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American-Style Egg Rolls

By Kevin Pang

Published on October 19, 2025

Time

1 hour, plus 30 minutes resting

Yield

Makes 12 rolls

American-Style Egg Rolls

Ingredients

12 ounces ground pork 2 tablespoons lard, cut into 4 pieces, room temperature (optional)4 ounces shrimp (any size), peeled, deveined, tails removed, and coarsely chopped2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided4 teaspoons sugar, divided1 tablespoon oyster sauce 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil 1½ teaspoons Shaoxing wine 1½ teaspoons Chinese white rice vinegar 1 teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon white pepper ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 2 cups chopped green cabbage 1 carrot, peeled and shredded1½ ounces dried mung bean glass noodles 12 (7- to 8-inch) square egg roll wrapper 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Before You Begin

Look for freshly ground pork sold at the butcher counter, which has more fat and a coarser texture than prepackaged pork. Adding a small amount of lard makes for even richer egg rolls. Serve with Plum Sauce and/or hot mustard.

Instructions

  1. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat 12 ounces ground pork and 2 tablespoons room temperature lard, cut into 4 pieces (if using), on medium speed until well combined and mixture has lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add 4 ounces shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails removed, and chopped coarse), 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder, 1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil, 1½ teaspoons Shaoxing wine, 1½ teaspoons Chinese white rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon table salt, ½ teaspoon white pepper, and ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder. Mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Heat empty 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Reduce heat to medium-high, drizzle 1 teaspoon vegetable oil around perimeter of wok, and heat until just smoking. Add 2 cups chopped green cabbage, 1 peeled and shredded carrot, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and cook, tossing slowly but constantly, until cabbage is just softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer vegetable mixture to large plate, spread into even layer, and refrigerate until cooled slightly, about 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, soak 1½ ounces dried mung bean glass noodles in 4 cups hot water in bowl for 15 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse under cold running water until chilled. Drain noodles again, then transfer to cutting board and chop into rough 1-inch lengths. Return bowl with pork mixture to mixer fitted with paddle. Add vegetable mixture and noodles and mix on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
  4. Fill small bowl with water. Using 12 (7- to 8-inch) square egg roll wrappers total and working with 1 wrapper at a time, arrange on counter so 1 corner points toward edge of counter. Place rounded ¼ cup filling on lower half of wrapper and mold it with your fingers into neat 4-inch-long cylinder parallel to edge of counter. Dip your fingertip in water and moisten entire border of wrapper with thin film of water.
  5. Fold bottom corner of wrapper over filling and press gently along length of filling to remove air pockets. Fold side corners over to enclose filling snugly; gently roll to form tight cylinder and press edges to seal. Transfer egg roll seam side down to parchment paper–lined plate and cover with damp paper towel while shaping remaining egg rolls. Stack egg rolls as needed, separating layers with additional parchment. (Egg rolls can be frozen until solid, then transferred to zipper-lock bag and stored in freezer for up to 1 month. Do not thaw before frying; increase frying time by 2 minutes.)
  6. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line rack with triple layer of paper towels. Add 2 quarts peanut oil to clean, dry, 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Using tongs, carefully add 6 egg rolls seam side down to hot oil and cook until deep golden brown, 4 to 8 minutes, flipping egg rolls halfway through frying. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees. Using tongs, transfer egg rolls to prepared rack and let drain. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining 6 egg rolls; transfer to prepared rack and let drain. Serve.

