Savory, slightly sweet beef with garlicky, tender-crisp shredded cabbage and carrots tossed in a soy-sesame sauce; served warm as a hearty bowl, optionally over rice.
All the Flavor of an Egg Roll — No Wrapper Required
Savory-sweet ground beef tossed with garlicky, thinly shredded cabbage and carrots makes an easy weeknight bowl that tastes like an egg roll without the fuss.
When you want the bright, familiar flavors of an egg roll but not the brittle wrapper or the frying, this bowl answers that craving. Ground beef carries the savory backbone, a touch of brown sugar adds the faint sweetness you expect, and ginger-plus-garlic give it the warm, aromatic lift. The result is a warm, spoonable dish with all the satisfying contrasts — soft meat, tender-crisp cabbage, and a little crunchy carrot — without extra steps or specialty equipment.
The trick is in the prep and a hot pan: shred the green cabbage into thin ribbons (about 6 cups packed), grate or julienne the carrots, and slice the onion so everything cooks quickly and evenly. Whisk together low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar and a pinch of red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves — that sauce brightens and glazes the vegetables and beef. Sauté the onion, brown the ground beef, then toss in the cabbage and carrots just long enough to soften them while keeping some snap.
Practical perks: it’s a one-skillet dinner that comes together in roughly 30 minutes (15 to prep, 15 to cook), and it’s easy to scale up for meal prep. Make the sauce and shred the veg a day ahead, then finish quickly on weeknights. Serve the bowl over steamed rice, cauliflower rice, or wrapped in lettuce leaves; garnish with sliced green onions and an extra drizzle of sesame oil or a squeeze of rice vinegar for brightness.
Leftovers are friendly too — flavors deepen after a day in the fridge and the bowl reheats well over medium heat. If you’re feeding picky eaters, keep extra sauce on the side so everyone can dial the seasoning to their taste. It’s familiar, fast, and exactly the kind of comfortable, flavorful dinner you’ll reach for when life gets busy.
Ingredients
How to Make Egg Roll Bowl Beef Cabbage
- Shred the cabbage into thin ribbons (about 6 cups packed), peel and grate or julienne the carrots, thinly slice the onion, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the green onions on the diagonal; reserve some green onion for garnish.
- Whisk the sauce in a small bowl: combine the low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves.
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it up with a spatula; cook until browned and no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Season with the salt and black pepper and drain excess fat if there is a lot in the pan.
- Push the beef to one side of the pan, add the garlic and ginger to the cleared space and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, then mix into the beef.
- Pour the prepared sauce over the beef, stir to combine, and simmer for 1–2 minutes to concentrate the flavors.
- Add the shredded cabbage and grated carrots, toss thoroughly to coat with sauce, and stir-fry until the cabbage is wilted but still slightly crisp, about 4–6 minutes (longer if you prefer softer cabbage).
- Turn off the heat, stir in most of the sliced green onions and the toasted sesame seeds, adjust seasoning to taste, and finish with an extra drizzle of sesame oil if desired.
- Serve the egg roll bowl warm in bowls, either on its own or over steamed rice or cauliflower rice, and garnish with the remaining green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Recipe Card
Egg Roll Bowl Beef Cabbage
Savory, slightly sweet beef with garlicky, tender-crisp shredded cabbage and carrots tossed in a soy-sesame sauce; served warm as a hearty bowl, optionally over rice.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Shred the cabbage into thin ribbons (about 6 cups packed), peel and grate or julienne the carrots, thinly slice the onion, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the green onions on the diagonal; reserve some green onion for garnish.
- Whisk the sauce in a small bowl: combine the low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves.
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it up with a spatula; cook until browned and no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Season with the salt and black pepper and drain excess fat if there is a lot in the pan.
- Push the beef to one side of the pan, add the garlic and ginger to the cleared space and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, then mix into the beef.
- Pour the prepared sauce over the beef, stir to combine, and simmer for 1–2 minutes to concentrate the flavors.
- Add the shredded cabbage and grated carrots, toss thoroughly to coat with sauce, and stir-fry until the cabbage is wilted but still slightly crisp, about 4–6 minutes (longer if you prefer softer cabbage).
- Turn off the heat, stir in most of the sliced green onions and the toasted sesame seeds, adjust seasoning to taste, and finish with an extra drizzle of sesame oil if desired.
- Serve the egg roll bowl warm in bowls, either on its own or over steamed rice or cauliflower rice, and garnish with the remaining green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 19
- Saturated Fat
- 8
- Sodium
- 720
- Fiber
- 4
- Unsaturated Fat
- 22
- Protein
- 26
- Fat
- 31
- Cholesterol
- 80
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 425
- Sugar
- 7