Why are my homemade egg rolls soggy?

Any extra water will result in your Egg Rolls being soggy and dark spots forming on your Egg Roll wrappers. The #1 culprit for watery filling is usually the rehydrated noodles. Make sure to SQUEEZE your noodles to get rid of as much water as possible.

Why are my egg rolls not crispy?

If you're making them from scratch, the best way to keep egg rolls crispy and delicious is to avoid unnecessary oils and remove the excess moisture in the ingredients.

What is the crust of an egg roll made of?

What Is An Egg Roll? An egg roll is a fried appetizer that's found on countless Chinese-American restaurant menus. It consists of a thick, crispy wheat flour skin filled with shredded cabbage, pork, and other ingredients. Egg rolls are fried in hot oil, served warm, and usually dipped in duck sauce or soy sauce.

Should I refrigerate egg rolls before frying?

Thaw uncooked egg rolls in the bag in the refrigerator before deep-frying. If you've already fried your egg rolls, wait until they have cooled before freezing!

Should you fry egg rolls frozen?

Without thawing them first, place your frozen egg rolls into the hot oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for about 3 to 5 minutes . You can pan fry instead of deep fry if you prefer using the same oil temperature and fry time as above. Baking.

How do you know when egg rolls are done?

Heat about 6 inches of oil in a wok or deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry egg rolls 3 or 4 at a time until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Can I double wrap my egg rolls?

roll up wrap tightly to enclose filling, sealing roll with top flap. Make sure that you moisten every seam of the rolls with water and press them together until they 'stick'. Double wrap the egg rolls to ensure that they bake crispy and are more sturdy.

What are the clear stringy things in egg rolls?

If you are wondering what the clear noodles in egg rolls are, they are cellophane noodles . I'm sharing with you what's inside of them and more!

What does a spring egg roll have in it?

Fillings. As far as the difference in fillings, egg rolls are typically filled with cooked cabbage, some other vegetables, and pork, while spring rolls typically contain only cooked vegetables . But like any generalization for food so beloved worldwide, you're sure to find exceptions if you look hard enough.

What does a chicken egg roll contain?

Chicken Eggrolls feature a delicious filling of chicken, cabbage, carrots and onions wrapped in a crispy, delicate whole grain rich wrapper.

What was in the original egg roll?

According to Coe, Low's recipe, printed in a 1938 cookbook, Cook at Home in Chinese, included " bamboo shoots, roast pork, shrimp, scallions, water chestnuts, salt, MSG, sugar, palm oil, and pepper ," but notably did not include cabbage, which is the main filling ingredient in modern egg rolls.

What are the parts of an egg roll?

Today, egg rolls usually contain a mixture of meats and diced vegetables in a flaky, crispy fried shell. Common ingredients include pork, chicken, shrimp, shredded cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts . Curiously, what they don't contain is eggs.

Homemade Egg Rolls (2024)

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Homemade Egg Rolls – Everyone’s favorite fried takeout treat! Learn how to make this Chinese food staple at home with a short list of simple ingredients.

Table of Contents

Egg rolls are one of my favorite deep-fried appetizers and are extremely popular in Chinese restaurants as well! I’m sure we’ve all ordered our fair share of egg rolls in the past, but I prefer to make these fried little cylinders in the comfort of my own home!

This takeout classic is made with a mouth watering filling of savory pork, fresh garlic, aromatic ginger, shredded cabbage and a few other staple Asian ingredients, all rolled inside a thickly-wrapped skin, then fried in hot oil. They are the perfect option to serve as an appetizer, at a party or gathering, or even at your next takeout fake-out night! As a bonus, I’ve included freezing instructions so you can make these babies way in advance!

What is an egg roll?

There are many theories floating around about why egg rolls are called egg rolls. One theory is that egg is used in the batter for the wrappers, which is very true. Another theory is that you brush egg on to the wrapper to seal it, which is true as well. One last theory I’ve heard, is because the egg roll has an outer shell with all the good stuff in the middle, just like an egg – I guess I’ll buy that theory too. They really named these rolls appropriately huh?

