Flat Top Griddle Egg Roll Bowl in 15 Minutes
Stop eating steamed, mushy cabbage. This flat top griddle egg roll bowl recipe uses high heat to blister vegetables and sear pork perfectly.
Prep Time:
15 Mins
Cook Time:
10 Mins
Serves:
4
Difficulty:
Easy
Flat Top Griddle Egg Roll Bowl
Maximum Flavor, Zero Deep-Frying
Wrapping meat and cabbage in dough and dropping it into a vat of boiling oil is delicious, but it is also a heavy, time-consuming mess. The “Egg Roll Bowl” concept takes the best parts of the dish—the savory pork, the crunch of the cabbage, and the sharp bite of ginger and soy—and deconstructs it.
But cooking this in a cramped skillet on your kitchen stove results in steamed, mushy vegetables. To do this right, you need the massive surface area and intense heat of a flat top griddle. We are going to aggressively sear the pork and blister the cabbage, locking in a smoky char before hitting it with a sticky soy-sesame glaze. It is fast, it is cheap, and it is a masterclass in griddle temperature control.
Essential Tools for the Job
- Commercial Griddle Spatulas (Set of 2): You need two rigid, stainless steel spatulas to properly work a stir-fry on a flat top. Use one to chop the ground pork and both to rapidly toss the cabbage so it chars instead of steams. [Check Price on Amazon]
- Heavy Duty Bench Scraper: Soy sauce and sesame oil will caramelize and turn into a sticky lacquer on your griddle top. A heavy-duty bench scraper is mandatory for pushing the finished food off the surface and immediately scraping the sticky residue into the grease trough before it turns into cement. [Check Price on Amazon]
- Commercial Squeeze Bottles: When you need to add a quick shot of oil to the steel before dropping the cabbage, you cannot be unscrewing a slippery plastic cap from a grocery store oil bottle. Keep your cooking oil in a high-quality squeeze bottle for one-handed deployment. [Check Price on Amazon]
The Base
- 1 lb - Ground Pork: You can use ground chicken or turkey, but pork provides the authentic fat and flavor profile.
- 1 Bag (14-16 oz) - Coleslaw Mix: Pre-shredded cabbage and carrots. Do not shred your own; buy the bag and save yourself 20 minutes of prep.
- 1/2 cup - Yellow Onion: Finely diced.
- 3 cloves - Garlic: Minced.
- 1 tbsp - Fresh Ginger: Grated. (Paste from a tube is acceptable if you are in a rush).
- Cooking Oil - Canola, avocado, or peanut oil. (Do not use olive oil; it cannot handle the heat).
The Liquid Gold (Sauce)
- 1/3 cup - ow-Sodium Soy Sauce: Regular soy sauce will reduce on the griddle and become overwhelmingly salty.
- 1 tbsp - Toasted Sesame Oil: Essential for that distinct Asian-takeout flavor.
- 1 tbsp - Rice Vinegar: For necessary acidity.
- 1 tbsp - Sriracha or Chili Garlic Sauce: Adjust to your heat tolerance.
The Finishers
- 3-4 - Green Onions: Sliced (greens and whites separated).
- 1 tbsp - Toasted Sesame Seeds.
- Spicy Mayo - (Optional) 2 tbsp Mayo mixed with 1 tbsp Sriracha for a finishing drizzle.
Mix the Glaze:
Step 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Set this aside. Your griddle work is going to happen violently and fast; you do not have time to measure liquids once the meat hits the steel.
Establish the Zones:
Step 2
Fire up your flat top griddle. Set one side to medium-high heat (your searing zone) and the other side to low (your holding/safety zone). Lay down a thin coat of high-temp cooking oil on the hot side.
Sear the Pork:
Step 3
Throw the ground pork onto the hot zone. Hit it with the diced yellow onion, the minced garlic, the grated ginger, and the white parts of your sliced green onions. Smash the pork down flat into the griddle with your spatula to maximize contact with the steel. Let it sit untouched for 2 minutes to develop a hard, brown crust. Once crusted, chop it up aggressively and toss until cooked through.
Char the Cabbage:
Step 4
Move the cooked pork mixture over to the low-heat zone. Add a little more oil to the hot zone if it looks dry, then dump your entire bag of coleslaw mix onto the extreme heat. Toss it continuously for 2 to 3 minutes. You want the cabbage to blister and char slightly on the edges, but it must retain its crunch. Do not overcook it into mush.
The Marriage and the Glaze:
Step 5
Bring the pork mixture back over and mix it thoroughly into the charred cabbage. Pour your pre-mixed sauce directly over the top of the pile. You will immediately hear it sizzle and steam. Toss everything together rapidly for 60 seconds as the sugars in the sauce caramelize and coat the meat and vegetables.
Plate and Garnish:
Step 6
Pull the mixture off the griddle immediately to stop the cooking process. Serve in wide bowls. Garnish heavily with the green parts of the sliced onions and toasted sesame seeds. Hit it with a zigzag drizzle of spicy mayo if you want to push it over the edge.
