Easy Homemade Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls are a hearty, meat-filled version of the classic Chinese-American style appetizer.

Ground beef, onions, fresh shredded cabbage wrapped in a traditional egg roll skin and fried to a delicious crispiness.

They are a terrific appetizer for option for your next party or get together!

And since they contain no pork and no dairy, they’re kosher!

3 Easy Homemade Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls and another one half egg roll on a white plate with a little clear bowl of duck sause behind them, all on a dark wood table.

About Egg Rolls

Classic Chinese-American egg rolls originated in New York in the 1930s, adapted for local tastes using easily accessible ingredients.

While traditional versions typically feature pork, these Homemade Beef Egg Rolls swap in ground beef as a hearty and budget-friendly alternative.

Because they are made without any pork or dairy, they are great for those keeping kosher.

These crispy wraps are perfect as a standalone meat snack or as an appetizer. Eat them before a meal or have them in front of the TV!

They are also a terrific bring-along dish for dinners with family and friends.

To Reheat Egg Rolls: To maintain that delicious crunch, avoid the microwave. Instead, place them in a lightly greased frying pan with a small amount of cooking oil over medium heat until warmed through.

What do you need to make this homemade beef and cabbage egg roll recipe?

I hardly ever meal plan, so I like to keep a cupboard full of seasonings, spices, veggies, and canned goods in my kitchen to use whenever the mood strikes.

This is certainly true for Chinese-American homemade takeout recipes where a lot of the ingredients overlap.

These are all you need to have on hand to make this recipe even last minute!

ground beef
raw coleslaw (14-16 ounces) or equivalent of shredded fresh cabbage and carrot
large onion
granulated garlic, optional
soy sauce
large eggs
salt and pepper
1 package of eggroll wraps

A little about Chinese-American Food

Chinese-American cuisine is a style of Chinese cuisine that was developed by Chinese immigrants.

These dishes significantly differ from traditional Chinese dishes because Chinese-American dishes were adapted to suit American tastes.

Chinese immigrants arrived in the United States in large numbers in the mid-19th century in order to escape the economic difficulties in China, hoping to find work during the California Gold Rush and on the Central Pacific Railroad.

They mostly settled together in ghettos, individually known as Chinatown, and—since there were laws preventing them from owning their own land—they opened their own businesses, such as laundry services and restaurants.

Initially, the family-owned businesses catered to miners and railroad workers, and restaurants were set up in places where Chinese food was unknown. Food was based on the requests of the customers, and recipes were created to suit American tastes using whatever ingredients were available.

One major difference between traditional Chinese cuisine and Chinese-American cuisine is in the use of vegetables. Chinese-American recipes will use raw or uncooked ingredients and those not native to China. Traditional Chinese cuisine, on the other hand, rarely contains raw or uncooked ingredients and often uses Asian leaf vegetables.

While the new dishes were not traditional Chinese, these restaurants were responsible for the development of the ever-popular Chinese-American cuisine.

The little history of kosher Chinese-American Food

Jews (especially those with ties to New York) love Chinese food.

You can find at least one and, more often than not, several kosher Chinese restaurants in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods.

There is a popular joke, which has been passed around for many years, that describes the Jewish dependency on Chinese food: “According to the Jewish calendar, the year is 5749. According to the Chinese calendar, the year is 4687. That means for 1,062 years, the Jews went without Chinese food.” That was back in 1989, and who knows when the joke even started?

Jews as a group were probably first introduced to Chinese food in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where immigrants of various cultures settled in their own neighborhoods in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

By the early 1900s, approximately one million Jews from Eastern Europe lived in the Lower East Side of Manhattan where there were only approximately 7,000 Cantonese Chinese, most of whom had moved from California.

Due to anti-Chinese laws and acts in the U.S., which prevented them from competing with whites, many Chinese opened restaurants after arriving in America.

While the majority of Jewish immigrants at that time were observant in their religion and ate only kosher food when they arrived in New York, over time, many assimilated and would eat non-kosher out even if they continued to keep kosher in their homes.

Sunday was a favorite time for eating out, and Chinese food was not only reasonably priced, but their restaurants were open on Sundays.

It took decades until Jews who did keep kosher to be able to eat a variation of these delicious dishes after a Jewish, kosher deli owner found a solution.

Using Cantonese Chinese recipes and substituting kosher veal, beef, and chicken livers for pork, Sol Bernstein began selling the first kosher Chinese food.

Sol continued to sell deli while he incorporated Chinese foods into the menu and did very well. and the deli continued to prosper until he died in 1992, when it was sold.

Homemade takeout!

While there are Chinese-American restaurants and takeout places all over, they are harder to find and often quite expensive if you keep kosher or don’t want pork or shellfish in your food.

However, the solution to that is to make them at home! So, try these!

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Homemade Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls

Easy Chinese-American style egg rolls with a delicoius and easy savory ground beef and cabbage filling. No pork and no dairy!

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1 package of raw coleslaw (14-16 ounces) or equivalent of shredded fresh cabbage and carrot
1 large onion, diced or chopped small
2 teaspoons granulated garlic (or to taste), optional
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 large eggs, beaten (have more ready in case you need them)
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of eggroll wraps*

Instructions

Pour a little oil into the bottom of a frying pan and saute the onion on medium heat.
Mash the ground beef well and combine with the sauteed onion.
Mix in the granulated garlic (if you are using), soy sauce, and salt and pepper and let cook, mixing occasionally.
Drain any excess oil and place the meat mixture in a mixing bowl.
Add the raw coleslaw and mix thoroughly.
Lay out the egg roll wraps with the corners facing up and down, side to side.
Spoon some of the meat and cabbage mixture into the middle of a wrap, leaving enough room to comfortably fold.
Fold in the sides toward the middle of the wrap over the mixture and then roll from the other side.
Place a little water or egg on the remaining edge to seal the egg roll.
Repeat with the remaining mixture and wraps.
Repeat with the remaining meat and cabbage mixture.
Pour oil onto a frying pan approximately 1/4 inch high and heat on medium.
Dip each egg roll thoroughly into the beaten egg and place in the hot oil.
Fry on each side until golden brown and then remove and place on a dish or plate that has been lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Serving suggestion: duck sauce or chili sauce.

Notes

*How many wraps you use will be determined by how full you make each wrap.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 793Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 16gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 300mgSodium: 776mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 68g