These homemade pork egg rolls have a deeply crisp, bubbled wrapper around a savory filling of pork breakfast sausage, Napa cabbage, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, and water chestnuts. A quick pineapple sweet and sour sauce gives every crunchy bite the tangy finish it deserves.
The two details that matter most are simple: drain and cool the filling completely, then hold the frying oil near 350°F. That keeps moisture out of the wrapper and gives you a crisp shell instead of a greasy or soggy one.
What Are Pork Egg Rolls?
Pork egg rolls are Chinese American appetizers made by wrapping a cooked pork-and-vegetable filling in wheat egg roll wrappers and deep-frying them until golden and crisp. This version uses seasoned pork breakfast sausage, Napa cabbage, shiitakes, and water chestnuts, with homemade sweet and sour sauce for dipping.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- That crackly wrapper: Frying at 350°F gives the egg rolls a crisp, bubbled shell without letting them soak up excess oil.
- A filling with real texture: Napa cabbage softens quickly while carrots, shiitakes, and water chestnuts keep every bite interesting.
- Built-in seasoning: Pork breakfast sausage adds a peppery, savory backbone that plain ground pork does not.
- Freezer-friendly: Assemble the rolls, freeze them uncooked, and fry straight from frozen.
- Homemade dipping sauce: Pineapple juice, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and ketchup cook into a glossy sweet-tart sauce in minutes.
Recipe At-a-Glance
- Flavor: Savory pork, ginger, garlic, sesame, soy, and tangy-sweet pineapple sauce.
- Texture: Crisp wrapper, tender cabbage, meaty filling, and crunchy water chestnuts.
- Difficulty: Moderate; the work is mostly prep and wrapping.
- Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Cook time: 30 minutes.
- Total time: 2 hours.
- Yield: About 24 egg rolls.
- Make-ahead: Assemble up to 4 hours ahead or freeze uncooked.
- Best occasions: Parties, game day, takeout night at home, and appetizer spreads.
Where This Dish Comes From
Egg rolls are a Chinese American restaurant classic rather than a direct copy of one single regional Chinese dish. Their thicker wheat wrappers fry up blistered and sturdy, which distinguishes them from thinner spring rolls.
I learned this version from a Chinese college friend after my husband and I met him over the ping-pong tables at Sam Houston State University. His family used ground breakfast sausage instead of plain pork. That small twist gives the filling more seasoning and is still the detail I remember every time I make them.
Ingredients You'll Need
The filling balances seasoned pork with vegetables that soften quickly but do not disappear, while the sauce uses pantry ingredients for a bright sweet-and-sour finish.
- Napa cabbage: Shreds finely and cooks quickly; draining it well is the key to a crisp wrapper.
- Carrot and green onions: Add color, mild sweetness, and fresh onion flavor.
- Garlic and fresh ginger: Build the aromatic base of the filling.
- Fresh shiitake mushrooms: Add savory depth; discard the tough stems before slicing.
- Ground pork breakfast sausage: Supplies the pork filling and a lightly peppery seasoning.
- Water chestnuts: Keep a clean crunch after the filling cooks.
- Rice wine or dry sherry: Adds depth without making the filling taste boozy.
- Soy sauce and sesame oil: Season the pork and bring classic savory, toasted flavor.
- Soybean oil: A neutral high-heat oil for stir-frying and deep-frying.
- Cornstarch: Helps season the pork and makes a reliable sealing slurry for the wrappers.
- Egg roll wrappers: Keep them covered while you work so the edges stay flexible.
- Egg: A second dependable option for sealing the final edge.
- Pineapple juice, sugars, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, and cornstarch: Cook into the sweet and sour dipping sauce.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional, for gentle heat in the sauce.
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Tools That Make It Easier
- Food processor or sharp chef's knife for shredding
- Wok or large sauté pan
- Colander and mixing bowl
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Plastic wrap and parchment paper
- Pastry brush
- Deep pot or wok for frying
- Deep-fry thermometer
- Wire rack and sheet pan
- Medium saucepan and whisk
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Buy Now → How to Make Pork Egg Rolls
1. Prep and Marinate the Filling
Combine the pork breakfast sausage, 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch; marinate for at least 10 minutes. While it rests, shred the Napa cabbage and carrots, chop the green onions, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, slice the shiitakes, and drain the water chestnuts.
