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:
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Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe
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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 soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 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
- Sriracha Mayo optional
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.
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Video
Notes
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Working my way through a month of Whole 30 and this recipe was a lifesaver for lunch. Thank you!
WooHoo! So happy to hear that. And way to go for doing an entire month of Whole30, Erica! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rating 🙂
HI!! I haven’t tried this recipe yet but would love to. However, is this recipe freezer-friendly??
Yes it is, Tamra! The cabbage will have a slightly different texture once thawed, but it can be frozen for up to 3-4 months.
Very good! I added bean sprouts and chopped water chestnuts. I also added the sesame oil the last 5 minutes of cooking. I’ll definitely make it again!
What a great idea to add those ingredients! I bet it tasted delicious. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rating, Kim 🙂
Easy healthy and delicious!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Michele! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating! 🙂
This is extremely delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Yay, Caitlyn!! So happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
What is the serving size for 1 serving? 1 cup? 1 1/2 cups?
I’m not sure exactly, Jennifer. If you’d like you can weigh the entire meal and divide it by 4 to get an accurate weight measurement!
So good! Flavorful and easy. Will definitely. W on repeat in my house.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Mary Beth! Thanks so much for the comment and rating 🙂
Hi. For the nutritional information, did you use 99% lean ground turkey? or 93/7? I don’t feel like adding it all up on my own but using your nutritional value will only work if I get the same type of ground turkey. Thank you
It’s calculated with a 93/7 ground turkey. Hope you enjoy the recipe, Joy!
So first of all, I LOVE the majority of recipes I get from your website… its why I keep coming back and trying new ones. Flavorful with great substitutions and ideas. But I have to say I was disappointed in this one. The only word I can use is “bland” – and for me thats a biggie when it comes to keto/paleo, Whole 30, and sugar free cooking. Let’s be honest – the great thing about a traditional egg roll IS the CRUNCH of the shell. My husband suggests maybe crushing up some pork rinds on top – they are not my favorite so Ill pass. Im going to try this again next week and Im going to season the ground pork REALLY WELL (yes, I used pork – ground turkey always gets over cooked, dry and has NO flavor). Im going to add a little more Tamari or Aminos and a lot more garlic and ginger. I LOVE the idea of adding other veggies too – great tip!!! This is truly a meal in a bowl – we didn’t put it over rice because its just not necessary with this recipe never mind we don’t eat it. This is the first time Ive left a message on this site I suppose because Ive been so HAPPY with everything I try from it… so now Ill leave POSITIVE feedback on one of my favorites… like the Baked Thai Chicken Wings – AMAZING. These would go great together ONCE the Egg Roll in a Bowl is zhuzhed up in favor!!!!
My husband was amazed he didn’t think it would taste exactly like an Egg roll minus the fried shell. Surprise! It really does…
It’s pretty incredible how much it tastes like one, right? So happy you and the hubby enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for your comment, Chris!