By Sporked Staff |
The best frozen egg rolls are crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Their golden brown wrappers glisten with a touch of grease and deliver an audible crunch when you bite into them. They taste as warm and satisfying as the best egg rolls from your favorite hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant—only these can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home, no need to wait for a delivery dude.
How many times have you ordered Chinese takeout, decided not to get egg rolls, and felt…a little empty inside? Listen, we totally get it: In the era of food delivery apps, we’ve lost the ability to simply pay for the meal and tip the driver. Now delivery bills are riddled with hidden fees, and it’s becoming more and more common for people to skip the appetizers to keep costs down. If we could afford it, there would always be a box of hot, appetizing egg rolls with duck sauce sitting nice and pretty at the top of our takeout bag. That’s where the best frozen egg rolls come in. Heck, even if you’re not trying to curb your food delivery spending, the best egg rolls still deserve a spot in your freezer.
We sat down for our second taste test of the best egg rolls in the frozen aisle, “egg-sploring” (that’s the only egg pun I’m putting in here, okay?) new brands to bring into your home. We cooked all of these in an oven, per their instructions. From the best chicken egg rolls to the best frozen vegetable egg rolls, here are all the best frozen egg rolls we tasted.
- Happi Foodi Cuban Style Egg Rolls
“It feels like 7-Eleven food,” said managing editor Gwynedd Stuart, who was pleasantly surprised these weird, fusion-y frozen egg rolls. These frozen egg rolls are filled with pork, bacon, Swiss cheese, and diced dill pickles. The result is a Cubano sandwich inside of a crispy, crunchy, oily egg roll wrapper. The mild tang of the Swiss cheese comes through more than any other flavor. These are the best frozen egg rolls to pair with a nice, tangy yellow mustard. Egg roll fusion is trendy. One day we’re all going to end up inside of an egg roll. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Pagoda Chicken Egg Rolls
These egg rolls taste just like chicken pot pie, and we aren’t complaining. There are thick chunks of celery and carrot inside Pagoda’s chicken egg rolls. Outside, the egg roll wrapper is nice and crunchy. “It’s a good, soft crunch,” said editor-in-chief Justine Sterling. “The flavor is really good. And there’s a lot of savoriness.” Sometimes you want puffy, chewy egg rolls that you can drown in sauce. That’s Pagoda. Plus, they taste like stuffing. Stuffing! —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Coyote Grill Coyote Grill Mini Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls
You heard that right: buffalo chicken egg rolls, ladies and gents. Add these to the next game day spread, because these bite-sized, highly snackable buffalo chicken egg rolls are bound to be a fan favorite. The filling combines creamy buffalo sauce with cheddar cheese and extra savory dark meat chicken. Are these a bastardization of traditional egg rolls? You bet. Are they still some of the best frozen egg rolls we tried? Oh, 100%. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Fusia Chicken Egg Rolls
Where did the trend of egg rolls tasting like mini chicken pot pies come from? Feels like an American thing to me, but like Danny said, we’re not complaining. The thin, flaky, pastry-like wrapper on these Fusia egg rolls crisps up to a beautiful golden brown. The garlic, carrots, and savory white meat chicken definitely lean into a pot pie flavor, minus the heavy, puffy chewiness of Pagoda. These are leaner, crunchier, and delectable. Again, the delicate thinness of the wrapper really shines here, and that makes these some of the best egg rolls you can find in the frozen aisle. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Signature Select Pork Egg Rolls
“The insides are really nice,” said Justine moments before she was canceled (jk, jk). For being frozen, these Signature Select egg rolls taste pretty fresh. The hint of celery is nice, and the subtle herb and vegetable flavors go a long way, too. Some egg rolls are too small, but not Signature Select’s. These are big ol’ egg rolls. Gwynedd put one in her mouth and made us take a picture of her like she was smoking a cigar. When we’re not arguing about food or deciding which brands make the best egg rolls, we like to have fun here at Sporked. And the point remains: These are a generous size. Extra points for that. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- 365 Vegetable Egg Rolls by Whole Foods Market
It’s far too common for veggie egg rolls to taste like gloopy mush. (Let’s be real, veggie dumplings are guilty of this, too.) But these veggie egg rolls from Whole Foods are packed with edamame, cabbage, water chestnuts, and other crunchy vegetables. They have a great texture thanks to the filling. Could they do with a touch more salt and grease? Sure, but that’s the beauty of many frozen products at Whole Foods—they keep things simple and focus on the core ingredients. If you like edamame and fresh vegetables, these are, hands down, the best frozen egg rolls for you to buy. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Tai Pei Vegetable Egg Rolls
These vegetable egg rolls are really flavorful. You know how some egg rolls taste like cabbage and that’s it? Not Tai Pei. They’re loaded with sh*take mushrooms, vermicelli noodles, bamboo shoots, green onions, and carrots. These pack a great balance of umami and sweetness, and they’re salted perfectly. Vegetable egg rolls should have a variety of vegetables. Don’t settle for less. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Chung’s Chicken Egg Rolls
The salt factor in these frozen egg rolls is very strong. Chung’s egg rolls also have a notable celery flavor. Celery and chicken are a classic and comforting combo that endures. There’s something homey about fresh celery and meaty chicken, and you get that with Chung’s. As far as texture, the egg roll shell is crunchy and flaky, and the interior is soft and chewy. These are the best chicken egg rolls to dunk in sweet and sour sauce. Tame that salt with a little bit of sweet! —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Minh Pork Egg Rolls
Minh egg rolls are flaky, filled with pork, and pleasantly greasy. When food is coated with fat, it negates the need to drown things in sauce. I love a sandwich that’s simply Italian meat, cheese, and a little drizzle of olive oil. That’s what these Minh egg rolls feel like to me. The natural juices of the pork shine bright and the egg roll shell tastes like it’s been brushed with some sort of oil. Minh feels deep fried, and that’s hard to do! That’s why they’re the best frozen pork egg rolls and the best frozen egg rolls, period. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best Fusion
Rating:
7/10
Sporks
Best with Sweet & Sour
Rating:
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Buffalo Chicken
Rating:
8/10
Sporks
Best Wrapper
Rating:
8/10
Sporks
Best Value
Best Fresh Ingredients
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Best Vegetable Egg Rolls
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Chicken Egg Rolls
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Best of the Best
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Other Frozen Egg Roll Brands We Tried: Peking Cuisine Chicken & Vegetables Egg Rolls, Great Value Pork Egg Rolls, Pagoda Pork Egg Rolls, Feel Good Foods Veggie Egg Rolls, Feel Good Foods Chicken Egg Rolls, Van’s Egg Rolls, Chung’s Vegetable Egg Rolls, P.F. Chang’s Mini Veggie Egg Rolls, P.F. Chang’s Mini Chicken Egg Rolls, Crav’n Flavor Chicken Egg Rolls, Crav’n Flavor Pork Egg Rolls
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About the Author
Sporked Staff
The Sporked Staff tastes everything and anything. They are obsessive about groceries and finding the best of any type of food or drink, from frozen fried shrimp to Dijon mustard to gummy candy. And they're always on a hunt for the best new products. When they aren't eating professionally, they're eating recreationally. And often they're browsing grocery store aisles, just for fun.