2. Stir-Fry, Drain, and Cool
Heat 1 tablespoon soybean oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry the pork until no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes, then lower the heat and push it to one side. Add the garlic, cabbage, carrots, green onions, ginger, mushrooms, and water chestnuts; cook about 1 minute. Stir in the rice wine, a little more soy sauce if needed, sugar, sesame oil, and black pepper, then cook 1 minute more.
Strain the filling in a colander, spread it on a baking sheet, and cool for 15 minutes. Discard any collected liquid and blot away remaining moisture or oil. The filling should be cool and fairly dry before it touches a wrapper.
3. Wrap and Seal
Keep the wrappers and finished rolls covered with plastic wrap. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling near the bottom third of one wrapper. Fold the bottom point over the filling, fold in the sides, and roll tightly. Brush the last edge with cornstarch slurry or beaten egg and press to seal. Arrange the rolls in one layer, using parchment between layers if needed.
4. Fry Until Golden and Crisp
Pour about 2 inches of high-heat oil into a deep pot and heat it to 350°F. Fry 4 to 6 egg rolls at a time, turning occasionally, until deeply golden, about 1 ½ minutes. Let the oil return to temperature between batches, then transfer the rolls to a wire rack so steam can escape instead of softening the bottoms.
5. Make the Sweet and Sour Sauce
Whisk the pineapple juice, white sugar, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, optional red pepper flakes, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until smooth and thick enough to fall from the whisk like warm honey, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Freeze or Fry from Frozen
To freeze, arrange uncooked egg rolls in one layer so they do not stick together. Fry them directly from frozen without thawing and add about 1 ½ minutes to the cooking time, turning occasionally until crisp and golden.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Make dryness your goal. A juicy filling is good in a bowl and bad inside a wrapper. Drain, cool, and blot before wrapping.
- Use only a heaping tablespoon. Overfilled egg rolls tear, leak, and cook unevenly.
- Cover the wrappers. Their edges dry quickly and will crack instead of sealing.
- Check the oil between batches. Crowding drops the temperature, so let it return to 350°F before adding more rolls.
- Drain on a rack. Paper towels trap steam against the wrapper; a wire rack keeps air moving.
A Few Easy Mistakes to Avoid
- Wrapping warm filling: Heat creates steam, and steam makes the wrapper damp before frying.
- Rolling too loosely: Air pockets can fill with oil and open the seam.
- Frying below 350°F: The wrapper absorbs oil before it can crisp.
- Frying too many at once: A crowded pot loses heat fast.
- Thawing frozen egg rolls: Condensation softens the wrapper; fry them straight from the freezer.
A Few Things That Make This Recipe Better
Breakfast sausage seasons the filling all the way through, while Napa cabbage and mushrooms supply tenderness and savory depth. Water chestnuts prevent the interior from becoming one soft texture. The sweet and sour sauce works because pineapple juice and two sugars round out the sharper rice vinegar and soy sauce.
Keeping Leftovers Fresh
Refrigerate cooled fried egg rolls in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat them on a rack in a 350°F oven until hot and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Refrigerate the sweet and sour sauce separately for up to 1 week.
Can You Make Them Ahead?
Yes. Assemble the egg rolls, cover them well, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours before frying. For longer storage, freeze the uncooked rolls in a single layer and fry directly from frozen, adding about 1 ½ minutes.
What to Serve with Pork Egg Rolls
Serve the egg rolls as an appetizer or make them part of a homemade takeout spread with hibachi-style fried rice, sweet and sour pork, chicken Pad Thai, or orange peel chicken. A cool cucumber salad also gives the fried wrapper a fresh contrast.
Pork Egg Roll FAQs
How do you keep homemade egg rolls from getting soggy?
Drain, cool, and blot the filling before wrapping, then fry at 350°F and drain on a wire rack. Moist filling and low oil temperature are the two most common reasons egg rolls turn soggy.
Can you freeze pork egg rolls before frying?
Yes. Freeze uncooked egg rolls in a single layer so they do not stick, then fry them straight from frozen without thawing. Add about 1 ½ minutes to the fry time.
What oil is best for frying egg rolls?
Soybean oil is Jennifer's tested choice because it is neutral and handles high heat. Peanut, canola, or another neutral high-smoke-point oil also works.
