Gluten & Dairy Free Pork Egg Rolls!
This was the recipe that kick started the wonton dough recipe series… and its also the one that took me the very longest and was the last that I finished. I’m going to be completely honest even with my perfected dough recipe which is a dream to work with- egg roll are by and far the most advanced wonton dough recipe in the group. They are truly delicious and have a fantastic crunchy texture that will take you back to eating a takeout egg roll!
For the filling I tested out a variety of ground meats- Chicken, Turkey and Pork. I preferred the pork every time as I think it has the best flavor & being a fattier meat it just tastes better in general! BUT- please feel free to use whatever you have or prefer. You could also use a faux vegan ground meat if you wanted!
My favorite tools for working with wonton dough:
Anytime I want to cut the dough into a square shape I use this set of cookie/biscuit cutters. The two largest square sizes work great for egg rolls. The two middle sized ones work perfect for Rangoons!
Anytime I want to cut the dough into a round shape I like to use this set of cookie/biscuit cutters. The circular shape is ideal for potstickers and dumplings!
Over the years I have had a lot of rolling pins. Once I got a simple French style one I got rid of the rest of them. You really don’t need anything clunky or heavy! This style allows for the best control of pressure to get a thin dough that doesn't rip! This is the one that I use.
While not essential using an Italian pasta crank machine is definitely really helpful! Its one of those kitchen tools that you don’t NEED but they are handy to have and making homemade pasta and in this case wonton dough is always fun. It will allow you to get ultra thin long rolls of dough that are quick to cut into squares for rangoons and egg rolls. Just make sure to use enough starch between each pass to get the dough thinner so it doesn’t stick to the machine.
Parchment Paper: Any brand will do! While I could roll dough directly out on the counter I prefer using a big sheet of parchment- it just makes it easier to avoid sticking issues.
You’ll need to plan an afternoon for this recipe. I woudnt’t rush the process. Take your time to do it right while you get a feel for how they are made!!
The following reasons make this recipe one I would consider for the more advanced home chef:
The dough must be PAPER thin in order for them to get super crispy. Which if course takes a bit more time when it comes to rolling it out.
Folding them take some practice! You have to learn the exact amount of pressure to use and if you get any big holes the filling will explode out of the rolls in the hot oil and splatter. If you have any that break feel free to spray them with oil and throw them into the air fryer until crispy. They wont taste AS good as fried but they are still very much worth eating :)
If the dough gets too dry it may be more proned to cracking breaking. Same if the dough is too wet! If there are any wet spots on your parchment when you go to fill and roll up the egg rolls the dough may stick and break. So make sure you are working on a completely dry floured (with starch) surface.
IF you want to massively simplify- feel free to skip the fancy roll up process and you could make thin dough into ravioli or empanada shaped “egg rolls” ! For this it would just be a circle filled in the center- and then folded over once- sealed shut with water or egg wash around the edges! Of course this wont LOOK like an egg roll- but you’ll end up with the exact taste and save yourself a lot of time.
IMPORTANT TIPS For working with this wonton dough:
Always make sure to knead it until it is completely smooth and well combined! It will be a bit sticky when you do this and that is how its supposed to be. Don’t question it and start adding more starch or flour :) Follow the gram measurements exactly! I left the dough a bit sticky so that you can use a generous amount of starch when rolling it out. Sometimes you’ll need to gather the bits and rolls them out a number of times and each time more starch will be incorporated into the dough. The dough will allow for that and whatever you are making will turn out fabulous. BUT You can always add a little water if it gets too dry while working with it! Sometimes when I regather scraps of dough and knead them back together I wet my hands a little first! When it gets super dry- it gets harder to roll out!
DO NOT let the dough dry out in the fridge!! You can make it several days in advance or even make it and freeze it. It is essential to store it in wrapped tightly in plastic with no air exposure or in a well sealed Tupperware container!
If you freeze the dough- allow it to thaw out at room temperature in tightly sealed ceran wrap or an airtight container.
