Chinese Chicken Egg Rolls with an American Fusion Twist

My husband loved my “Cajun Crawfish Egg Rolls” which I posted last March so much that he was disappointed when I ate all the leftover egg rolls. Of course, I had conveniently hidden the egg rolls in the back of the refrigerator making them hard to locate. So, this year, I’m amending things by making “Chinese Chicken Egg Rolls.” This recipe dates to “back in the day” when I went on a flurry of making egg rolls every week. My way of making egg rolls is so simple — I use leftover cooked chicken or pork plus lots of vegetable ingredients. My recipe for “Americanized” egg rolls may not be entirely authentic, so it represents a Chinese-American fusion. But who cares, my “Chinese Chicken Egg Rolls” are delicious. I serve them with my own “Homemade Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce.” I can guarantee that these egg rolls will disappear quickly.

Interest in Chinese Cuisine

I have a unique interest with Chinese cuisine which dates to my grandparents. My paternal grandparents set sail on a old, dilapidated Danish freighter in 1917 for mainland China. (All dependable ships had been commandeered for WW1.) Their dream was to become missionaries in this new and exotic land. They studied the language and culture for several years in Shanghi and then went to serve in a missionary outpost in the remote province of Shangsi, China. The famiy’s plan was to live in China for years. That goal was cut short by the Japanese-Chinese wars and the family returned to this country in about 1934. Here are my grandparents with my father when he was about two years old.

In the spirit of these Chinese years, I received a Chinese name, “Mei Li.” However, they spelt it “Maylee” so no one would be confused. I’ve spent my entire life explaining the story of my name.

When I was young, my understanding of Chinese cooking was very elementary. Anything with soy sauce or chow mein noodles was “Chinese.” My parents liked to entertain Chinese college exchange students from Taiwan. We learned to enjoy “Chinese” dishes which the students cooked for us.

Chinese cuisine, culture and cooking is complex and diverse. In fact, it is so complicated that it can be overwhelming. So, I am an American cook with no pretex of being a Chinese cook. I will enjoy my “Chinese” cooking, the flavors of the orient and my unique name.

Recipe

I have made my recipe for “Chinese Chicken Egg Rolls” for many years and no longer remember its origins. It generally follows along with other egg rolls recipes which I see in cookbooks and on the internet. One main difference of my egg rolls compared to those served in restaurants is that I pack alot more filling into each egg roll. They are loaded with vegetables and meat.

For this recipe, I use cooked, boneless chicken. Sometimes, I’ll substitute in cooked, ground pork, shrimp or even crawfish. In addition to the protein ingredient, I add chopped cabbage, carrots, onion, bell pepper, green onion and bean spouts. Always bean sprouts, which makes my egg rolls unique. (That goes back to my childhood when “Chicken Chow Mein” of chicken, mung bean spouts and chow mein noodles was our standard home cooked Chinese meal.) My seasonings are very simple — soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and either fresh or ground ginger.

Making the Recipe

To make the recipe, I get the chicken (or other protein ready). Since the egg rolls don’t cook very long in the deep fat fryer, I always used cooked chicken or other meat rather than raw meat in this recipe. This is a good recipe to use all the leftover rotisserie chicken which seems to come frequently into our home for meals. Alternatively, I’ll poach boneless chicken tenderloins. About 2 to 2-1/2 cups cooked, diced chicken is a good amount for this recipe.

To poach the chicken tenders, I start with 1 lb raw chicken tenderloins. Remove the center tendon and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.

Add a small amount of oil to a small skillet. Add the seasoned tenderloins and sear on both sides. Add about 1″ water, cover with a lid, lower temperature an boil gently for about 10 minutes.

After the chicken is cooked throughout, remove and dice or shear with a knife. This should yield about 2 to 2-1/2 cups of cooked, diced chicken.

Next, I stir fry the vegetable ingredients in a large skillet, and let them cook and simmer on the stove until the cabbage and onion are tender. At some point, I add in the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and ginger.

Then, I add in the cooked chicken and bean sprouts.

It is much easier to fill the egg roll wrappers if the filling is cold and all liquid is drained off. After the filling mixture is cooked, I transfer it to a refrigerator-proof container and let it chill for at least an hour to overnight.

The last step is to fill the egg roll wrappers and fry them. Although I’ve made homemade wrappers, it is much easier to use purchased ones. I dip the edges in a flour/water paste, add the filling and roll them up like a little packet. I fry them using my handy “FryDaddy” deep fat fryer in hot peanut oil. Alternatively, I have several heavy, cast iron skillets which work great for frying the egg rolls. If using a cast iron skillet, I add oil to a depth of about 1 inch.

Technically, egg rolls are rolled by bringing in each diagonal corner like an envelope. I missed the lesson on this technique and will probably never change. Mine are unique!

Filling the egg rolls and frying them can become a time-consuming process. Typically, I like to “tag team” these steps. One person fills the egg rolls and the second person manages the deep fat fryer and serves are a “runner,” replenishing and getting any supplies which are needed. It makes things go much smoother. And, the egg rolls are best when served hot. I keep the finished egg rolls in a warm oven until ready to eat; but it also helps to keep the deep fat fryer going.

This recipe makes a large batch of egg rolls. I use the entire 1 lb, 2 oz package of egg roll wrappers which is 20 – 22 egg rolls. (They are 6-1/2 inch square wrappers.) That will make several meals! Fortunately, the egg rolls freeze well. Great homemade “convenience” foods. Just thaw out a few at a time.

I love to serve the egg rolls with spicy, hot mustard and a homemade sweet and sour dipping sauce.

My recipe for “Homemade Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce” is given below. The sweet component comes from brown sugar, the tart flavors come from apple cider vinegar and either pineapple or orange juice. Catsup gives color and flavor. I thicken the sauce with cornstarch. In the accompanying photo, I added pineapple tidbits from the can of pineapple.

My eggrolls are quite substantial. They are packed full of delicious vegetables and meat. Each one contains much more filling than a commercial egg roll. They are yummy!

Whenever I make these egg rolls — one of my favorite Chinese meals — I think of my grandparents and their adventures in China during the early 1900s. What stories they had to tell!

Enjoy my unique “take” on “Chinese Chicken Egg Rolls.”