Vegetable Egg Rolls

These Vegetable Egg Rolls are the perfect addition to any Chinese or Asian meal. You won't miss the fact that they aren't deep-fried. Fill them up with your favorite vegetables and these baked egg rolls are a super tasty appetizer or main dish.

You could also skip the wrappers and make an Egg Roll Bowl or egg roll's cousin, fresh spring rolls.

We love making healthy Asian-inspired takeout at home from these easy Asian Rice Bowls to our favorite healthy Kung Pao Chicken. But there is always one thing missing - egg rolls! That's why I have started making these easy homemade vegetarian egg rolls at home.

Not only do they taste delicious, but they are packed with vegetables. You can make them with any vegetable combination you like but we are partial to traditional veggies like cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and onion. 

The other great thing about these homemade egg rolls is that they are easy to customize. You can add ground turkey, chicken, or pork to these egg rolls if you want some protein. Change up the vegetables depending on what you have at home. Try out different dipping sauces like this easy peanut sauce or homemade teriyaki sauce. These vegetable egg rolls are versatile.

What You'll Need for Vegetable Egg Rolls

Here is everything you need to make your own veggie egg rolls at home.

• Egg roll wrappers: These wrappers can be found in the refrigerated section in the grocery store, usually near the tofu.  Make sure to get larger egg roll wrappers and not wonton wrappers, which are smaller.
• Vegetables: Egg rolls almost always have shredded cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms. However, they can be made with any cooked vegetables you like. Consider adding green onions, Napa cabbage, different kinds of mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts, or broccoli slaw. 
• Oil: The vegetables need to be cooked and cooled before they are wrapped in egg roll wrappers. I like to use sesame oil since it adds some flavor to the dish, but any oil will work. If you are pan-frying the egg rolls, use a high-temperature neutral oil like vegetable or avocado oil for frying. 
• Seasoning: To add flavor to my egg roll filling, I like to add some soy sauce and oyster (or hoisin) sauce to the vegetables.  If you want to skip the oyster sauce, consider adding some garlic, ginger, or Chinese 5-spice to make sure the vegetables have flavor. 

How to Wrap Homemade Egg Rolls

Rolling an egg roll can feel like an intimidating step but it is actually really easy and anyone can do it at home in their kitchen.

1. Before you start, make sure that you drain away any extra moisture in the filling. A wet filling will lead to soggy egg rolls. It also works best if the filling is cooled.
2. Lay out the egg roll with a corner pointed toward you and add about 1/4 cup of filling in the center. 
3. Lightly wet the edges of the egg roll wrapper with water using your finger. Just dab it in water and run it along the edges of the egg roll wrapper.
4. Fold the corner facing you over the filling. Then fold in the sides, wetting the edges with water if needed. Finally roll it away from you, to close the egg roll.

Cooking Methods: Bake, Fry, or Air Fryer

These vegetable egg rolls can be made baked in the oven, lightly fried in a skillet, or cooked in the air fryer. 

• Oven Baked: Place the egg rolls in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes ay 400 degrees, flipping after about 8 minutes. 
• Pan Fried: For a pan, just add some canola or other high-temperature oil to a pan. Once it is nice and hot, add the egg rolls and let cook on one side until nicely browned. Flip and cook on the other side.
• Air Fryer: To cook in the air fryer, spray the air fryer basket and egg rolls with cooking spray. Then cook for 6-8 minutes on each side at 350 degrees.

Can you bake egg rolls ahead of time?

Egg rolls are best eaten immediately after they are cooked so that they stay nice and crispy. If you need to make them ahead of time, you have two options.

• Prep without cooking: Make the egg rolls and wait to cook them. Just store the rolled, uncooked egg rolls in the fridge or freezer. 
• Cook, cool, and store: If you need to cook them first, then you want to either reheat them in the oven, air fryer, or even a hot skillet. If you need to use a microwave, try and pop them in the toaster for a minute or two after to crisp up the outside.

What is the difference between an egg roll and a spring roll?

Egg rolls come from China and are normally fried. They are made with a thicker wrapper that is made with eggs and flour. Traditionally they are filled with vegetables and ground meat. Spring rolls are traditionally made in Vietnam and can be either fried or served fresh. They are served with all types of filling but normally feature things like cabbage, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, carrots, shrimp, tofu, and ground pork.

Leftovers and Storage

Egg rolls are best eaten right when they are cooked since they will be nice and crunchy. If you need to store them, they can be refrigerated or frozen.

• Refrigerator: For refrigerating egg rolls, store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Then reheat in the oven for the most crunch.
• Freezer: To freeze cooked egg rolls, let them cool completely and then individually wrap them in plastic wrap so they don't stick together. They can be reheated in the oven. To freeze uncooked egg rolls, do the same thing as the cooked egg rolls, just plan on longer baking time.