American-Style Egg Rolls

Headshot of Kevin Pang
By Kevin Pang

Published on October 19, 2025

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Time

1 hour, plus 30 minutes resting

Yield

Makes 12 rolls

Ingredients

12 ounces ground pork
2 tablespoons lard, cut into 4 pieces, room temperature (optional)
4 ounces shrimp (any size), peeled, deveined, tails removed, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
4 teaspoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1½ teaspoons Shaoxing wine
1½ teaspoons Chinese white rice vinegar
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped green cabbage
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1½ ounces dried mung bean glass noodles
12 (7- to 8-inch) square egg roll wrapper
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Ingredients

12 ounces ground pork
2 tablespoons lard, cut into 4 pieces, room temperature (optional)
4 ounces shrimp (any size), peeled, deveined, tails removed, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
4 teaspoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1½ teaspoons Shaoxing wine
1½ teaspoons Chinese white rice vinegar
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped green cabbage
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1½ ounces dried mung bean glass noodles
12 (7- to 8-inch) square egg roll wrapper
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Ingredients

12 ounces ground pork
2 tablespoons lard, cut into 4 pieces, room temperature (optional)
4 ounces shrimp (any size), peeled, deveined, tails removed, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
4 teaspoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1½ teaspoons Shaoxing wine
1½ teaspoons Chinese white rice vinegar
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped green cabbage
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1½ ounces dried mung bean glass noodles
12 (7- to 8-inch) square egg roll wrapper
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Why This Recipe Works

In most American-style egg roll recipes, the ground pork filling and vegetables are cooked separately, then rolled into wrappers and fried. For a cohesive filling that felt more like shu mai (the goal), we whipped ground pork and lard in a stand mixer until the pork filling turned snow-white. We then added raw shrimp, seasoned with the marinade we use for shu mai, and combined the mixture with cooked cabbage and carrots, plus mung bean noodles.

Before You Begin

Look for freshly ground pork sold at the butcher counter, which has more fat and a coarser texture than prepackaged pork. Adding a small amount of lard makes for even richer egg rolls. Serve with Plum Sauce and/or hot mustard.

Instructions

  1. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat 12 ounces ground pork and 2 tablespoons room temperature lard, cut into 4 pieces (if using), on medium speed until well combined and mixture has lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add 4 ounces shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails removed, and chopped coarse), 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder, 1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil, 1½ teaspoons Shaoxing wine, 1½ teaspoons Chinese white rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon table salt, ½ teaspoon white pepper, and ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder. Mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Heat empty 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Reduce heat to medium-high, drizzle 1 teaspoon vegetable oil around perimeter of wok, and heat until just smoking. Add 2 cups chopped green cabbage, 1 peeled and shredded carrot, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and cook, tossing slowly but constantly, until cabbage is just softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer vegetable mixture to large plate, spread into even layer, and refrigerate until cooled slightly, about 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, soak 1½ ounces dried mung bean glass noodles in 4 cups hot water in bowl for 15 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse under cold running water until chilled. Drain noodles again, then transfer to cutting board and chop into rough 1-inch lengths. Return bowl with pork mixture to mixer fitted with paddle. Add vegetable mixture and noodles and mix on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
  4. Fill small bowl with water. Using 12 (7- to 8-inch) square egg roll wrappers total and working with 1 wrapper at a time, arrange on counter so 1 corner points toward edge of counter. Place rounded ¼ cup filling on lower half of wrapper and mold it with your fingers into neat 4-inch-long cylinder parallel to edge of counter. Dip your fingertip in water and moisten entire border of wrapper with thin film of water.
  5. Fold bottom corner of wrapper over filling and press gently along length of filling to remove air pockets. Fold side corners over to enclose filling snugly; gently roll to form tight cylinder and press edges to seal. Transfer egg roll seam side down to parchment paper–lined plate and cover with damp paper towel while shaping remaining egg rolls. Stack egg rolls as needed, separating layers with additional parchment. (Egg rolls can be frozen until solid, then transferred to zipper-lock bag and stored in freezer for up to 1 month. Do not thaw before frying; increase frying time by 2 minutes.)
  6. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line rack with triple layer of paper towels. Add 2 quarts peanut oil to clean, dry, 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Using tongs, carefully add 6 egg rolls seam side down to hot oil and cook until deep golden brown, 4 to 8 minutes, flipping egg rolls halfway through frying. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees. Using tongs, transfer egg rolls to prepared rack and let drain. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining 6 egg rolls; transfer to prepared rack and let drain. Serve.

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