Easy Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl “Crack Slaw”

This “Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl” or AKA “Keto Crack Slaw” recipe is a quick and healthy dinner made in about 20 minutes! This delicious one-pot meal has the flavors of a classic Chinese Eggroll without the added carbs. 

Every time my sister-in-law comes from Italy we have to get Chinese food. It’s become our tradition for the last 5 years and I look forward to it because it’s a treat. I love Chinese food, but I really don’t eat it very much because it’s so high in sodium, carbs, and sugar and I’m always hungry about 30 minutes after I stuff my face. Do any of you guys feel the same way?

This recipe for low carb egg roll in a bowl is going to fulfill your cravings for Chinese food, without being high in sugar, carbs, or msg. 

I can’t take credit for the invention of Egg Roll in a Bowl, but I did decide to come up with my own version. It has all the flavors of a traditional egg roll minus the wrapper and the deep frying. This low carb “crack slaw” is so simple and super quick to make. 

I used ground pork which is what an authentic egg roll calls for, but you can switch it up and use chicken, shrimp, or even make it vegetarian and vegan by using some “meaty” mushrooms instead. 

It’s really up to each and every one of you to decide what kind of protein you use, but no matter what you choose it’s going to taste delicious and it’s an easy and healthy dinner! 

What is Egg Roll in a Bowl (Crack Slaw)?

What are Crack Slaw and Egg roll in a bowl? Are they the same thing? 

Yes, keto crack slaw and keto egg roll in a bowl are the same thing! Some people call it egg roll in a bowl due to the fact that you are basically eating an egg roll without having the wrapper and without it being deep-fried. And it’s referred to as crack slaw because a great shortcut in making this recipe is to use bagged coleslaw mix. 

But basically it’s ground pork and cabbage stir-fry that is mixed in with some Asian flavors like ginger, soy sauce (I use coconut aminos), and sesame oil. 

It makes this easy keto crack slaw recipe your go-to weeknight quick dinner your whole family will love.

What Does Crack Slaw Taste Like?

Eating a bowl of healthy crack slaw is like taking a bite into a delicious hot egg roll without the crunchy wrapper. It has a combination of coleslaw mix, ground pork, fresh ginger, coconut aminos, and some spices. It gives you the good Chinese craving you have been wanting. 

Are Egg Rolls Keto?

Unfortunately, traditional egg rolls are not keto-friendly. Egg Rolls have a flour or rice paper wrapping and then they are deep-fried. I know it’s sad not eating them, but they are just way too high in carbs for a Keto or low carb diet. 

Just one egg roll has about 23-25 carbs, and to be honest I could eat at least 2 egg rolls in one sitting…they aren’t that big. 

So that’s why I decided that we all need this keto eggroll in a bowl in our lives. 

Is Egg Roll in a Bowl Keto-Friendly?

So even though traditional egg rolls are not keto-friendly, this low carb egg roll in a bowl is easy and perfect while on a keto diet, or just trying to eat a low carb and healthy lifestyle. 

For 1 cup of low carb crack slaw aka keto eggroll in a bowl, it has only 4.9 NET Carbs. I feel like that’s a pretty good number. Especially when you compare it to 25 carbs in a traditional egg roll. 

This recipe for keto egg roll in a bowl has all the flavors of an egg roll with way fewer carbs. 

What Ingredients are in Low Carb Egg Roll in a Bowl (Crack Slaw)?

Ground Pork – Egg rolls usually always have ground pork in them, so I tried to stick to as close to the real recipe as I could. Plus I really like pork as the flavor is excellent in this recipe. As an alternative, you can also use ground chicken, or even shrimp if you want. 

Coleslaw Mix – I used the packaged coleslaw mix which is a combo of green cabbage, purple cabbage, and shredded carrots. You can shred your own carrots and cabbage, but it’s definitely more time consuming and makes this dish no longer possible to be made in under 20 minutes. 

Ginger – Fresh ginger is best. You can buy ginger root and grate it yourself. Or in the produce section, they sell a fresh ginger paste which works beautifully too. It’s next to all the fresh herbs. 

Garlic & Scallions – A small amount of fresh garlic and chopped scallions gives just enough added flavor. 

Sesame Oil – You don’t want to skip the sesame oil…it’s what gives you the essential “Asian” flavor. 

Coconut Aminos – Rather than using soy sauce, we use coconut aminos. It’s gluten-free and its perfect soy sauce replacement. 

