20 Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl Dinners in 30 Minutes

An easy egg roll in a bowl gives you every flavour of a takeaway egg roll — savoury pork, garlic, ginger and crunchy cabbage — without the wrapper or the fryer. It all comes together in one skillet in under 20 minutes, which makes it a genuine weeknight lifesaver. Because it leans on a bag of ready-shredded coleslaw mix, there's barely any chopping involved. It's also naturally low carb, easy to double for meal prep, and endlessly adaptable to whatever protein or vegetables you have in the fridge.

This is the version most people mean when they say egg roll in a bowl: 450 g (1 lb) ground pork browned with garlic and ginger, then tossed with a 400 g (14 oz) bag of coleslaw mix and a soy-sesame sauce. Cook the pork until no pink remains, about 5-6 minutes, before adding the slaw so it doesn't stew in the meat's juices. The cabbage only needs 3-4 minutes to wilt and still have a bit of bite. A splash of rice vinegar at the end brightens the whole dish.

Swap the pork for 450 g (1 lb) lean ground turkey to cut the fat without losing the dish's heartiness. Turkey releases less fat than pork, so add an extra teaspoon of sesame oil to the pan to stop it from drying out. Everything else stays the same: garlic, ginger, coleslaw mix and a soy-based sauce. This version cooks in about 15 minutes total, making it one of the quickest options on this list.

Double the aromatics here — 1 tablespoon each of freshly grated ginger and minced garlic — and let them sizzle in the sesame oil for a full minute before the meat goes in. This blooms their flavour and gives the finished bowl a warmer, more fragrant backbone. A pinch of white pepper stirred into the sauce adds a gentle, cosy heat that plain black pepper doesn't quite match. Serve it over steamed rice to soak up every bit of the aromatic sauce.

For the busiest nights, pare it back to just ground pork, coleslaw mix, soy sauce, sesame oil and a squeeze of fresh lime. Skip the fresh garlic and ginger in favour of 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder and ground ginger, stirred straight into the sauce. It still tastes distinctly like an egg roll, just with less prep and a shorter ingredient list. This stripped-down version is on the table in about 15 minutes.

Stir 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise mixed with 1 tablespoon of sriracha into the finished bowl for a rich, spicy drizzle reminiscent of a sushi-bar sauce. Add it off the heat so the mayonnaise doesn't split, then fold it through gently rather than stirring vigorously. This turns the dish into something closer to a deconstructed crab rangoon egg roll, sweet-savoury with a creamy kick. A few extra sesame seeds on top balance the richness.

Bulk up the classic recipe with 1 diced red bell pepper, 100 g (1 cup) sliced mushrooms and 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas or corn, added alongside the coleslaw mix. These extra vegetables mean you get two full servings of veg per bowl without diluting the flavour, since the sauce clings to everything. Cook the peppers and mushrooms for 2-3 minutes before adding the slaw so they soften properly. This loaded version comfortably stretches the recipe to feed six.

This variation layers two sauces: a savoury soy-sesame base cooked into the meat, plus a finishing drizzle of hoisin sauce and rice vinegar added just before serving. The cooked-in sauce seasons the pork and cabbage from the inside, while the raw finishing sauce adds a glossy, fresher hit of sweetness and tang on top. Use 2 tablespoons of hoisin and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar for the finishing layer. Readers consistently rate this the most restaurant-like version of the bowl.

Stir 60 g (1/2 cup) of shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack through the hot bowl right after the cabbage wilts, letting the residual heat melt it into the mixture. The cheese mellows the soy-sesame sauce and gives the dish a comforting, almost casserole-like texture. This isn't traditional, but it's a genuine crowd-pleaser with children who are wary of straight-up stir-fry flavours. A final sprinkle of cheese on top under a lid for one minute makes it melt into a gooey layer.

Use the cheapest ground meat on offer, a plain green cabbage shredded at home instead of pre-bagged coleslaw mix, and pantry staples like soy sauce, a squeeze of bottled lemon juice and a pinch of dried ginger. A whole head of cabbage costs a fraction of a bagged mix and yields more once shredded. This version keeps the total ingredient cost low while still delivering the same core flavours. It's an easy way to feed a family of four for well under the price of a takeaway.

Ground chicken is milder than pork or beef, which makes this the version most likely to win over picky eaters at a family dinner. Use 450 g (1 lb) ground chicken and season the sauce slightly sweeter, with 1 tablespoon of honey added to the soy and sesame base. Because ground chicken can turn stringy if overcooked, break it up finely in the pan and remove it from heat as soon as it turns opaque. Serve it over rice with a fried egg on top for a bowl that feels substantial enough for guests.

Cook a double batch — 900 g (2 lb) ground pork and two bags of coleslaw mix — and portion it into 4-6 airtight containers once fully cooled. Keep the rice or noodles in separate containers so the slaw mixture doesn't turn soggy while it waits in the fridge. Undercook the cabbage very slightly, by about a minute, since it will continue to soften as it reheats. This batch keeps well for lunches across the working week.

