Egg Rolls (EXTRA CRISPY Take-Out Style!) - VIDEO - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

By Chris Joe

Apr 06, 2023, Updated Apr 01, 2024

Egg Roll Filling

• 1lbground pork
  • I like to use80% lean / 20% fat; I find that it’s the perfect balance of lean to fat meat. You can use what you prefer.
  • If you cannot eat pork, you can substitute with another ground meat – I would use ground turkey with similar fat content. (You can also use ground chicken or even ground beef! Just keep in mind that it will taste slightly different from pork.)
• 1lbshrimp – The shrimp will need to bepeeled and deveined, as we are going to mince this. You can use any size shrimp but make sure it is raw.
• 1cupbean thread noodle(this was 2 oz dry)
  • Bean thread noodle is also called cellophane noodles or Chinese vermicelli.
  • When using dry bean thread noodle, you will need to rehydrate in water, drain it, and cut to ~1/2″ pieces with scissors. I find this at our local Chinese grocery (99 Ranch).
  • If you cannot find bean thread noodles, you can substitute with rice vermicelli or even a thin pasta, such as angel hair.
• 1cupwood ear mushroom– I find this at our local Chinese grocery (99 Ranch).
  • If you cannot find wood ear mushrooms, you can substitute with white mushrooms. HOWEVER – I highly recommend you cook your white mushrooms to remove as much excess water BEFORE mixing it into the filling. You want to avoid excess water in your Egg Roll filling!
• 1cupcarrot
• 1egg
• 1/2tbspkosher salt
• 1tspgarlic powder
• 1tsponion powder
• 1/2tbspsugar – Sugar helps to balance the flavors in this dish!
• 1/2tspwhite pepper
  • I love using white pepper; it is one of the pantry staples of Chinese cooking! Once you recognize the flavor, you’ll notice it in many of your favorite dishes. It has a more earthier flavor than black pepper and some find it spicier. I would highly recommend purchasing this.
  • If you don’t have it, you can substitute with ground black pepper.
• 1/2tspMSG– As you know, I love using MSG in moderation. If you cannot use it, you can substitute with chicken powder (or leave it out).
• 2tbsplight soy sauce– Use light soy sauce (not low sodium) or all-purpose soy sauce. Do NOT use dark soy sauce, as the flavor is too sweet and intense for this dish.
• 1tbspfish sauce – Fish sauce adds an extra oomph of umami that I love. If you don’t have it, you can substitute with Shaoxing wine or light soy sauce.

Egg Wash

• 1 egg + 1 tbsp water

Other Ingredients

• 40egg roll wrappers –I recommend the brand “Spring Home” or “Wei Chuan”. I find them at my local Chinese grocery (99 Ranch) but have also seen egg roll wrappers at Ralphs, Whole Foods, etc.
• 2quartsneutral oil for frying– My go-to neutral oil is avocado oil. You can also use canola, vegetable, or peanut oil.

PRO TIPS

Expert Tips To Make the BEST Take-Out Egg Rolls!

• Keep Wrappers Moist
  • Avoid rolling these in ‘assembly line’ style. Work with one sheet at a time when wrapping and MAKE SURE to keep the other wrappers COVERED with a DAMP kitchen towel or paper at all times. This will help prevent them from drying out.
• Avoid Excess Moisture in the filling
  • In direct contrast to the wrappers, which you want to keep moist – excess water in your Egg Roll filling is your WORST ENEMY! 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.
  • Stick to dry spices/ingredients such as fresh garlic. I use wood ear mushrooms for both their meatiness and low water content. If you are using white mushrooms as a substitute, cook your white mushrooms to remove as much excess water BEFORE mixing it into the filling.
• Chop Your Ingredients to the Same Size
  • As much as you can, try to make sure your filling ingredients are all chopped/minced to roughly the same size (shrimp, bean thread noodles, carrots, mushrooms). This will ensure an even texture (imagine having large pieces of carrots with small pieces of shrimp) and better mouth-feel.
• Keep Oil at 350˚F– If the temperature drops too low, the egg rolls will be soggy and oily. If it’s too hot, they will burn before the filling is cooked through. Ensure the oil does not drop below 325F.

Make the Perfect Chinese Take-Out Meal at Home!

Now that you know how to make the best Egg Rolls Chinese Take-Out Style, you’ll need to go all-out and recreate your perfect Chinese Take-Out meal at home!

You’ll need to have some carbs to start – I like to make my Chicken Fried Rice and Shrimp Lo Mein to go with these Egg Rolls. If I need more protein, I’ll make Sesame Chicken or String Bean Chicken– two Chinese take-out favorites! If you’d rather make something with beef, try my Orange Beef or Bourbon Beef recipes!

If you tried this Egg Rolls recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!

These homemade egg rolls are super crispy with their pork and shrimp filling – so much better than takeout! This makes a big batch of pork egg rolls which is perfect for meal planning. They freeze and reheat really well.

Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!