Egg Rolls

I like to make these appetizers ahead of time, hours or days before my dinner, even. I make them up and freeze them on a baking sheet covered with waxed paper. Once they’re frozen, you may place them in a freezer bag until you’re ready to use, up to 6 weeks. This makes preparation so much easier when it’s time to make dinner.

Especially if you’re like me and want to serve your family a big Chinese Dinner. I’ve mentioned on here before about my themed dinners, where I serve my entire family a four or five course meal. Freezing your rolls ahead of time does wonders for the last-minute work ahead of you. I do the same for Crab Rangoon.

More Chinese Dinner Ideas

Ingredients for Egg Rolls

(As a Walmart Affiliate, I earn from qualified purchases at the links below. See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire cooling rack over it.

I have found that I prefer regular soy sauce instead of low sodium soy sauce for this recipe, as the latter seems to change the flavor of the dish too much for my satisfaction.

Cook the Cabbage Mixture

In a large skillet, brown the ground sausage until fully cooked.

I like to use Oldham’s Country Sausage (16 grams of fat) or even better, Williams Country Sausage (11 grams of fat) when I can find it. Both of these brands cook up wonderfully with so little fat it doesn’t even need drained. 

Add the prepared cabbage, carrots, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and minced garlic to the cooked sausage. Sauté until cabbage is tender, stirring frequently.

Stir in the rice (or red wine) vinegar, soy sauce, kosher salt, granulated sugar, ground ginger, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes.

Even better, refrigerate the filling for several hours or even overnight. This helps when making the rolls. Using hot ingredients tend to make the wrappers tear. Ask me how I know!

Assemble the Egg Rolls

To prepare the egg rolls, add a generous one-quarter cup of filling to each egg roll wrap.

Coat edges of wrap with water and roll halfway, from corner to corner. I like to smear a little water along the edges of the wrapper to help hold things in when they are cooking.

*I used to use a cornstarch paste to seal the wrappers, but the producer now have cornstarch on the wraps, so it is not necessary. If you need more than water for sealing, simply prepare 1/3 cup cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water. 

Fold over sides, being careful not to create any gaping holes for the filling to fall out. Continue rolling to seal the top edge. The tighter you roll, the better.

Deep Fry Egg Rolls

Heat a large Dutch oven with peanut (or vegetable) oil, filled to 3-4 inches, to 350-360°F. Fry rolls 3-4 at a time, turning twice, until a nice golden brown, for about 3-4 minutes.

Alternately, you may bake the egg rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat in a 400°F oven. Lightly coat each roll with a little oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Remove rolls with a wire strainer and place on the prepared baking sheet. Place in a warm 350 degree oven until all are done. Repeat with the remaining rolls.

This recipe makes about 20 rolls and will serve 8-10 people. 

Serve Egg Rolls warm with sweet and sour sauce, plum sauce, or hot mustard. This recipe pairs well with Egg Drop Soup, Crab Rangoon, Fried Rice, or any of your favorite stir-fry recipes.

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