Ingredients

Pork – Ground pork.
Ginger – Fresh ginger, minced or grated.
Garlic – Minced.
Salt & Pepper – To taste
Chinese 5 Spice – This Asianseasoningis a mixture of star anise, cloves,Chinesecinnamon, Sichuan (Szechuan) peppercorns, and fennel seeds. If you can’t find this specific seasoning, you can substitute a combination of cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and ground cloves for a similar flavor.
Coleslaw Mix – Use your favorite!
Soy Sauce – I opt for low sodium to control to salt level.
Sesame Oil – Regular or toasted sesame oil will work!
Egg Roll Wrappers – You can find these at your local grocery store!
Egg – Beaten.
Vegetable Oil – For frying! Substitute canola oil, avocado oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil or grapeseed oil.

How to make homemade egg rolls

Cook the Pork: Add the ground pork to a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spatula as you go along.
Add Aromatics: Add the ginger, garlic, salt, pepper and Chinese 5 spice to the skillet and stir well. Cook for another minute until the garlic is aromatic.
Add Ingredients: Add the coleslaw mix, soy sauce, and sesame oil to the skillet and for about 4-5 minutes or until the cabbage is wilted. Remove from heat.
Prep Oil for Frying: Add about 3 inches of oil in a deep pot and heat to 350 F degrees.
Assemble Egg Rolls: Meanwhile make the egg rolls. Place an egg roll wrapper on your work surface. Place about 1-2 tbsp of the meat filling on the wrapper. Use the beaten egg to seal the edges of the wrapper. Fold two corners together over the filling, then fold the other sides in and roll tightly.
Fry: Fry the egg rolls in the heated oil, 4 to 5 egg rolls at a time, until browned on all sides, should take 3 to 5 minutes.
Finish & Serve: Transfer the fried egg rolls to a paper towel lined plate to drain some of the oil and repeat with remaining egg rolls. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Can I bake these?

You can! I chose to fry them, but I’ve baked them before and they are just as good!

How to bake

Preheat Oven to 425F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Brush each egg roll roll with melted butter, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Some tips and tricks

Here are some tips and tricks to achieve the best egg rolls out there! Regardless of if you’re a newbie or a seasoned vet in the kitchen, these tips are helpful!

Remove All Excess Moisture: You don’t want any excess moisture in the filling becauseit can make your egg rolls soggy! Soggy egg rolls can easily tear, resulting in a waste of time and effort!
Taste before Wrapping: Make sure to taste your filling before wrapping your rolls to ensure they are seasoned to your liking!
Fry them Fast: If you aren’t planning to make these ahead and freeze them, make sure to fry them within 30 minutes of wrapping them! Otherwise, the juice will seep out and the rolls will be dry.

Additions

You can fill these babies with any ingredients of your choosing! Mix up the protein, add some spice. I kept mine classic and super simple, but feel free to go all out! Just make sure you don’t get too crazy and overfill your rolls, because they WILL tear or explode.

How to serve

Serve these delicious bites with your favorite dipping sauce! Some great options:

Sweet and Sour Sauce
Soy Sauce
Rice Vinegar
Peanut Sauce
Plum Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Sweet Chili
Duck Sauce
Hoisin Sauce

Storing leftovers

Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

Keeping ’em crispy!

Tokeep your rolls crisp, drain as much oil as you can from them! Store them in an airtight container on a paper towel to help soak up any excess oil that could potentially make them soggy.

Note: Do not putthem in the refrigerator before they are completely cooled, because the condensation will make them soggy!

Freezing

If you want to make these in advance, they are an excellent option for a make ahead appetizer! Follow the steps up until frying, then wrap themin aluminum foil and seal in a plastic bag in the freezer – this will keep them moist! Thaw uncooked egg rolls in the bag in the refrigerator before deep-frying.

Reheating

Reheat cooked egg rolls in the oven until heated through or by giving them a quick deep-fry again.

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