Missing Thailand? How to make authentic Thai egg rolls: a simple recipe

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One of the best things about traveling and exploring new cultures is discovering and enjoying the local foodie scene. If you miss your Southeast Asia travels – especially Thailand – here’s the perfect alternative. A native Thai shares her simple-to-make egg rolls recipe that you can make at home. She just happens to be my sister-in-law, Mam. So I know it’s authentic. And I know this is the best recipe for the most authentic Thai egg rolls.

Authentic Thai recipe series: The best egg rolls

So my sister-in-law Mam and my lovely niece Ryta showed me how to make authentic and easy Thai egg rolls at home. Via Facetime during the pandemic. Where I also learned how to screen record on my iPhone, but neglected to turn on the microphone. So I have a step-by-step Thai egg roll recipe video recap of Mam and Ryta showing me, but no audio (that’s shameful when I live in a household of two audiophiles).

And no great clips of Ryta (so I’ll have to set up a special photo and/or video shoot of her later). Although you can find her Teenager’s guide on the top things to do at Mall of America (the largest mall in North America).

However, I had the screen-recording video and my handwritten notes available and (not-so-great-recall) memory to make these delicious and authentic Thai egg rolls on my own at home. And when I replicated this Thai egg roll recipe this past weekend I was so happy that they turned out great. These egg rolls are the best and super easy to make when you follow this simple Thai egg roll recipe.

And why is this Thai egg roll recipe authentic?

Because Mam is originally from Thailand (as is my other sister-in-law, Tor, who gave me a cooking lesson on how to make another delicious and authentic Thai recipe). Mam’s egg rolls are a family favorite. They do not last long at our Thai-American fusion holiday dinners and family get togethers. And once you try this easy Thai egg roll recipe, you’ll learn why.

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Where do I find ingredients needed for Mam’s authentic and easy Thai egg roll recipe?

While Mam shops at an authentic Asian grocery store, I was able to find the necessary ingredients for her Thai egg roll recipe at mainstream grocery stores like Hy-Vee or Cub Foods. You may need to look in the Asian or Thai section of their specialty foods aisles.

Ingredients required for Thai egg rolls to make at home

Here are the ingredients and kitchenware items you’ll need to make these easy and delicious Thai egg rolls at home.

• 1 package of egg roll wraps (25 count)
• 8 ounces of woon sen noodles (aka cellophane noodles or fensi)
• 1 lb. ground pork or ground chicken (Note: I made this recipe using precooked sausage. You don’t have to cook the meat ahead of time; however, you will then need to fry the egg rolls longer to ensure the meat is cooked thoroughly.)
• 1-2 cups of green cabbage, shredded
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or oyster sauce (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• A carrot, shredded
• 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper
• Just 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• Chop 1-2 green onions / scallions, chopped (to taste and optional)
• 2 eggs (1 for the egg roll mixture, which is optional; and 1 for the egg wash to seal the egg roll)
• Lettuce leaves for garnish
• Sweet chili sauce for dipping
• Canola oil or vegetable oil (enough to cover at least half of the Thai egg rolls while cooking them)
• Food-prep gloves (as you’ll be mixing by hand)
• Large mixing bowl
• Kitchen tongs
• Kitchen shears
• Whisk
• Measuring spoons (these fit inside spice jars)
• Recipe prep pinch bowls
• Parchment paper (optional)
• Cutting board
• Serving platter
• Paper towels to place under wire cooling frame (to keep the egg rolls crispy)
• Deep-sided frying pan or deep wok
• Heat-resistant grease strainer and storage pot

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Thai egg rolls recipe cooking prep tip

For this Thai egg roll recipe, I used my Ninja food chopper to mince the garlic and chop up the green cabbage and carrot. Saves so much time! And it makes a lovely gift for the cook in your family.

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Simple-to-make Thai egg roll recipe prep instructions

Here are the food prep instructions for this Thai egg roll recipe.

1. Put on your food-prep gloves.
2. Place woon sen noodles in bowl of water for five minutes (until soft to maneuver).
3. Highly recommend measuring and prepping all the ingredients ahead of time before you start the actual step-by-step Thai egg roll recipe instructions.
4. Remove egg roll wrappers from bag and separate each egg roll wrapper and place on plate or parchment paper and set aside.

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Recipe instructions to make the Thai egg roll mixture

The following outlines the easy recipe steps to make the delicious Thai egg roll mixture.

1. After draining and patting woon sen noodles dry, cut noodles with kitchen shears (approximately 3 to 4 inches in length), set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, add shredded green cabbage and optional shredded carrot. Toss thoroughly by hand.
3. Add woon sen noodles. If some of the noodles are still long, cut them some more. And then toss all ingredients thoroughly by hand.
4. Add and crumble ground pork or ground chicken into mixing bowl.  
5. Continue to toss by hand as you add the following ingredients.
6. Add 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper.
7. Add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic.
8. Mix in 1 teaspoon of salt.
9. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar.
10. Add 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce or oyster sauce.
11. Now add green onions or scallions (optional).
12. Toss all ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
13. Add whisked egg (optional) and toss thoroughly with the other ingredients.
14. Remove food-prep gloves.

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Recipe instructions on how to fold the egg roll wrappers

Here are the instructions on how to fold the egg roll wrappers. Tip: Look on the back of the egg roll wrapper or the cardboard insert and you’ll typically find a diagram on how to fold the egg rolls.