Why do egg rolls burst while frying?
Egg rolls usually burst because they are overfilled, rolled loosely, sealed poorly, or filled with a wet mixture. Use one heaping tablespoon, press out air as you roll, and seal the final edge securely.
Can you use regular cabbage instead of Napa cabbage?
Yes. Green cabbage or bagged coleslaw mix can substitute for Napa cabbage, but Napa cooks more quickly and has a softer, slightly sweeter bite.
Can you bake these egg rolls?
The tested method is deep-frying, which gives the wrapper its most even blistered crunch. Baking may work, but it will produce a different, less crisp result and is not the method tested for this update.
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Pork Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Crispy, savory pork egg rolls packed with fresh veggies and bold flavor-straight from my college days in Texas to your table. Serve with sweet and sour sauce for a crowd favorite!
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 24 Eggrolls 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 8 cups Napa cabbage (shredded (about 1 head))
- 1 cup carrot (shredded)
- 3 green onions (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (very finely minced)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated)
- 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms (stems discarded and thinly sliced)
- 1 pound ground pork breakfast sausage
- 1 (8-ounce) can diced water chestnuts (drained)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce (plus more for seasoning)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soybean oil (plus more for deep frying)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (for marinade)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup cool water (for sealing egg rolls)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 (16-ounce) packages egg roll wrappers ((about 24 wrappers))
- 1 egg (beaten (for sealing))
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
Make the Filling
- In a small bowl, combine the ground pork, soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Mix well and marinate for at least 10 minutes.
- Shred the cabbage and carrots using a food processor or by hand. Thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms or pulse them in a food processor until finely diced.
- Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon soybean oil and swirl to coat the surface.
- Add the marinated pork and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and push the pork to one side of the pan.
- Add the garlic, cabbage, carrots, green onions, ginger, mushrooms, and water chestnuts to the empty side of the pan. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until vegetables are slightly softened.
- Stir in the rice wine, additional soy sauce if needed, sugar, sesame oil, and black pepper. Continue stir-frying for another minute.
- Strain filling using a colander over a mixing bowl to remove excess juices and then transfer the filling to a baking sheet and spread it out.
- Allow the filling to cool for 15 minutes.
Prepare for Wrapping
- Once the filling has cooled, discard any accumulated juices.
- Blot the filling with paper towels to remove any remaining moisture or oil.
- Keep the egg roll wrappers and assembled rolls covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
- Use 1 heaping tablespoon of filling per wrapper to avoid overfilling and tearing.
Wrap the Egg Rolls
- Place the filling toward the bottom third of the wrapper. Fold the bottom over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll tightly.
- Brush the edge of the wrapper with the cornstarch-water mixture or beaten egg to seal.
- Arrange wrapped egg rolls in a single layer. If stacking, separate layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Fry the Egg Rolls
- Fill a wok or deep pot with about 2 inches of high-heat oil.
- Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C), or until a cube of bread turns golden within 10 seconds.
- Gently slide 4 to 6 egg rolls into the oil at a time, frying and turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 1½ minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to drain and cool slightly before serving.
Frying Frozen Egg Rolls
- Fry egg rolls directly from frozen without thawing.
- Add an extra 1½ minutes to the fry time, turning occasionally until golden and crisp. Make the Sweet and Sour Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, combine the pineapple juice, white sugar, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, red pepper flakes (if using), and cornstarch.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens to the consistency of warm honey, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve the sauce warm or let it cool to room temperature.
- To store, cover and refrigerate for up to one week.
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Mushrooms: Substitute with button mushrooms if shiitake aren't available.
- Rice Wine: Dry sherry can be used instead.
- Ground Pork: You can also use ground chicken or turkey for a lighter filling.
Storage and Freezing:
- Refrigerate: Assemble egg rolls and refrigerate for up to 4 hours before frying. Keep covered with plastic wrap.
- Freeze: Arrange uncooked egg rolls in a single layer in a freezer bag. Avoid overlapping to prevent sticking.
- Cooking from Frozen: Fry directly from frozen without thawing. Add about 1½ minutes to the fry time for best results.
Nutrition
- Calories: 125
- Sugar: 11
- Sodium: 483
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 13
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 20
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