Egg Roll in a Bowl
Looking for a quick, healthy dinner that’s family-friendly? My egg roll in a bowl is what you’re looking for! It’s versatile and easy. You can make egg roll in a bowl with ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey – whichever is on hand or on sale!
I’ve been trying to eat less carbs for years now, and this is one of my favorite go-to recipes. The family enjoys it and doesn’t even realize that they’re “indulging” in a super healthy recipe that is gluten-free, low-carb, paleo and keto-friendly, and meets Whole30 requirements.
You can serve it on top of rice for the kids, or just eat it as-is. It’s a complete meal in one pan! YES. Mama appreciates that, as it makes clean-up easier, too.
What’s in Egg Roll in a Bowl?
The main ingredients in egg roll in a bowl are ground meat and lots of veggies. Ground pork is super tasty and gives the most similar flavor to the egg rolls you’d eat at a Chinese restaurant. However, ground chicken is also delicious and ground turkey would also be a good choice.
The main vegetable is cabbage, just like in egg rolls. The most budget-friendly choice is to choose a whole cabbage and wash and slice it yourself. However, if you are in a hurry, a bag of shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix will make things quick and easy. If your store carries “broccoli slaw” (which is basically broccoli stems julienned into small pieces) then you can add that which definitely will increase the nutrition for your family.
If you like, add in some shredded carrots, as well. You can increase the veggies if you wish to stretch your recipe (and your budget, since meat is the most expensive ingredient). If you increase the vegetables, then also increase your seasonings to balance out the flavors.
I also use a sliced yellow onion and a bunch of green onions (also known as scallions). Separate the white and green parts of the green onions before you slice them. You’ll be adding the whites in as you cook the egg roll in a bowl, and the green parts are a topping at the end.
Adding a can of sliced bamboo shoots or water chestnuts is a delicious way to add some more crunch and Asian flavor. This is optional, but fun.
For seasonings I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Soy sauce contains gluten and lots of sodium, and I’ve found that whenever I eat it, I gain weight. My body is much happier eating coconut aminos. I learned this when doing The Plan (if you’re curious about that, read My Health Journey). Not only is this true for me, but it’s true for many middle-aged women. If you are eating Whole30, gluten-free, or paleo, then you should go with the coconut aminos, too. I have tried the Trader Joe’s coconut aminos and Big Tree Farms coconut aminos and both are good.
If you don’t have coconut aminos, you can substitute soy sauce (which is also a cheaper choice, if you are trying to save money). If you use soy sauce, reduce the salt in the recipe. You may also want to add a little bit of sweetener to your egg roll in a bowl since coconut aminos are a little bit sweet and soy sauce is not.
Serving Egg Roll in a Bowl
Egg roll in a bowl can be served as-is, and it’s delicious! If you are feeding kids, you may want to make some rice to go under it. Rice would also be a good way to stretch a dime if you are watching your budget as it’s quite cheap and very filling. Obviously if you are going low-carb, skip the rice.
We love to put toppings on our egg roll in a bowl! Offering toppings is a great way to please both picky and adventurous eaters at the same time. Put the green onions on top as well as cilantro, sesame seeds, and peanuts! If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, get some of their Everything but the Bagel seasoning! It has garlic, onion, sesame seeds, and salt (so use sparingly so as to not over-salt).
If you like things spicy, sriracha sauce or hot chili oil is a delicious way to kick things up a notch! You also can slice fresh jalapenos to sprinkle on top.
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil or your choice of cooking oil
- 2 lbs Ground pork or ground chicken Ground turkey would also be good
- 1 sliced yellow onion
- 1 head of cabbage, shredded or use a 1 lb. bag of shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix or broccoli slaw
- 1 cup carrots, shredded optional
- 6 green onions (separate the green/white, then chop)
- 2 tsp ginger, minced
- 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp salt (to taste)
- 1/2 tsp pepper (to taste)
- 1 can bamboo shoots, sliced or 1 can sliced water chestnuts
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped optional
- sriracha or hot chili oil optional
- 2 fresh jalepenos, chopped optional
- sesame seeds optional – Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel seasoning works great
- peanuts optional
Instructions
- In a large saute pan over medium heat, drizzle 1 Tbsp avocado oil (or cooking oil of choice) and add ground meat.
- Cook for 5 minutes or so until meat is browned. Add a little salt and pepper.
- Add sliced onion and whites of green onion. Saute about 3 minutes, then add ginger and garlic and saute another minute.
- Add cabbage and/or broccoli slaw and carrots. Reduce heat to medium low, then cover and cook about 5 minutes to soften.
- Add coconut aminos, sesame oil, and more salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Add bamboo shoots and/or water chestnuts. Cover and cook another 5 minutes or so, then taste to test for doneness and seasoning. Adjust if necessary.
- Serve! Garnish with greens of green onions, cilantro, sriracha or hot chili oil, sesame seeds, fresh jalepenos, and peanuts if desired.
I hope you enjoy my egg roll in a bowl recipe! Please pin and share!
