Who doesn’t love a good egg roll?! To lighten them up, we are taking all the ingredients and flavors of an egg roll, nixing the wrapper and frying, and making a stir-fry – aka healthy egg roll in a bowl!
My version combines ground chicken (for more protein), fresh garlic and ginger, tons of veggies (cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms!), and a slightly sweet, savory, and a little spicy sauce to bring it all together. It’s cooked quickly in one pan until the vegetables are tender-crisp, and then finished with scallions and sesame seeds on top.
Never Miss a Recipe!
Get new recipes like this delivered to your inbox.
We love serving these egg roll bowls over some white rice to absorb the sauce for an easy dinner, but you can totally eat it as is. Quick tip – be careful not to overcook the cabbage. You don’t want super limp leaves; you still want a little bite and crunch to them!
Why you’ll love this egg roll in a bowl recipe
- comes together in about 35 minutes
- a one-pan dish!
- packed with lots of vegetables – we have a ton of cabbage along with onion, carrots, and mushrooms! It’s loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, selenium, and copper, to name a few.
- customizable – add more veggies or use your protein of choice.
- great for meal prep – the leftovers save well, and it works well for meal prep.
What’s in an egg roll?
An egg roll consists of ground mix (usually pork or chicken) mixed with cabbage, carrots, ginger, garlic, and spices, which is rolled in a wheat wrapper and then deep-fried. It is usually served with duck sauce for dipping.
Are egg rolls healthy?
While the filling of egg rolls contains protein and vegetables, since they are deep-fried, they can be high in calories and fat. They can also contain a lot of sodium, especially when getting them at restaurants.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- fresh garlic
- freshly grated ginger
- ground chicken
- onions
- cabbage
- shredded carrots
- mushrooms
- coconut aminos – a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce
- lime juice
- honey – adds just a touch of sweetness
- sesame oil
- fish sauce
- salt and pepper
How to make egg roll in a bowl
- Make the stir-fry sauce. Combine the coconut aminos, lime juice, honey, sesame oil, fish sauce, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl or jar. Adjust according to taste. Set aside.
- Cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat, add oil, and let it get hot. Add the ginger and garlic and saute, constantly stirring, for 30 seconds until fragrant. Be careful it doesn’t burn. Then add your chicken, breaking it up with a spatula or meat chopper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes until browned on the outside and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté your veggies. Leaving the meat juices in the pan (if your chicken is super lean, add a little more oil), add the onion and a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cabbage and mix well to combine. Sauté for another 4-5 minutes. Finally, add your carrots, mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Bring it all together. Add back your chicken (along with its juices) and your stir-fry sauce. Mix well to combine and let warm through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Enjoy! Top with optional toppings and serve with sides of choice.
How do you cut cabbage for stir fry?
The key to making this chicken egg roll in a bowl is cutting the cabbage, so it comes together quickly. You want thin strips – not shredded, but not too thick.
To cut cabbage for stir fry, first, cut the cabbage in half. Remove the core if you like, but I find you don’t need to. Place the cabbage cut side down so the half-circle side is facing up. Then, taking a sharp knife, start on one side and cut about 1/4-1/2 inch thick strips, moving your knife closer to the middle as you cut.
Once you get close to the core (if you didn’t remove it), you can rotate the cabbage and start on the other side. If some strips are too long, you can cut them in half.
What to serve with egg roll in a bowl
This meal is on the low-carb end for some, so I like to serve it with some carbs to balance it out. Here are a few suggestions:
- any kind of grains – white rice, brown rice, and quinoa are all great for soaking up some of the sauce
- cauliflower rice – a good option to keep it low carb
- roasted potatoes
- garnishes – sriracha, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, sesame seeds…
Storage and reheating
- fridge – store leftovers in a tightly sealed airtight container for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
- freezer – I haven’t tried freezing this recipe, but it should work. The veggies just won’t be as fresh, though. You can freeze the whole recipe in a large container or in individual servings. It should last up to 3 months in the freezer.
- reheating – to reheat, pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat it on the stovetop.
Substitutions and additions
- olive oil – any neutral oil will work (coconut, avocado…).
- fresh ginger and garlic – you can use garlic powder or ground ginger instead. Use 1 teaspoon of each and add it to your stir-fry sauce.
- ground chicken – you can use any ground meat or fat percentage you like. Ground turkey, ground beef, or ground pork would work great. Try not to use too lean of meat as it is what helps give the recipe more flavor.
- cabbage and shredded carrots – to save time, use a bagged coleslaw mix!
- mushrooms – leave out if you don’t like them.
- coconut aminos – low-sodium soy sauce or tamari will work instead; it will just change the flavor a bit. Using either one of those will lower the carbs in the recipe. If using soy sauce, the recipe will not be gluten-free. Do not use liquid aminos as they are way too salty.
- honey – any kind of sweetener will work, but it will change the flavor. You can also try granulated sugar instead of a liquid sweetener.
- sesame oil – there is no substitute for this.
- fish sauce – there is no substitute for this.
Here are some additions you can add to make it your own:
- vegetables – add more veggies if you like! Zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, and snow peas would be good substitutes or additions.
- sriracha – for a little more spice in the sauce!
More healthy one-pan dinner recipes
- chicken and broccoli stir-fry
- cheesy beef taco skillet
- ground turkey sweet potato skillet
- peanut butter chicken stir-fry
- creamy spinach artichoke chicken skillet
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Egg Roll in a Bowl
equipment
ingredients
Egg Roll in a Bowl
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 pound ground chicken (I used 93/7)
- 1 cup sliced onions (105 grams)
- 4 heaping cups sliced cabbage (300 grams)
- 1 cup shredded carrots (85 grams)
- 2 cups diced mushrooms (170 grams)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- for topping – sriracha, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, sesame seeds…
- for servings – rice
Stir Fry Sauce
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- pinch of pepper
instructions
- Make the stir-fry sauce. Combine the coconut aminos, lime juice, honey, sesame oil, fish sauce, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl or jar. Adjust according to taste. Set aside.
- Cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat, add oil, and let it get hot. Add the ginger and garlic and saute, constantly stirring, for 30 seconds until fragrant. Be careful it doesn’t burn. Then add your chicken, breaking it up with a spatula or meat chopper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes until browned on the outside and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté your veggies. Leaving the meat juices in the pan (if your chicken is super lean, add a little more oil), add the onion and a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cabbage and mix well to combine. Sauté for another 4-5 minutes. Finally, add your carrots, mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Bring it all together. Add back your chicken (along with its juices) and your stir-fry sauce. Mix well to combine and let warm through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Enjoy! Top with optional toppings and serve with sides of choice.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive so we can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
nutrition
Recipe by Kelly Nardo, Eat the Gains | Photography by Sierra Inn
Get My Guide On
How to Build a Balanced Plate
No recipe, no problem! Learn the key factors to build a balanced plate for sustainable eating and to fuel your body to support your activity, goals, and lifestyle.
Delicious! Will definitely add this to our monthly meal list.
Glad you enjoyed, Brenda!
Sounds delicious
Hope you enjoy!