Soy Sauce and Vinegar Substitutions

Soy sauce is not recommended on a keto and low carb diet. Soy products, in general, are highly processed and should be avoided while on keto, Whole30, and Paleo diets. But that’s ok because there is a soy sauce substitution that can be used and honestly you don’t even know you are not even eating regular soy sauce.

Coconut Aminos –  Coconut aminos is a savory and salty sauce that is made from fermented coconut palm sap. It doesn’t contain any soy, wheat or gluten which makes it a healthier and low carb alternative to soy sauce. It has a similar consistency to soy sauce and is very close in color making it an easy substitution. Keep in mind with coconut aminos it has a milder and almost a little sweet taste, but it doesn’t taste like coconut at all. 

Tamari Sauce – Tamari sauce is a gluten-free Japanese sauce that’s made from fermented soybeans. It’s a Japanese version of the commonly known Chinese soy sauce. It’s a bit thicker and less salty than regular soy sauce. If you aren’t on keto or Whole30, but you are gluten-free, then using Tamari sauce is a good alternative to soy sauce. 

For this particular recipe, I didn’t use any vinegar. But in a lot of Asian recipes vinegar is used…Rice Vinegar is mostly. 

Rice Vinegar – Used in a lot of Asian recipes, the taste is less acidic and has a delicate and mild flavor. It’s made by fermenting the sugars in rice first into alcohol and then turning it into acid. 

Apple Cider Vinegar – A good alternative for rice vinegar, if you are on Whole30 or Paleo.  

Should I Use Sesame Oil?

Sesame oil is a must-have ingredient for this egg roll in a bowl. It’s really an essential key to having a true “Asian” egg roll. Sesame oil is great for any kind of stir-fry or even used in a marinade. It has a delicious nutty flavor that you really don’t want to skip!!! 

But don’t cook with sesame oil, because sesame oil has a low smoke point and will release carcinogens if it’s cooked at high heat. So rather than cooking with it in the beginning, all you need to do is add the sesame oil at the end of the cooking process and it will bring the whole dish together. 

If you aren’t sure where to find sesame oil it’s just about at any grocery store, in the Asian food aisle. 

Is there Egg in Egg Roll in a Bowl?

I’ve gotten asked before “why didn’t you add the egg to an egg roll?” The simple answer is because a traditional egg roll doesn’t actually have any egg in it. 

Well, then why is it called an egg roll if there aren’t eggs in it?? I didn’t know the answer either until I did some research and this is what I found:

The name “Egg Roll” comes from the wrapper, because the wrapper was traditionally made with egg, flour, and water. Nowadays a lot of recipes omit the egg in the wrappers, but the name pretty much stuck around. 

That being said, recipes can always be altered depending on what you like. I didn’t add eggs to my egg roll in a bowl but that doesn’t mean you can’t. Adding an egg or two at the end of cooking this keto crack slaw can give you some extra protein and some extra flavor. 

What Kind of Meat is Best for Crack Slaw?

Traditional egg rolls have ground pork, so that’s what I used to make our crack slaw. But if you don’t like pork then feel free to use ground beef, chicken, turkey or even sausage. 

When you are eating a keto diet, it’s important to have high-quality meat that has healthy fat in it. If at all possible try to buy grass-fed organic meat whenever you can. I know it can be more expensive but it’s worth it.

Pre-Made Coleslaw Mix or Fresh?

Most of the time you can find pre-packaged coleslaw mix in any grocery store. Personally buying the bags of coleslaw mix is totally fine, in fact, it’s perfect for this dish. It makes your life so much easier, simply open the bag and dump out the cabbage into the pan. 

Now if you can’t find the pre-packaged coleslaw mix, then buy a head of cabbage and a bag of shredded carrots. Chop the head of cabbage until it’s finely shredded. It will just take some extra time, but it’s definitely doable. 

How to Make Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl 

Now you’re going to see how easy this recipe is. Just follow these step by step instructions: 

Preparing the Vegetables

The prep work is super easy and quick. Start off by chopping all the veggies (skip this if using pre-chopped slaw mix). It should only take you 5 minutes or so.  Chop the scallions and set them aside. Then mince the garlic. 

Now it’s time to grate the ginger. If you bought a fresh ginger root, then using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off of one section, then using a box grater, grate 1 tablespoon. I ended up buying fresh ginger paste and ended up preferring it. It was super easy. 

Seeing that all your veggies are prepped now let’s move on to cooking our dish.

Cooking the Meat

In a large frying pan add the ground pork and the minced garlic, then sautee on medium-high heat. It should only take a few minutes to cook through. 

• 

• 

• 

Putting It All Together

Once the meat is cooked add the ginger and stir together.

