Hey, Let Me Tell You Why This Egg Roll in a Bowl Kinda Rules

Alright, so you’ve probably heard of this trend – egg roll in a bowl – but lemme tell you, I was skeptical the first time I saw it on Instagram. Honestly, I thought, “Is this just another one of those fake-healthy things that tastes like a sad desk lunch?” But one night, after a long week (and realizing we had no actual egg roll wrappers anywhere), I went for it. And you know what? My partner wandered into the kitchen, sniffed the air, and said, “Woah, what smells awesome?” Yeah, that basically never happens.

Now, the chili sauce thing… that’s all me. I got tired of boring soy drizzle. So, after some, uh, ‘inventive’ mixology with what was left in the fridge door, this creamy chili magic was born. There’s been some disasters (mayonnaise explosion, never again), but overall, it’s a winner.

So, Why Do I Keep Making This?

I make this when I’m a bit over my usual rotation (like, I can’t eat another chicken and broccoli bowl or I’ll burst). My family goes a little wild for it, honestly – and I totally sneak bites straight from the skillet, not sorry. It’s got all those savory cabbagey flavors I grew up loving, but it’s way faster than real egg rolls. Oh, and my kid hasn’t detected the hidden veggies yet; stealth mode achieved. This even gets requested on “I can’t even think about cooking” nights, which says a lot about the cozy level here. And for anyone as impatient as me, it comes together fast – though I’ve definitely scorched the garlic once or twice by not paying enough attention. Don’t do that.

What You’ll Need (Plus a Few Swaps)

500g ground pork (or, honestly, I’ve used ground chicken and even tofu when that’s all I’ve got; grandma swore by pork, but I think she’d forgive me)
1 bag (about 300g) coleslaw mix (or just slice up cabbage and some carrots if you’re feeling fancy)
1 small onion (I use yellow, any will do, red works too)
3 garlic cloves (I sometimes just use that pre-minced jar stuff – don’t judge)
1 thumb-sized piece ginger (I actually keep mine in the freezer and just grate off what I need – learned that from this trick)
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari if gluten’s being a pain)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (but apple cider vinegar worked ok once when I ran out)
2 green onions, sliced (skip if you’re out, it’s not a dealbreaker)
A small handful of shredded carrots (if they aren’t in your coleslaw mix)

Creamy Chili Sauce:

3 tablespoons mayonnaise (Kewpie is amazing, but, honestly, Hellmann’s is fine)
1 tablespoon sriracha (or any chili-garlic sauce; once I used Frank’s and it was totally different, but not bad)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Splash of lime juice (lemon in a real pinch)
Big pinch of sugar (could skip it, but I usually can’t help myself)

Let’s Get Cooking – Just Follow My Lead

Get your biggest skillet or wok hot over medium-high. If you’ve only got a saucepan, that’ll work too, just don’t overcrowd it. Brown your ground pork. Give it about 5-7 minutes, breaking it up as you go. This is where I usually sneak a taste for saltiness (careful – it’s lava!)
Chuck in your sliced onion, garlic, and ginger. Let it all sizzle together till the onion goes soft and smells like you wish your house always smelled. If it looks a bit too dry, I’ll sometimes add a splash of water.
Now, toss in the coleslaw mix and carrots. Don’t worry if the whole thing looks like a cabbage mountain, it cooks down. Pour in your soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir, let everything get happy together for 5-7 minutes until the cabbage wilts but still has some crunch.
Sneak another taste here. Actually, I find it works better if you check for salt/soy now rather than later.
While this all mingles, whip up your sauce. Just mix the mayo, sriracha, soy, lime juice, and pinch of sugar in a bowl. Sometimes I add an extra squirt of sriracha, depending how spicy I’m feeling.
When the cabbage is how you like it, stir in most of your green onions (save a bit for topping if you care about the ‘look’). Kill the heat.
Spoon your egg roll mixture into bowls, drizzle (or, if you’re my spouse, flood) with the creamy chili sauce. Top with leftover green onions. Grab a fork. Done!

A Few Notes (from Too Many Attempts)

Don’t skip the vinegar – I tried, and things turned strangely bland, almost like hospital food. Not great.
The sauce is pretty forgiving, but using fancy mayo like Kewpie actually does make a difference… though if it’s not in your town, seriously, don’t sweat it.
If you let the cabbage go too long, it gets kinda sad and watery. On second thought, it’s not a tragedy, but I prefer a tiny crunch.

The Things I’ve Tried (Some Hits, One Miss)

Swapped pork for ground turkey – good, but a bit dry; needs a lil’ extra oil.
Tofu crumbles – totally works for my veggie pals.
Added mushrooms once – very savory, almost too earthy, but may be someone else’s jam?
Tried adding hoisin sauce once… and yeah, that was a mistake. It took over the whole thing. Maybe use a tiny bit if you love it, though!

Don’t Sweat the Equipment

I say use your largest frying pan, but if you’ve only got a regular saucepan, just do it in batches. And, funnily enough, I once made this in a deep cast iron – worked great, just watch the bottom for sticking. No fancy gadgets needed. Oh, and those little squeeze bottles for the sauce? Sure they’re cute in photos, but I just use a spoon.

Egg Roll in a Bowl with Creamy Chili Sauce

Leftover Wisdom (Or, What Leftovers?)

If by some miracle you have leftovers, just pop them into any old container and into the fridge – they’ll be fine for about 2 days. It reheats really well, so makes a weirdly good breakfast with a fried egg on top, if you ask me. Though, honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day; someone always sneaks into the fridge for a midnight snack. Here’s an article on making leftovers last if you’re better at self-control than me.

How I Like to Serve It (Maybe You’ll Agree)

I usually plop a mountain of this in a big bowl, then hand everyone a fork (or a pair of chopsticks, depending on the mood). My kid dunks extra crackers in it – I don’t get it, but hey, whatever gets veggies eaten. Some nights I’ll pile it over rice, especially if I’m feeding a crowd and need it to stretch further. Sometimes I go all out and sprinkle crispy fried onions on top (dangerously moreish!).

Lessons Learned (So You Don’t Make My Mistakes)

I once tried rushing the cabbage, cranked the heat, and burnt the bottom – cue twenty minutes of frantic scraping and grumbling. Go medium. Trust me.
Don’t skip the sauce step at the end! I forgot once, and it felt like something was missing all meal.

Questions I Get All The Time (So I’ll Answer)

Can I make this ahead for meal prep? Oh, totally. Actually, I think it tastes even better the next day; the flavors hang out and get friendly. Just keep the sauce separate until you eat.
Does it freeze? Sort of? It’s fine, but the cabbage can go soft and weepy when thawed. Still tasty, but be prepared for a texture change.
What if I hate spicy things? Just leave out the sriracha or cut it in half, no biggie. Sometimes I add a tiny splash of sweet chili sauce for more flavor, less heat.
How can I make this low carb? Honestly, as-is, it’s already pretty decent, but if you skip any sugar in the sauce and avoid serving with rice, you’ll be set.
Help! All I have is regular cabbage, not coleslaw mix. That’s grand. Just shred it yourself – a bit more work, but actually a bit more satisfying too.
Where’d you get the chili sauce idea? Oh, I kind of stole the inspiration form those spicy mayo rolls at sushi spots, then kept tweaking it – I think Serious Eats has a neat version too.

Hope this brings a little brightness to your dash-through-the-week kind of cooking – or at least saves you from another sad soggy takeout order (been there). Let me know if you come up with any wild new combos – always game to test another bowlful!

Egg Roll in a Bowl with Creamy Chili Sauce