Egg Roll in a Bowl

When I was a kid, my mom’s go-to dinner when she didn’t know what to feed us was hamburger and onions. What is Hamburger and Onions, you ask? Well. It’s hamburger. And onions. Just hamburger sautéed with onions. Some salt and pepper. Maybe some Worcestershire sauce mixed in there if she was feeling fancy. I’d eat it with some ketchup if I was feeling fancy. Honestly, I loved it and I should probably make it again and see if it was as good as I remember, but what I’m REALLY getting at is Egg Roll in a Bowl is kind of the 2021 version of Hamburger and Onions (and by that, I don’t mean post-apocalyptic Hamburger and Onions, I mean ground meat sauteed with vegetables and seasonings.)

egg roll in a bowl from our best bites

Egg Roll in a Bowl, You Say…

If you’re not familiar, egg roll in a bowl is a super-popular, veggie- and protein-packed, very easy dinner (I actually love making a whole batch for meal prep lunches.) You can serve it with some brown rice or you can just serve the meat and veggies and it doesn’t feel weird.

I experimented a little with a few different recipes before landing on my own.

  • Meat: I’m using a mixture of lean ground chicken and flavorful ground pork.
  • Vegetables: I’ve thrown in some stray vegetables at times–a handful of mushrooms or shredded some celery that needed to be used up. It’s always good. It’s hard to mess these up.
  • Cabbage: I like using the coleslaw mix from Walmart (for someone who doesn’t love Walmart, I really love their produce department.) It has purple cabbage and carrots mixed in and the shreds are a nice size for cooking without getting soggy.
  • Sauces: When I’m ready to serve, I drizzle it with an Asian condiment. My go-tos are Gochujang (like what I use in these beloved Korean Noodle Bowls) or this Japanese BBQ Sauce. Sriracha would also be delicious. Sprinkle it with some green onions and voila–you have the easiest dinner ever!

egg roll in a bowl from our best bites

egg roll in a bowl from our best bites

Egg Roll in a Bowl

5 from 4 votes
This quick and easy meal comes together in 30 minutes or less, is packed with flavor and protein, and you won't even miss the carbs! It's great for a family dinner or to meal prep for busy weekday lunches.
Servings4 large main dish servings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound lean ground chicken
  • 1/2 pound ground pork as lean as you can find
  • 1 small-medium red onion diced
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1/2 cup grated carrots buy them pre-shredded to save time or grate them yourself to save money
  • 5-6 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup finely diced baby bella mushrooms optional
  • 1 16- oz. bag coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon Sriracha optional
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • Chopped green onions for garnish
  • Asian condiment of your choice for drizzling Gochujang and Japanese BBQ are my go-tos.

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When hot, crumble the meat into the pan and cook with the onions, garlic, and ginger. When the meat is about halfway cooked, add the carrots, and mushrooms (if using) and cook until the meat is cooked through and the onions are translucent and fragrant.
  • While the meat is cooking, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, and Sriracha (if using). Set aside.
  • Add the cabbage a couple handfuls at a time, stirring it as it wilts. When the cabbage is cooked, drizzle the soy sauce mixture over the meat mixture and stir to combine and heat through. Serve alone or over brown rice.
Author: kate jones
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woman in denim shirt holding a salad bowl
Meet The Author

Sara Wells

Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite RecipesSavoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting MagazineBetter Homes & GardensFine CookingThe Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.

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Questions & Reviews

  1. Toshi is theThe Pan Asian Restaurant in Dubai with the best japanese teppanyaki, thai tom yum, sushi & sashimi.

    1. Depends on the size of your eaters…in my house I’d say this serves 4 larger, main dish servings.

  2. 5 stars
    Such a great recipe! All of my kids love this and it’s so easy and fast to get on the table.

  3. I made this tonight and it really is the easiest dinner ever! And one of the yummiest. I buy wonton strips in the salad dressing aisle to sprinkle on top. So good.

  4. Yum, I’m a huge fan of this dish and usually just throw it together, so thanks for the details that will definitely up my game. I will also add that bagged coleslaw is the BEST! It lasts forever and is so easy to add to soups, fresh salads, fried rice, etc. We try to minimize exposure by shopping every 2 weeks, and that bag of coleslaw feels like a bonus when I’ve used up the other produce. I’ve always been a little snobby about “prepared produce,” but this stuff is cheap, convenient and versatile. (Also: frozen chopped peppers — so much cheaper, already prepped and taste the same as fresh in soups, chili, casseroles, sheetpan fajitas, etc. — obviously wouldn’t use them in everything!).