Classic Shrimp Egg Rolls With Homemade Duck Sauce Recipe

Egg rolls are the quintessential American-Chinese appetizer. No takeout order is complete without the crunchy, delightfully greasy, hand-held roll. Recipe developer Leah Maroney goes for full-on, deep fried, crunchy goodness with this simple shrimp egg roll recipe, allowing you to make them right at home.

These crispy egg rolls are not complete without a generous helping of duck sauce. We've made a quick and easy homemade version — no need to squeeze all of the sweet sauce out of those little packets! This recipe makes a large portion, so you can store it in the refrigerator for future Friday night munchies.

We go for the classic shrimp stuffing here, but any type of filling will work with this method of assembling and frying the egg rolls. Try substituting the shrimp with roasted pork or even rotisserie chicken. Or, you can go vegetarian and add in additional vegetables like mushrooms and bean sprouts instead No matter the filling, these egg rolls are might just be the first appetizer to disappear from the table!

Start by gathering your ingredients for the duck sauce; peach preserves, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce. You'll need salt pork to start the umami flavor of the filling off right, but thick cut bacon can also work. Just note that the taste will be a bit smokier in the final product. Then you'll need raw, deveined shrimp (however, you can also use cooked shrimp).

We used coleslaw mix to make the filling a bit easier and less time consuming, but you can also shred your own cabbage and carrots. Everything is sauteed in a bit of sesame oil, however you can substitute vegetable oil. Garlic and scallions give tons of flavor to the vegetables and shrimp. Soy sauce and ginger finish off the seasoning and an egg is mixed in to bind all the filling together.

Then you'll need a wheat based egg roll wrapper. Look for the larger size that are shaped more like a square than a rectangle. Lastly, make sure you have plenty of vegetable oil for deep frying.

To make the duck sauce, add peach preserves, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce to a saucepan.

Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until thickened and bubbly. Set aside to cool.

Place a large pan over medium-high heat.

Once hot, add the salt pork and cook until the fat has rendered. Drain the fat, keeping the pork in the pan.

Add sesame oil and shrimp. Reduce heat to medium and cook until shrimp start to become translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add coleslaw mix, sliced scallions, soy sauce, and ground ginger and cook until the cabbage is softened, about 2 minutes.

Remove the mixture from heat, drain off the excess liquid, and whisk in the egg to combine.

Add about 1/4 cup filling to the center of an egg roll wrapper.

Fold the two side corners over the filling.

Tightly roll the wrapper over the filling from the bottom to the top, brushing the corners with water, as needed, to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. (You should have enough for 10 egg rolls.)

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot to 325 F.

Fry the egg rolls, working in batches as needed, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve the fried egg rolls with the duck sauce.

The origins of egg rolls are a highly contested subject. These is no set consensus on where exactly the egg roll, as we know it today, is from. Its sister deep-fried appetizers — spring rolls and fried wontons – - were created in China and are staples in Chinese dim sum. "The Chinese Cookbook" by Shiu Wong Chan, published in 1917, is one of the first recorded egg roll recipes printed in English. However, it is much different than the deep fried egg rolls of today! It was quite literally a scrambled egg rolled up with filling inside. It resembled more of a thin omelet that was then folded around chicken, pork, and mushrooms than the vegetable and meat-filled wheat wrapper we've come to know so well.

Some historians believe that the egg roll evolved during the building of the railroad in the late 19th century by Chinese immigrants. Certain scholars suggest that American-Chinese food today is more of an amalgamation of the two cultures based on what was available to Chinese immigrants during the early days of their emigration, as well as the tastes of those already in America. So, it is likely that the egg roll slowly evolved from Chinese origins and American influence into what we enjoy today.

We are huge supporters of deep frying! Nothing beats the shattering crunch it provides. But with deep frying comes a steep incline in calories. We totally understand wanting to find a lighter alternative for this yummy appetizer. Air fryers are extremely useful in creating crispy textures without excess oil.

If using said appliance for this recipe, we'd recommend preheating your air fryer to 400 F for at least 10 minutes. You want it to be nice and hot so the outside of the egg roll cooks quickly and efficiently. (The egg roll filling is precooked, so there's less concern with the inside reaching safe temperatures while trying to crisp the outside!)

It's a good idea to spritz the egg rolls with cooking spray (which adds a very minimal amount of oil) before placing them in the air fryer. Add them in a single layer, making sure they are not crowded. Then, air fry for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.