These homemade pork and vegetable egg rolls are absolutely delicious! The filling is bright and flavorful and features Chinese roast pork and a medley of colorful veggies. A super easy homemade sweet and sour sauce is the perfect finish for these crispy morsels. Instructions for frying and baking are below!

Closeup of a halved egg roll on top of a pile of more egg rolls.

(This recipe was originally published in February 2012, but was updated with new photos and content in 2021).

Although these homemade egg rolls contain the obligatory shredded Napa cabbage, they're also filled with bright orange carrot shreds, small chunks of crisp celery, and bites of char siu (Chinese roast pork). A delicious flavoring sauce enhanced with soy sauce and oyster sauce brings it all together.

They're so delicious, you really don't even need a dipping sauce, but I'm sharing one anyway! Homemade sweet and sour sauce provides the perfect balance for these superbly seasoned crunchy morsels. Whether you choose to bake or fry them (I have instructions for both cooking methods below), these pork and vegetable egg rolls will steal the show.

Ingredient notes

Ingredients for pork and vegetable egg rolls on a white marble background.

Char Siu (Chinese Roast Pork): You may use homemade or store-bought char siu (Chinese roast pork) for this egg rolls recipe. Find prepared char siu in the cooked foods section of Chinese supermarkets (I get mine at Good Fortune Supermarket). You can also use homemade char siu, which I have done in the past as well. If you do, you can adapt the linked recipe but use 2 pounds of trimmed boneless pork shoulder (quartered into strips of about equal thickness) in place of the pork tenderloin.
Cabbage: There are many varieties of cabbage, more than most probably realize. For these homemade egg rolls, plan on using Napa cabbage which is also sometimes called Chinese cabbage. It is more elongated in appearance than other spherical/round cabbage varieties, and is fairly common in most US grocery stores. If you can't find it, try green or Savoy cabbage instead.
Egg Roll Wrappers: Egg roll wrappers are usually in the refrigerated section in supermarket produce aisles (near the tofu). Do not substitute wanton wrappers or dumpling wrappers, as they are not the same. You could easily use this filling to make spring rolls if you prefer. Just use spring roll wrappers in place of egg roll wrappers. Spring roll wrappers are typically much thinner and yield a super crispy texture when fried. Egg roll wrappers are thicker and are more crispy/chewy (in a good way) when fried.
Oil: You'll need oil whether you are frying or baking your homemade egg rolls, and you can use the same type of oil in both cases. The best types of oil for frying are those with a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. This means they can safely heat to a high temperature before they begin to burn. Good options include canola, vegetable, peanut, safflower, or sunflower oil. Avoid using peanut oil if anyone enjoying these homemade roast pork and vegetable egg rolls is allergic to peanuts.

Closeup of a pile of fried egg rolls on a white platter.

How to make them

To make the roast pork and vegetable egg roll filling, first combine sugar, salt, pepper, water, oyster sauce, and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Then, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and cook until soft and aromatic.

Next, add cabbage, celery, and carrot (PHOTO 1), stirring well until the vegetables have collapsed slightly. Pour in the flavoring sauce (PHOTO 2) and cook until most of the liquid has disappeared and the vegetables have just cooked through (PHOTO 3).

Add the pork (PHOTO 4) and continue cooking, stirring to combine the flavors and heat through. Pour cornstarch slurry (cornstarch and water) over the filling. Stir to combine and bind the mixture.

Step-by-step photos of making pork and vegetable egg roll filling in a skillet.

Transfer filling to a platter and spread out to cool completely. Feel free to prepare the filling up to 2 days in advance.

Closeup of char siu pork and vegetable egg roll filling with cabbage and carrots.

To assemble, place an egg roll wrapper on a work surface with the points facing 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. Place ¼ cup of filling just below the center of the wrapper (PHOTO 5). Fold over the bottom of the wrapper, brush the upper edges with egg wash (PHOTO 6), then fold in the sides of the wrapper (PHOTO 7). Roll tightly from the bottom up to seal and finish, forming a cigar shape (PHOTO 8).

Step-by-step photos of how to roll up and egg roll on a wooden board.

Set the finished rolls, seam side up, on a baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel or lightly damp paper towel to prevent drying.

To fry homemade egg rolls, first line a sheet pan with paper towels and then place a metal rack over the top. Heat 1 ½ inches of oil in deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat to about 375°F on a deep-fry thermometer.

Slide in a few rolls and fry for about 3 minutes flipping halfway through or gently pressing down to submerge (they may be stubborn flipping over) until golden brown and crisp.

Remove from the oil and drain on the metal rack set over the paper towels. Repeat with the remaining rolls. Be sure not to add too many rolls at once since it will lower the oil temperature suddenly.

Fried egg rolls arranged on a wire rack over a paper towel.

To bake homemade egg rolls, preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly oil a baking sheet (the one below is a quarter sheet pan). Place the egg rolls on the oiled baking sheet and brush them all over with more oil.

Six egg rolls brushed with oil and arranged in a small metal baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes on one side. Then flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown on the top and bottom. They won't really brown on the sides the same way they do when fried.

Six baked egg rolls on a small metal baking sheet.

Serve hot, whole or cut in half with sweet and sour dipping sauce, or any other dipping sauce you prefer.

Although you can fry or bake these, please note that the appearance and texture with both vary a bit based on the cooking method you choose. Baking yields a slightly more brittle crunch initially that will later soften a bit as it sits. Both options yield delicious, but different, results. Enjoy!

A baked egg roll next to a fried egg roll showing off the difference in appearance.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Expert tips

These are so delicious even at room temperature. I've made them for a gathering where they sat out for a little while and people still scarfed them down! They will become less crispy as they sit, but they are really so flavorful that it doesn’t even matter.

Reheat leftover homemade egg rolls in an oven or toaster oven at 375°F for about 8 minutes or until crispy and heated through.

To freeze uncooked or cooked egg rolls, arrange them on a small tray or baking sheet (line it with parchment paper if they're uncooked to avoid possible sticking) and freeze until solid. Then transfer frozen egg rolls to a freezer bag, press out the excess air, and seal. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Fry uncooked frozen egg rolls from a frozen state, but just add another minute or so of cooking time as needed until they are crispy golden brown. For frozen cooked egg rolls, thaw in the refrigerator until completely thawed, then use the steps above to reheat them in the oven or toaster oven to freshen them up, or drop them in a fryer again. They won't taste as fresh as when you first fry them but they will still be delicious!

A white platter of egg rolls with a bowl of dipping sauce at the furthest end.

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