Can You Bake Egg Rolls Instead of Deep Frying

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Crispy Baked Egg Rolls have the trademark crunch and bold flavors of the traditional rolls, with a fraction of the fat and calories. Baked to golden perfection, these freezer-friendly rolls are the perfect appetizer or snack

This post and recipe card updated August 8, 2019

overhead shot of egg rolls on serving board with dipping sauce

No matter what I get as an entree at Asian restaurants, I always get an egg roll or spring roll on the side. But as much as I love egg rolls, I don't like the deep frying. Spring rolls are still fried, but they're smaller and the skin is thinner so I feel a little better about myself.

Egg Roll Stir Fry is one of my favorite lunches to make. It has all the delicious flavors of an egg roll, without the wrapper. But sometimes I still crave that crunch, so I solved it with Crispy Baked Egg Rolls

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

They're easy to make and ready in about 45 minutes
You can choose your favorite meat, or make the rolls vegetarian
They're freezer-friendly, and you can bake them from frozen

INGREDIENT TIPS FOR CRISPY BAKED EGG ROLLS

I use ground pork and recommend 85% lean. Many grocery stores now sell ground pork, or you can ask your butcher to grind it for you. You could use 90% lean, but I wouldn't go any leaner than that.

I use store-bought Egg Roll Wrappers, found in the produce section of the grocery, along with the other packaged vegetables. Maybe one day I'll take on the challenge of homemade wrappers…but that's doubtful.

ADDING LOADS OF FLAVOR TO CRISPY BAKED EGG ROLLS

Sesame oil is a staple in most Asian cuisine. It is powerful and a little goes a long way.

Garlic and ginger are a must. Fresh ginger adds a warm, spicy bite, and I add garlic to everything.

Cilantro is such a great herb in egg rolls. But people either love it or hate it, and there's no in-between.

Lemongrass is found in a lot of Asian cooking. It's a fragrant, tropical grass that you can find in the produce section of the grocery store, alongside other packaged herbs.

BEST VEGETABLES FOR CRISPY BAKED EGG ROLLS

Shredded cabbage and carrots are a must. I use green cabbage, but you could mix in red cabbage or substitute Napa cabbage
I love fresh bean sprouts, so when I have them I add them.
Shallots add a mild flavor that works really well in the egg rolls. If you don't have shallots, use onion instead
Fresh jalapeno adds a big kick, so remember to remove the ribs and seeds to tone down the heat

overhead shot of raw vegetables on a white plate

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR CRISPY BAKED EGG ROLLS

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add vegetables and aromatics, and lightly saute for a few minutes, until cabbage begins to soften.

Add pork and cook until no longer pink.

Transfer mixture to a bowl to cool for about 5 minutes. This is very important, or the wrappers will get holes.

overhead shot of vegetables and pork in skillet

Place egg roll wrapper on a flat surface, turned at a 45° angle so one corner faces down.

Scoop 1/4 cup of filling onto the bottom 1/4 of the wrapper. Flip bottom corner up, until just covering the filling.

process shots: filling scooped onto open wrapper on left; bottom corner of wrapper folded up on right

Fold right and left edges in, so pouch looks like an envelope. Fold upper edges in again.

process shots: edges folded in on left; double edges folded in on right

Lightly spray the top corner, to help seal the roll. Roll up from the bottom to form egg roll.

Place the egg rolls seam side down on a baking sheet lined withParchment Paper.

process shots: roll nearly folded, one corner exposed on left; roll completely folded and placed seam down on right

Rolling Crispy Baked Egg Rolls takes practice! Mine looked so sad the first couple of times. They're much better now, but still not perfect. And you know what? That's okay.

GETTING THE GOLDEN BROWN COLOR ON YOUR CRISPY BAKED EGG ROLLS

Sesame oil – made the rolls too greasy for my tastes
Melted butter – very delicious, but a little too heavy
Avocado Oil Spray or Cooking Spray – this was my favorite. It does the job while keeping the egg rolls light and crispy

process picture: egg rolls finished, sprayed with cooking spray, ready to bake

CRISPY BAKED EGG ROLLS ARE FREEZER FRIENDLY!

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place egg rolls on the sheet, being sure they don't touch or they will stick together

Cover egg rolls with Saran Wrap so the wrappers don't crack, and put them in the freezer until they get hard

Wrap rolls individually in parchment paper, and store in freezer-safe Ziploc bags

Do not thaw egg rolls before baking! Preheat oven to 400° and bake for about 20 minutes, spraying the tops with cooking spray about halfway through.

up close shot shot of egg rolls on serving board with dipping sauce

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What if I don't like pork? You can substitute ground beef or ground chicken. If you do, I recommend 90% lean for either one.

How about making these vegetarian? Simply omit the meat and double the vegetables.

What if I don't like sesame oil? You can do half sesame and half canola oil to start. But I highly recommend using it, because the egg rolls won't taste the same without it.

MORE DELICIOUS APPETIZERS

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Meatballs
Asparagus Prosciutto Puff Pastry
Pigs in an Everything Blanket
Baked Green Bean Fries
Marinated Steak Vegetable Roll Ups
Easy Pan Fried Mushrooms

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Ingredients

10 egg roll wrappers
2 teaspoons sesame oil
8oz ground pork (85% lean)
1 cup chopped green cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed, finely diced
1 small shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, thick outer leaves discarded and tender leaves chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper

Instructions

PREPARE EGG ROLL FILLING

In a large skillet over medium heat, add sesame oil and heat up.
Add cabbage, carrots, ginger, lemongrass, shallot, jalapeno, and cilantro. Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes
Add ground pork, salt, and pepper. Break pork into crumbles and stir to combine with vegetable mixture. Cook until pork is no longer pink.
Transfer mixture to a bowl for 5 minutes to cool

ASSEMBLE EGG ROLLS

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
Lay egg roll wrapper on a flat surface at 45° angle, with one corner facing you.
Scoop 1/4 cup of filling on bottom 1/4 of the wrapper. Take the bottom corner and flip up, until it just covers filling
Fold side edges in, to form what looks like an envelope. Fold side edges in again
Roll the wrapper up, leaving top corner exposed. Spray corner lightly with cooking spray to help the roll stay together. Roll over the final corner, and lay rolls seam side down
Finish assembling remaining egg rolls, and place seam side down on a lined baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown

Notes

ROLLING EGG ROLLS TAKES PRACTICE!Don't worry if they don't look pretty, because they'll still taste good. The most important thing is to roll the wrappers snugly so the filling doesn't fall out

Let the filling cool for at least 5 minutes before rolling in wrappers. If not, you'll get holes in the wrappers.

Look for lemongrass in the produce section of the grocery store, alongside other packaged herbs.

Use store-bought egg roll wrappers, found in the produce section of the grocery, along with the other packaged vegetables.

FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place egg rolls on the sheet, being sure they don't touch or they will stick together
Cover egg rolls with Saran Wrap so the wrappers don't crack, and put them in the freezer until they get hard
Wrap them individually in parchment paper, and store in freezer-safe Ziploc bags

Do not thaw frozen egg rolls before baking! Preheat oven to 400° and bake for about 20 minutes, spraying the tops with cooking spray about halfway through.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 2
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 211 Total Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 30mg Sodium: 292mg Carbohydrates: 24g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g Protein: 11g

Nutrient values are estimates only. Variations may occur due to product availability and food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients, etc

Can You Bake Egg Rolls Instead of Deep Frying

Source: https://karylskulinarykrusade.com/crispy-baked-egg-rolls/