Toss the takeout menus in favor of a DIY recipe for Easy Sesame Chicken Egg Rolls perfect for dunking in sweet chili sauce. They’re extra-crispy and star a flavor-packed mix of ground chicken, veggies, garlic and sesame oil.
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Chicken egg rolls, kale egg rolls, avocado egg rolls, chocolate egg rolls—you name the egg roll and I will dip and devour it. A hot, crispy wrapper stuffed with countless varieties of fillings. What’s not to love?
These finger-friendly snacks steal my order (and my stomach) any time they appear on a menu.
Now you can toss those takeout menus and whip up Easy Sesame Chicken Egg Rolls from the comfort of your kitchen. While ground chicken is notoriously bland and dry, it gets a big flavor and moisture boost from veggies, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil.
Wrap it all up, seal it shut and then give ’em a plunge into boiling oil until golden brown and crispy.
Then all that’s left to do is take your pick from store-bought sweet chili sauce or homemade ginger-soy sauce for dipping and dunking. But no matter which sauce you choose, one thing is certain: The sesame chicken filling provides an explosion of flavor in every crispy, crunchy bite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes.
- Make-ahead.
- An ideal appetitzer.
- Adults and kids will love ‘em.
- Ground chicken: Instead of ground chicken, you could use ground turkey (or even pork). However, ground chicken is lean and easy to find.
- Carrots: You’ll want to finely shred the carrots so they easily and evenly mix into the chicken. A box grater is great for this.
- Scallions: You’ll use both the white and green parts of the scallions—just be sure to thinly slice them for this recipe (again, so they mix in evenly!).
- Garlic: Finely minced garlic will make sure you get garlicky flavor with each bite. You could use frozen cubes of minced garlic instead of fresh (in this case, 3 cubes will equal 1 tablespoon).
- Low-sodium soy sauce: Using this variety allows you to have better control over the saltiness of the dish, plus I find regular soy sauce is way too salty. Swap: if you’re gluten-free, try using tamari.
- Sesame oil: This will add pure sesame flavor to the filling.
- Sugar: To balance out the salty, savory flavors, I like to add just a ½ teaspoon of sugar to the filling.
- Egg roll wrappers: You can find egg roll wrappers in the refrigerated section near the produce aisle in many grocery stores. If you’re gluten-free, gluten-free egg rolls are available (they’re just tougher to find and you may need to order them online).
- Vegetable oil: Deep-frying the chicken egg rolls is what’ll make them crispy and crunchy…and cook the filling! You’ll want to use a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable or canola.
- Dipping sauce: Thai sweet chili sauce or sweet-and-sour sauce is delicious for dipping the ground chicken egg rolls into. If you’re going the homemade route, my ginger soy dip has just 4 ingredients.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Make the filling. Combine the chicken, carrots, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar in a medium bowl.
- Fill the egg rolls. Place about 1 ½ tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower-third of each egg roll wrapper. Roll the wrapper, starting from the bottom and tucking in the sides as you roll. Using your finger or a pastry brush, brush the edges of the egg roll with water to seal.
- Prep for frying. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and pour about 2 inches of oil into a stockpot or Dutch oven. If you have one, attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pot and bring the oil to 360°F.
- Fry the egg rolls. Add several egg rolls to the oil (being sure to avoid overcrowding) and fry for 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Use tongs to transfer the fried egg rolls to the prepared baking sheet and continue frying the remaining rolls.
- Serve. Just like any deep-fried food, egg rolls are best enjoyed fresh and crispy, so serve them immediately after frying for the best taste and texture.
- The chicken mixture does not have to be cooked prior to adding it to the egg roll wrappers.
- Fry the egg rolls in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the fryer. Overcrowding can lower the oil temp and result in soggy egg rolls.
- I recommend investing in a deep-fry thermometer so you can easily monitor the oil temp. The oil will cool every time you add egg rolls, so bring it back up to 360°F before you add any more to the pot. Too low of a temperature can result in greasy egg rolls, while too high of a temperature can cause them to brown too quickly without cooking the filling properly.
Sesame chicken egg rolls are undoubtedly delicious on their own, but pairing them with complementary sides and sauces can take your meal to the next level!
- Chow Mein
- Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing
- Beef and Broccoli
- Pad See Ew (Thai Stir-Fried Noodles)
- Drunken Noodles
- Thai Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango
You can freeze the uncooked egg rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then transfer them to a zipper-lock storage bag. From there, you can keep the egg rolls in a freezer for up to 2 months. Fry the egg rolls directly from frozen, for about 8 to 10 minutes until they’re golden brown and crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make the filling a day in advance before assembling the egg rolls. Make sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Instead of frying the egg rolls, you can bake them at 425°F for about 15 minutes (or until browned all over). Brush the tops of the wrappers with neutral oil or spray with cooking spray before placing them in the oven, which will help them get crispier.
If your oil is at the correct temperature and the egg rolls are thoroughly browned, the small amount of chicken filling should be cooked through. The most accurate way to determine if the chicken filling is cooked through is by using a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the center of one of the egg rolls, making sure it reaches the thickest part of the filling. The internal temperature should register at least 165°F for chicken to be safely cooked.
