Egg Roll Bowls (Gluten Free + Paleo Friendly)
Egg Roll Bowls – This deconstructed egg roll makes a perfect quick-and-easy one pan dinner. Gluten free, paleo & Whole30 friendly. Scroll down for the full recipe + video!
I’ve seen Egg Roll Bowls (or “Egg Roll in a Bowl”) all over the place lately and can’t get over what a great idea they are. (Whoever “invented” this idea first is a genius!). A quick stir-fry dinner that’s perfect for a busy night? Count me in.
Aaaand if you’re wondering “what exactly is an egg roll bowl?,” it’s basically just an unpacked version of egg rolls. Think all the filling components without the wrappers/deep frying.
There are all sorts of versions of egg roll bowls floating around the internet, but here’s what I put in mine…
WHAT’S IN AN EGG ROLL BOWL?
To make an egg roll in a bowl, you’ll need just a few pretty straightforward ingredients, like:
- GROUND PROTEIN – I use ground chicken in our egg roll bowls because it goes over the best at our house, but see the FAQ below for other choices that also work!
- COLESLAW MIX –Â A key ingredient for egg roll bowls! I pick it up in the bagged produce section near the lettuce. Usually sold for under $2 a bag, this shortcut is also budget friendly. It’s simply a mix of shredded cabbage (green & red or just green) + a few grated carrots.
- GRATED CARROTS + ONION – Since I like a bit more color and substance, I punch things up with a few grated carrots. I love the color and flavor they bring to the table. The onion is a nice base layer of flavor that’s soft and not too strong in the final product.
- GARLIC + GINGER – These aromatics lend a distinctly Asian-inspired flavor to the dish. Love this combination.
- TAMARI OR COCONUT AMINOS – A bit of umami and saltiness to balance out the flavors. We most often use low-sodium gluten free tamari for egg roll bowls, but you can use coconut aminos for a paleo option (delicious!) or soy sauce if you don’t have any dietary restrictions.
- RICE VINEGAR – A small splash of vinegar brings a little brightness and helps balance out the other flavors. I highly recommend it. (Paleo? See the FAQ for another option!)
- SESAME OIL – Not 100% essential, but sesame oil is really nice here. It’s got a toasty, nutty flavor that’s lovely. (It’s a common component of teriyaki sauce)
- GREEN ONION – Â The final garnish. It’s fantastic here for color and taste. You can also go off the books and add a bit of minced cilantro if you like.
HOW DO YOU SERVE EGG ROLL BOWLS?
IN BOWLS AS A MAIN DISH – You have lots of options! It’s easy to serve egg roll bowls as an all-in-one option and complete main dish. If you serve it as a main dish, you’ll get about 4 generous servings.
AS A MEAL COMPONENT – Or, you can use it as a meal component, and serve it with steamed rice, scooped into lettuce cups, or with extra veggies. When we make this for a family dinner, it goes over best when served with rice. If you serve the egg roll bowl as a component or the meal (served with rice, in lettuce cups, etc.), you can probably stretch it to 5 or even 6 servings.
SIDE DISH IDEAS – Besides some steamed rice or extra veggies, we love sliced mango or fresh fruit as a side dish. Something light and bright makes a nice contrast to the umami-rich stir fry and veggies.
FAQ + TIPSP FOR THE BEST EGG ROLL IN A BOWL:
PALEO & WHOLE30 NOTESÂ – Your egg roll bowls can easily be paleo & Whole30 compliant by using a few simple swaps. First, use coconut aminos in place of the gluten free tamari. Second, use apple cider vinegar in place of the rice vinegar. Easy-peasy!
OTHER MIX-IN IDEAS: You can easily add more veggies to your egg roll bowls or spice things up. My favorite extra veggies to add are bean sprouts or thinly sliced/diced bell peppers. Another variation is to add a little spice with a pinch of 5-spice powder. Or, you can add a bit of kick with a few shots of sriracha at the end!
MAKE YOUR OWN GROUND CHICKEN BREASTÂ – I buy pre-ground chicken breast at Sprouts, but I’ve also seen it other places as well. If you can’t find it, you can make your own with chicken breast and a food processor fitted with a metal S blade. Just cut the chicken up into cubes, then pulse until it’s finely ground. Or, if that’s too much fuss…
CAN I USE GROUND TURKEY OR PORK INSTEAD? Yes! You can use any ground meat you like for your egg roll bowls. I don’t personally care for ground turkey, so I use ground chicken breast.
CAN’T FIND COLESLAW MIX? No problem! Use 5 cups shredded green cabbage, 1 c shredded purple cabbage, and 1/2 cup additional shredded carrot.
