, keto, or Whole30 diet you can use regular gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari instead.
- Pack a punch. Load it up with even MORE vegetables. Chinese broccoli, zucchini, and squash would taste great in here, too.
- Top it off. This dish is fantastic on white or brown rice. Or make it healthier on riced cauliflower. But, it is also delicious by itself!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!