- Baked Crab Rangoon
- 5-Ingredient Beef Satays
- Air Fryer Cream Cheese Wontons
- Baked Popcorn Chicken with Honey-Garlic Glaze
- Air Fryer Egg Rolls
Equipment
- Deep-fry thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground chicken
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions (green and white parts)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 dozen 7- to 8-inch egg roll wrappers
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Thai sweet chili sauce or sweet-and-sour sauce, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, carrots, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and egg until well combined.
- Place one egg roll wrapper on your work surface and spoon about 1 ½ tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the lower one-third of the wrapper. Roll from the bottom upwards, tucking and folding in the sides as you roll. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water to seal them. Repeat the filling and rolling process with the remaining wrappers.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a large stock pot set over medium heat, add about 2 inches of oil, leaving at least 2 inches between the top of the oil and the top of the pot. Attach the deep fry thermometer.
- Once the oil reaches 360°F, add several egg rolls to the pot and cook them, flipping as needed, until they’re golden brown and the filling is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the egg rolls to the paper towel-lined baking sheet and repeat the cooking process with the remaining egg rolls.
- Serve the egg rolls immediately with Thai sweet chili sauce or ginger-soy dipping sauce.
Kelly’s Notes
- The chicken mixture does not have to be cooked prior to adding it to the egg roll wrappers.
- Fry the egg rolls in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the fryer. Overcrowding can lower the oil temp and result in soggy egg rolls.
- The oil will cool every time you add egg rolls, so bring it back up to 360°F before you add any more to the pot. Too low of a temperature can result in greasy egg rolls, while too high of a temperature can cause them to brown too quickly without cooking the filling properly.
- Make-Ahead: You can freeze the uncooked egg rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then transfer them to a zipper-lock storage bag. From there, you can keep the egg rolls in a freezer for up to 2 months. Fry the egg rolls directly from frozen, for about 8 to 10 minutes until they’re golden brown and crispy.
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Can you make ahead a couple days and refrigerate the fry…or would you fry, refrigerate and reheat?
Hi Jaime! I recommend frying, cooling, refrigerating and THEN reheating. If you keep them wrapped (uncooked) for too long, the wrappers could get soggy. Hope this helps!
I would like to know the difference between an air fryer and a convection oven. I have not used an air fryer, but it seems like they both use circulating hot air.
You are absolutely correct, Gigi! The main difference between an air fryer and a convection oven is size, with a convection oven generally having more space for cooking larger amounts of food at one time.
I love these little eggrolls my daughter and I both think they are the best that we’ve ever had. It doesn’t take any longer to make them than it does to stand in the takeout line at your local Chinese diner. They come out super crispy and you know what’s in them for white meat and vegetables. I would’ve given it six stars if they had 6 stars!
WOWZA! I’m so thrilled you and your daughter have been enjoying the recipe!
Is there anything I could substitute for the egg? I read somewhere that oil can be a substitute but I’m not sure for egg rolls!
Hi Cait! The egg works as a binder and provides additional moisture, however if you needed to, you could try omitting it. I wouldn’t replace it with oil because the mixture would be too loose and the oil would seep through the wrappers. Hope this helps!
These look very good. Do you think they could be made in an air fryer?
I’ve never tried that so I’m not sure!
Do these freeze well? 20 is a lot to cook for 1.
Hi Melanie! I’d recommend freezing them prior to frying. Just remember to really wrap the rolls tightly when assembling them, and also make sure they’re wrapped very securely in plastic wrap in the freezer.
I made these and they were great. As mentioned by Melanie 20 is too many to cook at once if they aren’t all eaten because they weren’t crispy when reheated in the oven. I’m glad they can be frozen but do they need to be thawed, and for how long, or can they be fried or baked frozen and should the cook time be increased if cooked frozen? If I do want to reheat them what would you recommend time and temp wise?
Hi Sabine – I’d bake them first and then freeze them so that way they only have to be reheated in the microwave or in the oven. I’d start with 1 minutes in the microwave then finish them off in the toaster over or regular oven (250F until crispy, likely 5 to 7 minutes).
These sound amazing – can’t wait to try them this weekend for company
Woohoo! Enjoy!
Made these last night and served them with fried rice. Excellent recipe!
Thanks so much, Kathy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Hi can you buy these roll wrappers in Australia?? Thanks Liz
I would love to make this recipe, but I don’t have raw ground chicken, but I have cooked chicken breast. Could I substitute cooked shredded chicken for the raw chicken?
Thank you.
Hi Valerie! I wouldn’t recommend using already cooked chicken because when the rolls are fried the chicken will become very dry. Hope this helps!
Use raw chicken breast and procesz in food processor
Finally, someone who understands my love of rolls! And let me tell ya, these are no exception. Can’t WAIT to try them out!
Mmm these look yummy!
Thanks so much, Lucy!
Okay, this will sound cuckoo, but…is there anyway to substitute the chicken for something vegetarian? I love egg rolls and so does my family but we are not meat eaters and I miss egg rolls. Would rice noodles work? Or minced veggie burgers or…
Hi there, Laura! Rice noodles would definitely work, as would chopped up veggies :)
Can these egg rolls be baked and what temp?
Hi Deborah! I’ve never tried baking this recipe but I do have another recipe for Crispy Baked Chicken Spring Rolls – https://www.justataste.com/crispy-baked-chicken-spring-rolls-recipe/