Craving More? You Might Also Like:
- Healthy Beef & Broccoli (GF + Paleo)
- Healthy Orange Chicken (GF + Paleo)
- Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps (GF + Paleo)
- Egg Drop Soup (GF + Paleo)
Egg Roll Bowls
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 Main Dish Servings 1x
Description
Egg Roll in a Bowl! This deconstructed egg roll makes a perfect quick-and-easy one pan dinner. (Gluten free, paleo & Whole30 friendly)
Served on its own, this will easily serve 4-5. Served as a component of the meal, it’ll stretch fo 5-6 servings.Â
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb. ground chicken breast (can sub ground turkey, pork, or beef)
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 2 cl0ves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and shredded (about 3/4c)
- 1 (14oz) bag coleslaw mix*
- 3 Tbsp low sodium gluten free tamari (or coconut aminos for paleo)**
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (or cider vinegar for paleo)
- 1–2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add ground chicken breast to the pan and cook 5-7 minutes, or until completely cooked through. (There will likely be a bit of water at the bottom of the pan. Don’t drain it.)
- Next, add onion and cook an additional 4-5 minutes to soften slightly. It will begin to turn translucent.
- Add ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Then, add grated carrot and 1/2 of the coleslaw mix. (Your pan will seem SUPER full)
- Drizzle with tamari and rice vinegar. Gently stir to coat. Cook 2-3 minutes or until cabbage starts to wilt a bit.
- Add remaining coleslaw mix and stir to coat. Cook 2-3 minutes until the cabbage is starting to soften.
- Stir in sesame oil and green onions and serve.
Notes
CAN’T FIND COLESLAW MIX? No problem! Use 5 cups shredded green cabbage, 1 c shredded purple cabbage, and 1/2 cup additional shredded carrot.
PALEO & WHOLE30 NOTESÂ – This egg roll bowl can easily be paleo & Whole30 compliant by using a few simple swaps. First, use coconut aminos in place of the gluten free tamari. Second, use apple cider vinegar in place of the rice vinegar. Easy-peasy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish, Chicken
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian, American
Keywords: egg roll bowl, egg roll in a bowl, egg roll bowls, gluten free, paleo, whole30, whole30 dinner, paleo dinner, gluten free dinner, grain free, one pan dinner
Delish! Made this last week! Great recipe!
★★★★
YAY! So glad you liked it, Hannah!
Delicious! Will make it again soon. Thanks!
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing!
Just made this tonight and I’m
Loving every bite!! 🥰
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
So yummy!! My whole family loved it! I couldn’t find tamari, so I used low sodium soy sauce instead. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Yum! So glad you loved it 🙂
This was seriously so good! I think we’ll make this a lot! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kristina – I’m so happy to hear that! So glad you guys enjoy it. It’s one of our favorite easy dinners!
This was a quick and easy weeknight dinner and my two year old loved it!
★★★★★
WOW! Anytime it’s a win with the 2 year old is a good night!!!
Does it warm up well for leftovers?
I think so! We made it last week and heated up the leftovers for lunch–I love it just as much the next day!
Excellent recipe, and so easy for weeknights! I use low sodium soy sauce because I don’t have tamari and coconut aminos makes me feel ill (I compare it to feeling hungover). I serve it with rice because my husband has hollow legs lol. Would go very well with lettuce wraps too!
★★★★★
We do rice most of the time too (my kids are ENDLESSLY hungry!). Love the lettuce wrap suggestion! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. I appreciate you so much!
Another GREAT recipe!! And I was so thrilled at how fast it all came together. Going through a major kitchen remodel right !now, so made this in the instant pot with the saute function & it turned out amazing
★★★★★
Lynn – I’m just so glad! I LOVE hearing about recipe wins. Thank you for sharing yours with me!
We enjoyed this recipe. I need to cut the Aminos a bit for our taste. I also admit just a bit of hoisin sauce (a scant teaspoon).
★★★★
I bet it was great with the hoisin! Yum!
Good but on the bland side. I added a bit more tamari and rice vinegar, which helped but if I make this again I would increase garlic, onion and ginger as well.
★★★
Sounds like a great plan for next time! 🙂
I made this for my family the other day and everyone loved it! Great and easy recipe for the whole family. Next time I make it I’m debating using turkey instead of chicken… do you think that would work? Thanks!
★★★★★
If you like the flavor of ground turkey, it should work great! 🙂
Love the simplicity of this version. Used ground pork and subbed coconut aminos to comply with Whole30.
★★★★★
I’m SO glad it was a win for you Starla! Thank you so much for your review!