If you are rolling out the dough fresh you will likely only need a tiny bit of egg wash or water to seal it around the inside edges when shaping it into various dumplings, egg rolls or rangoons. However- IF you have pre-rolled and cut the dough into wonton squares or circles ( I recommend storing them with a bit of starch in between them wrapped up well in the fridge). then you may need to brush the whole surface of the (INSIDE) of the dough where the filling goes with egg wash or water as I have in my step by step photos so that it seals up nicely!
When rolling it out- I like to pick it up gently & swirl it around on the parchment often and or flip it to make sure that its not sticking! I often keep adding starch to my parchment/work surface as I go.
I recommend using this dough first for boiled/steamed applications like dumplings/postickers or wonton soup first! Its much easier and extremely forgiving. Working with ultra thin dough for frying requires more finesse and practice.
Dumplings, potstickers, egg rolls, wontons for soup, or Rangoons can all be assembled and then frozen before you cook them!! Lay them out flat on a starch covered baking sheet/pan and freeze them. Then once they are frozen they can be stacked in a freezer safe container! Add just a bit more time to cooking when cooking them from frozen!
TO MAKE IT EGG FREE please use “Just Egg” Egg replacer. Its possible that aquafaba would be a basic substitute as well but I have not tested that out to know for sure. IF you experiment please leave a comment and share how it goes!
Ingredients (Some of these are affiliate links that earn me a few cents if you shop using them! :)
Better Batter Gluten Free Orginal Blend
This flour blend continues to amaze me. It can do so many things better than most other blends that I have tried. As a result its extremely popular. Around the holidays it tends to sell out everywhere. Usually its available on Amazon and at Walmart. Lately I have been ordering it from the Better Batter website directly. When they sell out- they tend to restock pretty quickly. Check back within a day or two if they are sold out when you look. I buy it in bulk now (Up to 40 lbs at a time) as I cant risk running out. I use it in too many recipes that we love.
What if you cant get your hands on it? This may be the case if you live outside the US. My friend Nichole from Gluten Free on a Shoestring has figured out a mock recipe for better batter. Her version should work great in this recipe! The owner (Naomi) of better batter has confirmed that the mix is similar to the official version.
Better Batter so kindly offered me a 30% off promo code to share with all of you! This can be used as often as you would like for every single purchase made directly on BetterBatter.com Use the code: BakingAngell30
Expandex
This bread is truly only possible because of the magic of expandex. It is a modified form of tapioca starch that was formulated to improve gluten free baking. The word Modified tends to worry people- so let me explain further. Essentially they studied tapioca and removed portions of it leaving only the parts that would allow for it to cause amazing elasticity (aka its name) in gluten free recipes. This flour allows me to get an incredible rise with everything I use it in. It traps the air bubbles in the dough just like regular flour with gluten does! Its honestly incredible. If you eat any processed or store bought foods you have eaten many forms of modified starch. Its nothing new- its just semi new to the home baker. Its non gmo and I typically get it from the brand Judee’s on amazon. Under no conditions can you sub it out for another regular starch. For my wonton dough it is what is giving it the incredible stretch and versatility that it has!!
Outside of the US there is a product called Ultratex 3 I have not worked with it but from what I understand its comparable! I would use that in the exact same quantity as the expandex amount that I call for.
Tapioca Starch:
(Or corn starch is the second best option) Is fantastic for rolling out this dough!! It takes away all stickiness and aids in creating an awesome chewy or crispy texture when steamed or fried. Using better batter for rolling out does not work as well as it tends to dry the dough out since its highly absorbent. Tapioca starch/flour can be found in most grocery stores and on amazon. I typically buy the brand Bobs Red Mill.
Follow this process to fold up your egg rolls! Make sure the dough is PAPER thin!! Cut into a square. Brush the surface with a thin layer of egg. Fold in the sides making sure they overlap at least a little and stick to each other. Fold up the bottom to make it look like an envelope and tuck the filling into the “envelope”. Gently but tightly roll the dough up to seal it fully. Making sure that the sealed portions stick! If they do not add a bit more egg wash or water. Place on a baking sheet with a dusting of tapioca starch to prevent any sticking.
Important Egg Roll Recipe Tips:
Make sure to give the oil enough time to warm up & use a instant read thermometer to make sure its in the range I recommend. Otherwise your dough will not bubble up and get the classic look and texture that an egg roll should have!!
