Pork Egg Roll in a Bowl
Why cook the meat and vegetables separately?
While I only use one pan to make this dish, I always cook my vegetables and meat separately for egg roll in a bowl for a couple of reasons. First, and most importantly, it keeps the vegetables from overcooking and becoming mushy.
I get really sad when I have mushy, overcooked vegetables. It’s so easy to get perfectly crisp-tender vegetables when you use high heat and cook it quickly.
Second, I have a couple of kids with real texture issues when it comes to cooked vegetables. Cooking them. Cooking the meat and vegetables separately doesn’t just let me hit perfect textures with both, it also allows the ones who are vegetable averse to have slightly fewer vegetables in their servings. It’s a win for all!
Ground Pork
Ground pork is a life saver when you need a fast meal. It cooks quickly while adding immense flavor to any dish. The tender savory bits of pork had all of us scraping the bottoms of our bowls then coming back for seconds.
Lately, I’ve been a little nuts about cooking with ground pork. It’s easy to whip up into Pork Green Chili or Easy Garlic Ginger Crispy Pork Noodles and I’ve been known to toss it into everything from burritos to stews to taco salads.
Like ground beef, you cook ground pork by browning it in a pan, breaking it up as you go. You can use it just like you’d use ground beef but I think it’s especially tasty in Asian-inspired dishes like this easy Egg Roll in a Bowl.
And here’s a fun fact, ground pork is often less expensive per pound than ground beef. It’s economical, convenient, and delicious!
Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe
The pork is definitely the star of this recipe but it’s helped along with a big handful of purple cabbage and broccoli slaw. I love the color and slight crunch the shredded cabbage adds to these bowls–and using bagged shredded cabbage and slaw means there’s no chopping involved.
If you can’t find broccoli slaw (or prefer not to use it), coleslaw mix works just as well. I’ve made this recipe both ways and while I think I might like the broccoli slaw just an teensy-weensy bit more, it tastes wonderful every which way.
A simple-but-flavorful rice vinegar and soy sauce dressing ties everything together with no mess or fuss. Ground pork has so much taste naturally that it really doesn’t need a ton of seasoning in this recipe.
We serve our Egg Roll in a Bowl over rice with wonton noodles for extra crunch. This meal would also be delicious served on a bed of cauliflower rice or your favorite Asian noodles. I can also imagine this combination of pork, cabbage and soy sauce dressing making a fabulous lettuce wrap.
And you want to know the truth? I’ve been known to eat this Egg Roll in a Bowl straight up without any extras.
Give me pork and Asian flavors and I’m a happy girl. Give me pork, Asian flavors AND a meal that doesn’t involve tons of prep time or clean up and I’m about as ecstatic as can be.
Pork Recipes
Along with Pork Egg Roll in a Bowl, my family goes wild over this Chinese Barbecue Pork (Char Siu). It remains one of my most popular recipes for a good reason, folks! I also can’t forget to remind you about my beloved Mapo Dofu (Chinese Spicy Pork with Tofu) and ultra easy Garlic Ginger Glazed Sticky Pork.
If it’s a crispy egg roll exterior you’re after, check out my not-traditional-but-super-delicious Reuben Egg Rolls and Thousand Island Dipping Sauce, Southwestern Egg Rolls and Cheesy Barbecue Chicken and Bacon Egg Rolls.
There’s room in my life for all kinds of takes on this favorite Chinese side dish, wrapped and unwrapped alike. What can I say? I’m just generous like that.
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best and this Pork Egg Roll in a Bowl definitely falls under that category. If you serve this to company I guarantee they’ll never suspect how downright easy it was to make. This is a restaurant quality dish that’s so much better than takeout and just as fast.
And please stick with me for a minute here, because I need to tell you something about all of the pig farmers I have met while working with Pork.org. They are among the nicest, hardest-working, kindest people I have ever met.
And mercy, the work they put into feeding us by raising pigs is incredible.