Transfer the cooked filling into a 23 cm (9 in) baking dish, top with 80 g (3/4 cup) shredded cheese and crushed wonton strips, then bake at 200°C (400°F) for 8-10 minutes until bubbling. This turns the skillet dish into something you can bring straight to the table for a family dinner, spoon-served rather than stir-fried to order. The wonton strips on top add exactly the crunch a wrapper would have given the original egg roll. It's an easy way to stretch the recipe for a bigger household.

Stir in a 225 g (8 oz) tin of drained, sliced water chestnuts for the crisp, festive crunch found in restaurant-style egg rolls. Add them with the cabbage rather than earlier, since they only need to warm through, not cook. A few tablespoons of dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds scattered over the top add a pop of colour that suits a holiday table. This dressed-up version feels special enough for a festive buffet spread.

Use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked meat instead of raw mince to cut the cooking time roughly in half. Sauté the coleslaw mix in sesame oil for 3-4 minutes first, then stir in the shredded cooked meat and sauce just to heat through, about 2 minutes more. This shortcut version is genuinely ready in 10 minutes flat, making it one of the fastest dinners on this list. It's an ideal way to use up leftover roast chicken.

Skip bottled stir-fry sauce and whisk your own from 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon honey and a pinch of chilli flakes. Whisking it separately before it hits the pan means the honey dissolves evenly rather than clumping against hot meat. This homemade version has a rounder, less salty flavour than most shop-bought sauces and lets you control the sweetness and heat. It takes under two minutes to mix and keeps in the fridge for up to a week if you want to make extra.

Ground beef gives this version a richer, slightly more savoury depth than pork, especially when you use 450 g (1 lb) of 85% lean mince and drain off the excess fat before adding the slaw. Beef also holds up well to a bolder sauce, so don't be shy with an extra teaspoon of soy sauce and a dash of oyster sauce if you have it. Brown the beef undisturbed for the first 2 minutes to build a bit of caramelisation before breaking it apart. This is the heartiest variation on the list and pairs particularly well with steamed rice.

Spread the ground meat, coleslaw mix and sliced onion across a lined sheet pan, drizzle with the soy-sesame sauce, and roast at 220°C (425°F) for 15-18 minutes, stirring once halfway through. This hands-off method frees up the hob and works well if you're cooking a second dish at the same time. The edges of the cabbage catch a light char in the oven that you don't get from a skillet, adding a subtle roasted flavour. It's an easy option when you want dinner to look after itself.

Stir a crumbled block of ramen noodles (seasoning packet discarded) into the finished skillet along with 60 ml (1/4 cup) of chicken stock, then cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the noodles soften. This turns the bowl into a heartier, noodle-forward dinner that feels cosier on a cold evening. The noodles soak up the soy-sesame sauce, so taste and add a splash more soy if the dish seems under-seasoned once they're in. It's a filling, one-pot answer for nights when rice feels like too much extra effort.

Replace the meat with 400 g (14 oz) firm tofu, pressed and crumbled, or a 400 g tin of drained chickpeas for a meat-free version with the same texture and heartiness. Pan-fry the tofu in the sesame oil until lightly golden before adding the aromatics, so it picks up some colour and doesn't turn mushy in the sauce. Use a vegetarian-friendly oyster sauce substitute or extra soy sauce if you'd normally add oyster sauce to the mix. This version is just as quick as the meat original, at around 15 minutes start to finish.

Whisk 2 tablespoons of peanut butter into the soy-sesame sauce before it goes into the pan, thinning it with a tablespoon of warm water if it's too thick to combine smoothly. The peanut butter adds a nutty, slightly sweet richness that turns the dish almost satay-like, especially good with chicken or tofu. Top with chopped roasted peanuts and a squeeze of lime for extra crunch and acidity to cut the richness. This is a good one to try if you love peanut-based Asian sauces.

Don't skip draining excess fat after browning fattier meats like pork or beef, or the finished bowl will taste greasy rather than savoury. Add the coleslaw mix in two batches if your pan is small, since a full bag can look overwhelming but wilts down to half its volume within a few minutes. Taste the sauce before it goes in and adjust the soy-to-sesame ratio to your preference, since brands of soy sauce vary quite a bit in saltiness. A finishing squeeze of fresh lime or a dash of rice vinegar right before serving lifts every variation on this list.

Serve straight from the skillet over steamed jasmine or brown rice, cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option, or ramen noodles for something heartier. A fried or soft-boiled egg on top adds richness and turns any version into a more substantial dinner. Finish with a scattering of toasted sesame seeds, sliced spring onion greens and a few drops of sriracha or chilli oil for colour and a bit of heat. For a lighter lunch, spoon it over a bed of shredded lettuce instead of rice or noodles.

Cool leftovers within two hours of cooking and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. To reheat, warm gently in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until piping hot throughout. For longer storage, freeze in portion-sized airtight containers for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Whether reheating from chilled or frozen, make sure the mixture reaches 74°C (165°F) all the way through before serving.