American Chinese / Dim Sum Recipe

Egg Rolls and Spring Rolls

Fried appetizer · Makes 12 · 1 hour

Egg rolls, spring rolls, and shrimp rolls are related fried wrapper dishes with vegetable, pork, chicken, shrimp, or tofu fillings.

Recipe at a glance

PurposeHigh-frequency Chinese restaurant menu dish
Cuisine or formatAmerican Chinese / Dim Sum
Menu variation ruleProtein may be adjusted without creating a separate recipe family.

Ingredients

  • 12 egg roll or spring roll wrappers
  • 3 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 1 cup bean sprouts, optional
  • 8 oz pork, chicken, shrimp, tofu, or mushrooms
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • White pepper
  • Oil for frying

Method

  1. Stir-fry filling ingredients until just cooked.
  2. Drain excess moisture and cool completely.
  3. Place filling on wrappers and roll tightly.
  4. Seal edges with water or flour paste.
  5. Fry until golden and crisp.
  6. Drain well.
  7. Serve with duck sauce, mustard, or vinegar sauce.

Menu-literacy notes

  • Egg rolls are usually larger and heavier than spring rolls in American Chinese restaurants.
  • Shrimp rolls use the same wrapper-and-filling structure.
  • Shared fryer risk is important for allergies and gluten concerns.

Variations and substitutions

  • For chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, tofu, or mixed seafood variants, keep the same sauce logic and adjust the cooking time for the protein.
  • For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, broth, wrappers, cooking wine, and shared wok or fryer use.
  • For takeout-style dishes, sauce texture matters: the sauce should coat the food rather than become a thin soup.

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