From requiring employees to shower before entering the facilities and showering as they leave to employing climate control for the most comfortable temperature and humidity for the pigs, they really think of it all. They’re using automation and technology now to make the environment in which they raise the pigs far more comfortable and healthy for the animals.
Speaking of the environment, pig farmers are working hard to make sure pigs are raised sustainably and their impact on the environment is as positive as they can.
It’s incredible, folks. And so are they. You can buy ground pork with the knowledge that it is easy on your wallet and your conscience and delicious, too.
Egg Roll in a Bowl
-Heat oil until shimmery in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over high heat, about 30 seconds.
-Add the broccoli slaw (or cabbage slaw), purple cabbage, and carrots. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt over the vegetables and stir fry for 1 minute. Transfer immediately to a large mixing bowl.
-Return the pan to high heat and press the ground pork into the pan like a patty. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, the minced garlic, and the ginger over the top and press into the pork. Let it fry for 1 minute before beginning to break up the pork.
-Continue frying and breaking up the pork until browned and cooked completely through.
-While the pork browns, whisk together the broth or water, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pour over the browned pork and stir.
-The liquid should boil quickly. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer until thick. Toss in the green onions.
-Scoop some of the stir-fried vegetables and some of the pork mixture over hot, cooked rice. Top with wonton strips, if desired, and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro.
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 teaspoons sunflower, vegetable, or canola oil
- 14 ounce bag broccoli slaw mix or regular slaw mix with carrots
- 1 cup shredded purple or red cabbage or 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup julienned carrots You can use purchased julienned carrots
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/4 cup minced ginger or ginger paste
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced or pressed in a garlic press
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
Optional for serving:
- 1 cup wonton strips
- 5 cups cooked white rice
- fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil until shimmery in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over high heat, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli slaw (or cabbage slaw), purple cabbage, and carrots. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt over the vegetables and stir fry for 1 minute. Transfer immediately to a large mixing bowl.Return the pan to high heat and press the ground pork into the pan like a patty. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, the minced garlic, and the ginger over the top and press into the pork. Let it fry for 1 minute before beginning to break up the pork. Continue frying and breaking up the pork until browned and cooked completely through.While the pork browns, whisk together the broth or water, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pour over the browned pork and stir. The liquid should boil quickly. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer until thick. Toss in the green onions.
To Serve:
- Scoop some of the stir-fried vegetables and some of the pork mixture over hot, cooked rice. Top with wonton strips, if desired, and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Reader's Thoughts...
Amy says
How do you make won ton strips?
Rebecca says
I purchase them by the bag in both the Asian foods section and salad fixings section of my local grocery stores. You can, however, cut strips of wonton wrappers and fry them in an inch or so of oil until golden brown and crunchy!
Katie says
Ok so I made this full of hope but was thrown off by some of the proportions. 1 cup or 4 cups of cabbage seemed like a big range (I went for 2 since that’s how much I had). I also ended up with way more veggies than meat – maybe 8x? And 1 tsp of salt, 1/4 cup of ginger, and 1/4 cup of soy sauce to 1 pound of pork seems off. Perhaps it’s supposed to be more than a pound of pork? Love the idea but I couldn’t bring myself to put that much ginger and soy sauce on just a pound of ground pork. Admittedly I cut both of those down, so my disappointment might be my fault. The veggies were a little sad but I do love the idea of using the slaw as an easy side!
Rebecca says
Hi Katie- I think we have a combo platter of problems here. 🙂 First, the 4 cups was a typo on my part. It should only have been 1 cup of purple/red cabbage. I’ve fixed that. And the 1/4 cup each of ginger and soy sauce were correct. It yields a VERY highly flavoured, saucy meat to make up for the lack of aromatics added to the vegetables. So when you eat everything together, it works quite well. (When the recipe writer doesn’t accidentally write 4 cups of cabbage in the recipe. Whoops. I am sorry about that.)