All the savory, garlicky goodness of your favorite takeout egg rolls—minus the wrapper and the fuss. This one-pan egg rolls in a bowl recipe comes together fast with ground meat, tender cabbage, and a flavorful sauce that soaks into every bite.

Unstuffed egg roll or pork fried rice presented in a white bowl on white marble countertop. Displayed with chop sticks, sriracha and green onions.

Unstuffed egg rolls are my go-to lazy dinner. This one-pan meal has everything you love about a takeout egg roll, just without the wrapper (or the deep frying). Savory ground pork, tender cabbage, garlic, and soy sauce all come together in under 30 minutes with the help of one simple shortcut that makes weeknight cooking even easier. If you love fried rice or traditional egg rolls… you’re definitely going to want to add these unstuffed egg rolls to your weeknight dinner rotation!

Why You’ll Love These Unstuffed Egg Rolls

  • One pan: Everything cooks in a single skillet, which means minimal mess and easy cleanup.
  • Totally satisfying on its own: With protein, veggies, and flavor all in one bowl, you don’t need to prep anything extra.
  • Simple ingredients: Nothing fancy here. Just a short list of pantry staples and freezer-friendly basics that come together fast.
  • No chopping required: Thanks to pre-shredded coleslaw mix and garlic paste, you can skip the knife and still get big flavor.
  • Frozen veggies welcome: A great way to use up that bag of stir-fry mix or edamame hiding in the freezer. It saves time and still tastes great.
Ingredients for unstuffed egg rolls in a bowl displayed in clear glass bowls on a white marble counter: ground pork, soy sauce, coleslaw mix, frozen vegetables, sriracha, sesame oil, garlic, green onions and cooked rice.

Ingredient Notes

You’ll only need these 10 ingredients to make unstuffed egg rolls:

  • Vegetable oil or cooking spray: If you’re using ground pork or beef in a non-stick pan, you can skip this.
  • Lean ground pork: You can sub ground pork for ground beef, turkey or chicken! Or try shrimp or crumbled tofu for non-meat options.
  • Green onions: Any finely chopped onion will work, but these give the best flavor.
  • Frozen vegetable blend: I use the blend with corn, peas and carrots, but any mix you like will work.
  • Coleslaw mix: My favorite easy vegetable option! If you can’t find it, sub for 3 cups of shredded or finely chopped cabbage.
  • Cooked and cooled rice: Cooking and cooling in advance helps prevent mushiness. You can use freshly cooked rice, but the texture won’t be as good! Feel free to try adding cauliflower rice instead if you’re looking for a lower carb option.
  • Soy sauce: Use low-sodium if you wish. 
  • Sriracha: If you don’t like spice, leave this out.
  • Sesame oil: It brings the best flavor. Try to include this if you can!
  • Salt and pepper: You don’t really *need* to add this since the soy sauce and sriracha offer so much seasoning. But taste and adjust to your liking if needed!

Variation Ideas

  • Extra protein: Add 1-2 scrambled eggs
  • No red meat: Sub pork for ground chicken or turkey
  • Plant-based: Use crumbled tofu instead of meat
  • Shrimp: Use shrimp instead of pork
  • Mild: Leave the sriracha out
  • Low carb: Use less rice or sub for cauliflower rice
  • Lower sodium: Use low-sodium soy sauce
Unstuffed egg rolls in a bowl displayed in white bowl on white marble counter. Displayed with sriracha, green onions and chopsticks. Sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Tips for Success

  • Use a big pan: A large skillet or wok gives the ingredients room to cook properly without steaming. If the pan’s too crowded, you’ll end up with soggy cabbage instead of that lightly crisp texture you want.
  • Add garlic at the right time: Garlic burns fast, especially in a hot pan. Wait until the meat is nearly cooked through, then stir it in for the last minute or so.
  • Choose the right rice: Short or medium-grain rice holds together better and gives that slightly chewy, takeout-style texture. Long-grain rice tends to fall apart or get dry.
  • Cook out the moisture: If you’re using frozen veggies (which I totally recommend), let them cook until the extra liquid evaporates. This keeps your final dish from getting watery.
  • Use cooked and cooled rice: Day-old rice is ideal. It holds its shape and gives you that classic fried rice feel without clumping or turning mushy.
  • Add toppings before serving: Finish your bowl with green onions, a drizzle of sriracha, sesame seeds, or Kewpie mayo. It adds texture, flavor, and a little extra fun at the table.

How to Store Extras

Leftovers are best stored in individual portions in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer. Unstuffed egg rolls will stay good for 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.

More Easy Dinner Ideas

Need more healthy dinner ideas that aren’t hard to make? Try these!

Unstuffed egg roll or pork fried rice presented in a white bowl on white marble countertop. Displayed with chop sticks, sriracha and green onions.
5 from 12 votes

Egg Rolls in a Bowl

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Try this one-pan meal for an easy weeknight dinner. These unstuffed egg rolls have all the delicious fillings of your favorite takeout egg roll without the wrapper!
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil or neutral oil, or cooking spray
  • 1 lbs lean ground pork
  • 3 green onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups frozen vegetable blend, with peas, carrots, corn
  • 1/2 package coleslaw mix, or 3 cups shredded cabbage
  • 3 cups cooked and cooled rice
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 2-3 Tbsp sriracha, optional
  • salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings

  • green onions, sriracha, kewpie mayonnaise, sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • Cook meat: Heat a large pan with oil or cooking spray to medium high heat. Add ground pork and cook until very little pink remains. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up meat into crumbles as it cooks, stirring every 2-3 minutes for even cooking.
  • Add onions and garlic: When meat is almost done cooking, add green onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and onion are slightly translucent. Mixture will be done when meat is completely browned and no pink remains.
  • Remove meat from pan: Remove meat, onions and garlic from the pan and set aside. Drain some of the remaining meat juices, leaving about 1 Tbsp in the pan.
  • Add frozen vegetables: To the same pan, add frozen vegetables. You will notice excess moisture in the pan as the vegetables thaw. Cook for 4-5 minutes uncovered, stirring halfway. Cook until vegetables are thawed and most of the liquid has evaporated.
  • Add coleslaw: Add coleslaw mixture to the pan with the other vegetables and stir until combined. Cover with lid and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lid, stir well, and cover with lid again. Repeat this process 2-3 times or until coleslaw is cooked down and translucent, and vegetables begin to brown.
  • Add rice, seasonings, and meat: Add rice, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, and cooked meat mixture to the pan and stir well until ingredients are evenly combined and rice appears as an even color. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
  • Serve and enjoy: Serve rice into bowls and add toppings as desired. Enjoy immediately!

Notes

  • Use short or medium grain rice for best results.
  • Make sure to cook excess moisture out of frozen vegetables before adding additional ingredients.
Calories: 573kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 1106mg, Potassium: 698mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 4784IU, Vitamin C: 38mg, Calcium: 76mg, Iron: 3mg
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Course: Main Course
Author: Miranda Galati, MHSc, RD