Very Important: If your dough is not rolled out paper thin it will not get crispy the way it should when fried. Fry until a beautiful dark golden brown to get them all the way crispy as well. If you pull them out too early they may end up a little soft in spots. If this happens place them right back into the oil.
These egg rolls can be frozen before or after you fry them. But for best results I do recommend wrapping them up- and placing them on a small cookie tray with a layer of tapioca evenly spread out and freezing them prior to frying! Once frozen they can be stacked in a air tight container. They can go straight into the hot fryer oil from frozen but may need some extra time to cook through. Or they can be left to come to room temperature for an hour or two. If you do this- just make sure to unstack them before they thaw to prevent any risk of them sticking together.
Gluten & Dairy Free Pork Egg Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 Batch Wonton Dough. Rolled out Paper thin cut into the size of your preference for mini egg rolls or full sized.
- 3-5 Inches of Mild Flavored/ high heat safe oil for frying in a heavy bottomed pot.
- 1 Lb of ground meat (Pork, Turkey, Chicken or Vegan Ground "meat") Pork is my preference.
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger Grated
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 4 Cups of Carrot and Cabbage Slaw Chopped Small
- 1/2 cup Chopped Green Onions
- 2 Tsp Tapioca Starch
- Dash of Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
- Leftover egg yolk from wonton dough + 1 tsp of water whisked to seal the dough (OR use water)
- Extra Tapioca starch for rolling out the dough.
Instructions
- Pre-roll out wontons paper thin! Layer a stack of them with tapioca starch between each on into a air tight container and keep them sealed in there to avoid them drying out!
- Add oil to heavy bottomed pot and set heat to medium allowing it to slowly heat up while assembling the egg rolls . The oil must be 330-360 degrees for frying.
- To a skillet add the raw ground meat, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, salt & pepper and cook just until the meat it cooked through. Be sure to break the meat up into pieces that are as small as possible. Turn off heat and set aside to cool.
- Chop up the slaw a bit (BIG chunks can cause the dough to break) Add to a medium bowl. Chop green onions and add them to the bowl. Add in the sesame seeds and tapioca starch and mix well. Stir in the meat (its ok if its a little warm still!) and mix well with the uncooked veggies. Set aside.
- Making the egg rolls one at a time. Make sure your surface is nonstick by dusting it with a bit of tapioca starch. Brush the wonton dough with egg wash. Add about 1 tbsp filling to mini egg rolls or 2-3 tbsp (ish) to full sized. Fold in two sides making sure they overlap and then gently but tightly roll the dough up. (see the photo step by step guide for reference). Make sure there are no big cracks or holes. Set aside onto a tapioca dusted baking sheet and continue with the rest.
- Once the oil is hot - fry 4-6 egg rolls at a time making sure not to overcrowd the oil. They will be done in about 8-10 minutes or until they are a dark golden brown and super crispy! Place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil and then serve!
Notes
Make sure to give the oil enough time to warm up & use a instant read thermometer to make sure its in the range I recommend. Otherwise your dough will not bubble up and get the classic look and texture that an egg roll should have!!
Holes in the dough may cause leaking which could cause the oil to pop and make a bit of a mess. Its important to take your time to carefully fold them correctly and avoid holes. (Any broken ones with holes can be sprayed with oil and go into the air fryer until crispy so they don't go to waste!) I also recommend using a lid or splash guard over the frying oil just incase.
Very Important: If your dough is not rolled out paper thin it will not get crispy the way it should when fried. Fry until a beautiful dark golden brown to get them all the way crispy as well. If you pull them out too early they may end up a little soft in spots. If this happens place them right back into the oil.
These egg rolls can be frozen before or after you fry them. But for best results I do recommend wrapping them up- and placing them on a small cookie tray with a layer of tapioca evenly spread out and freezing them prior to frying! Once frozen they can be stacked in a air tight container. They can go straight into the hot fryer oil from frozen but may need some extra time to cook through. Or they can be left to come to room temperature for an hour or two. If you do this- just make sure to unstack them before they thaw to prevent any risk of them sticking together.