• 

• 

Then add in the coleslaw mix and combine. 

• 

• 

• 

Pour in the coconut aminos, and the sesame oil.

• 

• 

Top with the chopped scallions. 

You’re finished! Put it in a bowl and serve. See how easy that was?

Best Tips for Keto Crack Slaw 

Here are some tips for getting the best-tasting low carb crack slaw every time:

• Using a pre-packaged coleslaw mix is the easiest way and still tastes amazing.
• The cabbage takes up a lot of volume in the pan, so I suggest using a large frying pan or a Wok if you have one.
• As far as the ginger, I use fresh ginger paste. It’s found in the produce section of your grocery store, right next to the fresh herbs.
• If you want to use a fresh ginger root that’s fine too. In order to keep the root fresh, place it in the freezer for 3-6 months. That way you can take it right out of the freezer and grate it right into your meals.  
• Don’t cook with sesame oil. Instead, add it to the recipe at the very end of the cooking process. 
• Coconut Aminos is a fantastic low carb soy sauce replacement. It is located in the Asian food aisle at the grocery store. 

Different Variations of Egg Roll in a Bowl (Crack Slaw) 

Just because we make our crack slaw this way, doesn’t mean you can’t make some modifications to change things up a bit. Here are some suggestions:

• If you don’t eat or like pork, then swap it out for ground turkey, ground chicken, ground beef or even shrimp.
• You can use different varieties of cabbage…green or purple cabbage work well and will add some amazing color to your dish. 
• If you can’t find coleslaw mix, try using broccoli slaw. You will find it in the same place as the coleslaw mix.
• Feel free to add more veggies to it such as zucchini or broccoli. 
• If you aren’t on Keto, Whole30, or gluten-free then you can use regular soy sauce instead of the coconut aminos. 
• If you are a vegetarian then swap the meat for “meaty” mushrooms, or tofu. 

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For 

Gluten-Free: Using coconut aminos instead of soy sauce makes this recipe completely gluten-free. 

Whole30 : So I’m not a Whole30 expert but according to my research all of the ingredients in this crack slaw recipe is suitable for Whole30. For more information on what’s acceptable and what’s not on Whole30.

Dairy-Free: There is absolutely no dairy in this egg roll in a bowl recipe. 

What to Serve with Egg Roll in a Bowl?

How should you serve your egg roll in a bowl or low carb crack slaw? Here are a few ideas:

• Serve it over cauliflower rice if eating low carb.
• If you’re not on a low carb diet you can serve it over regular white or brown rice. 
• Lettuce Wraps are a great low carb option and this crack slaw is great wrapped inside fresh lettuce cups.
• If you don’t want this as your main meal it can be served alongside: Keto Meatloaf, Homemade Everything Bagel Chicken Tenders, Keto Chicken Nuggets or a Prime Rib Roast.

Can I Make Keto Crack Slaw Ahead? (Meal Prep)

Making crack slaw ahead of time is a great idea and can be done 2 different ways:

1. Cook the ground pork and set aside while you prep the veggies. You can keep the pork in the fridge until ready to cook everything together. 
2. Follow the recipe exactly and store it in the refrigerator in containers. Then simply reheat when ready to eat. 

This recipe for keto crack slaw is so healthy, and easy and makes a great meal prep recipe. 

How to Store Egg Roll in a Bowl

Storing your keto crack slaw is easy…just transfer it to an airtight container and place in the fridge. It can last about 3-5 days. And we’ve found that the flavors actually intensify with time, so it will be even more yummy!

How to Reheat Crack Slaw

You can reheat your leftover low carb crack slaw 2 different ways:

1. Stove Top – Transfer the leftovers to a skillet over medium heat and cook until heated through. This is going to give you the best taste and texture. 
2. Microwave – Place your leftovers in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 60-90 seconds. Using the microwave may make the texture a bit soggy. 

Can You Freeze Egg Roll in a Bowl?

To freeze your keto egg roll in a bowl, place it in a freezer-safe container or into a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. 

Something to keep in mind when you are freezing the cabbage, it may end being soggy after it’s thawed. A way to help with that is when you are thawing it out add in some fresh shredded cabbage along with it. It will help to keep the whole dish crisper. 

More Keto Main Courses

If you’re in the mood for some other Low Carb Main Course recipes then try our:

• Crispy Keto Fried Chicken
• Easy Stuffed Zucchini Boats
• Low Carb Chicken Parmesan
• Low Carb Spaghetti Squash Casserole

They all are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will be a hit at your next party!

Print