1. Whisk the second egg and set aside as it will be used to seal the egg roll wrap.
2. Place the egg roll wrap on a cutting board or similar flat and non-stick surface.
3. Grab a tongful (that’s a real measurement, right?) of the egg roll wrap mixture and place on top of egg roll wrap in the lower right quadrant closest to you (but closer to the center than at the edge).
4. Fold the corner closest to the egg roll mixture over the mixture.
5. Then roll the wrap tightly once all the way around and then tuck in the two side corners so they lay over the rolled mixture.
6. Roll the egg mixture tightly two full rotations.
7. Then brush on some egg wash on the remaining section of the egg roll wrap (should look a little like an envelope at this stage).
8. Continue rolling until the entire egg roll wrap is tucked around the mixture.
9. Set aside the egg roll on a platter and repeat instructions to make remaining egg rolls.

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Full disclosure while making Thai egg rolls

My first attempts at folding the egg rolls looked more like Chipotle burritos (sloppy ones) than egg rolls. I kept thinking they were going to taste like chimichangas instead of egg rolls. After a few tries, I finally got the hang of it and no one seemed to mind what they looked like. I succeeded in making these easy and delicious Thai egg rolls. So this authentic Thai egg roll recipe is so easy, even I can do it!

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How to prepare the pan to make authentic Thai egg rolls

Here are the at-home recipe steps to prepare the pan to make the Thai egg rolls.

1. Once all egg rolls are ready, prepare the pan.
2. Add canola oil or vegetable oil into a deep skillet, deep wok or deep pan (like a Dutch oven) and fill it high enough so it’ll nearly cover the egg rolls.
3. Set the stovetop to high heat and once warm enough, add egg rolls to pan with tongs until you have a single layer across the entire pan. Depending on your stovetop, you may want to turn down to med-high heat.
4. Then turn the egg rolls frequently so they do not burn. Watch closely – highly advised to avoid any multi-tasking during this step as the egg rolls can burn if not turned frequently.
5. The egg rolls are done once they turn a golden color on the outside. I cooked the ground pork (actually sausage) ahead of time so the egg rolls only took five minutes. Timing will vary depending on the temperature level, type of pan used, etc.
6. Remove from pan and set cooked egg rolls on a wire cooling rack or plate with a paper towel to soak up any excess oil. Thai egg rolls recipe cooking tip: It’s recommended to place any fried food on a heat-resistant wire cooling rack to cool and place the plate with paper towels underneath to soak up excess oil; this helps keep the fried foods, like egg rolls, crispy.
7. Repeat until all remaining egg rolls are cooked.

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Serving authentic Thai egg rolls

Once all the Thai egg rolls are done, place on a serving tray with garnish such as a lettuce leaf and serve with sweet chili sauce (available at any grocery store – typically in the Asian section of the international aisle).

And that’s it. This authentic Thai egg rolls recipe is simple and easy-to-make at home. So get your Southeast Asia fix with these delicious Thai egg rolls.

Thai egg rolls recipe tip: How to freeze authentic Thai egg rolls

If you don’t plan to cook all the egg rolls you have prepared, place them in a freezer gallon bag. Label the bag “the best Thai egg rolls” and add the date. For best results, cook and serve the prepared authentic Thai egg rolls within one month after freezing.

Recipe / cooking tip for frozen Thai egg rolls

Based on our experience, it’s not necessary to freeze Thai egg rolls. Why freeze when you can just eat them? We did freeze a few of the egg rolls when I made them, but then wanted more the very next day. So I took them out of the freezer and put them in the refrigerator to thaw.

Probably not the best idea as the egg rolls stuck to the side of the freezer bag. So I would recommend eating all the Thai egg rolls in one sitting. Or thaw by first removing them from the bag and placing in a non-stick dish (or prepped with oil spray). Or cooking the frozen Thai egg rolls without thawing – you’ll just need to cook a few minutes longer.

Favorite and simple Thai food recipes to make at home

So I asked my niece to name her favorite Thai recipe made by her mom. One of them was fried rice. So I may need another Thai cooking lesson soon for Mam’s authentic Thai fried rice recipe.

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I’d also love to learn how to make more of our family’s favorite Thai recipes like Tor’s and Mam’s lettuce wraps (but they call them something different) and their BBQ pork satays (but they call them something different), and much more. And apparently, I’ll need a lesson on what to call all this Thai food I’ve been devouring for years. Watch for more authentic recipes in this how-to-cook Thai series.

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Pin it for later: easy-to-make authentic Thai egg rolls recipe

If you’re missing your Southeast Asia travels and craving some authentic Thai food that’s easy to make, or looking for an easy tailgating or holiday recipe, please pin it for later and share with others. And I would love for you to share in the comments how you fared with making Mam’s authentic Thai egg rolls. I hope you enjoy these authentic Thai food dishes and recipes as much as our family does!

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Related post in this Thai food cooking lesson series: Shrimp pad krapow

Here’s another one of my top authentic Thai food recipes that my sister-in-law Tor taught me to make: shrimp pad krapow. This Thai pad krapow recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a tailgating or potluck dish. This simple authentic Thai dish takes less than 20 minutes to make. And this shrimp pad krapow is delicious! Enjoy!

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