Fried Egg Roll Chips with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Fried Egg Roll Chips with Sweet and Sour Sauce is the perfect side dish for any Asian meal. This crowd-pleaser is quick and easy to prepare.

Makes 8 Servings

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These fried egg roll chips were created as a way to use up leftover egg roll wraps from a previous meal. Serving the sweet and sour sauce with the chips was a no-brainer. After all, who doesn’t like sweet and sour sauce? When preparing Chinese cuisine, a good sweet and sour dipping sauce is a must. This sweet and sour sauce is all that you will ever need. Be very careful, though. It is easy to become addicted with these chips and dipping sauce.

My search for a good sweet and sour sauce actually took some time. When I first started to cook, I wanted to make sweet and sour sauce like we were served at some of our local restaurants. I tried several recipes before I found one that I really liked. We finally settled on this recipe that is a variation from a vintage cookbook called “The Chinese Vegetarian Cookbook” by Gary Lee. It has several very good recipes and is loaded with inspiration and potential. It has been out of print for some time, so you may have a hard time finding a copy.

Ingredients for egg roll chips:

8 egg roll wraps (about half of a package)
Vegetable Oil for frying (I use canola oil)

Instructions for frying egg roll chips:

1. Remove one egg roll wrap from the package and place on a cutting board. Cut in half from top to bottom, then from side to side. Cut diagonally from corner to opposing corner, and then finally from the opposite corner to corner. When done you should have eight triangles, as shown in the picture below, that are ready to fry.
2. Heat about 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil in an electric skillet to 325°. The oil does not have to be very deep. About 3/4 inches deep will do. Add the egg roll triangles to the pan.
3. Fry the chips in the oil until they start to change color.  Turn the chips with a set of tongs so that they are cooked evenly. Watch carefully because they will cook very quickly.
4. Quickly remove from pan when they turn a light brown. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove from pan and place on a paper towel.

Start by just cooking 8 chips at a time. As you gain some experience and improve your timing, you can increase the number of chips that you put in the pan at once.

What is the best way to store fried egg roll chips?

These chips will keep for up to a week in a tightly sealed container or plastic bag. For longer storage, they can be kept in the freezer in a freezer bag for at least 6 to 8 weeks.

Ingredients for sweet and sour sauce:

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons peanut oil

Instructions for sweet and sour sauce:

1. Combine the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch in a 1 to 2-quart saucepan. Stir the sugar and cornstarch together until well blended.
2. Add the 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup white vinegar, and 2 teaspoons peanut oil to the sugar mixture.
3. Stir everything together and place over medium heat.
4. Cook and stir over medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble gently and lose its cloudy color.

Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve. You can reheat the sauce over medium heat and beat it with a few swift strokes of a whisk to remove any lumps that may occur. Leftover sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Gently reheat in a microwave before serving.

Can I use won ton wraps in place of the egg roll wraps?

Absolutely, yes! Just cut the won ton wraps in half once diagonally before frying. Keep in mind that won ton wraps are usually slightly thinner than egg roll wraps, so they will be a little more tender and fragile.

Vegan Chips:

If you prefer vegan chips, then you should use vegan wraps. The most widely available vegan wraps are made by Dynastey.