Chinese Spring Rolls (春卷), Deep-Fried or Air-Fried

What are spring rolls

A traditional food popular in many regions of China, spring rolls (Chun Juan/春卷), aka egg rolls in American English, are one of the most sought after dishes in overseas Chinese restaurants. They’re also a staple at Cantonese dim sum eateries, where small-portioned delicacies are enjoyed as brunch.

Essentially, they’re deep fried, cylinder-shaped parcels made of golden, crispy wrappers and a tasty filling of various ingredients.

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Since I learnt how to make them efficiently, I’ve never ordered this dish in a restaurant. They don’t require a complicated procedure or advanced skills to prepare. More importantly, they taste so good and are healthier than most bought versions.

Another option —

Vegan Spring Rolls

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Top tips

Before I explain the procedure for making spring rolls, I’d like to point out a few important tips to avoid them being overly greasy.

• Make sure the filling isn’t too wet
• Wrap the filling as tight as possible
• Deep fry when the oil reaches the correct temperature
• Use an air fryer if you wish to minimize oil usage

Choose the wrappers

Although I love making dumpling wrappers from scratch, when it comes to spring rolls I always buy ready-made wrappers. They’re handy, reliable and create a much better result than homemade ones.

Labeled as Spring Roll Pastry (春卷皮), they’re available in the frozen section of most Chinese/Asian stores. For this recipe, I use large ones measuring 250×250mm (10×10 inches). One package contains 30 sheets and the filling I made is enough for stuffing half of them.

Spring roll wrappers also come in other sizes, for example, 21.5×21.5cm/8.5×8.5 inches which I used for Tofu and Veggie Spring Rolls, etc. If using them, reduce the filling volume and frying time accordingly.

Please be aware that Chinese spring roll sheets are square and made of wheat flour. They’re different from the Vietnamese version which is round and rice flour-based. They aren’t interchangeable for this recipe.

The night before you plan to make spring rolls, don’t forget to defrost the frozen wrappers in the fridge (do not open the package). Once the filling is mixed, gently separate the sheets one by one. As they’re very thin and have a low water content, make sure you cover the separated wrappers under a clean damp cloth. Otherwise, they might dry out and tear easily.

Make the filling

Many ingredients can go into Chinese spring rolls. The filling formulas vary depending on the regions and families’ preferences. However, they share a few characteristics:

• They’re mostly savory although sweet ones also exist, e.g. Shanghai red bean paste spring rolls.
• Unlike dumpling fillings, the ingredients aren’t chopped very finely. Vegetables are usually grated or julienned so that their crunchy texture remains after cooking.
• The mixture isn’t too wet as the thin wrappers aren’t very moisture tolerant. A leaky spring roll will bring you trouble while deep frying.

The filling I’m introducing today is a mixture of pork, shrimp, various vegetables and vermicelli noodles. It’s a tasty, balanced combination but by no means do you have to follow my formula to the letter. Substitute or omit some of them if unavailable.

• Pork, minced. It can be replaced by chicken, beef, or pressed tofu (smoked or five-spice flavored)
• Shrimp, shelled and cut into cubes
• Carrot, grated or finely julienned
• Bean sprouts
• Chinese chives, cut into sections. It can be replaced by finely shredded cabbage
• Shiitake mushrooms. Rehydrate beforehand if using dried ones
• Scallions, finely chopped
• Mung bean vermicelli (Fensi, 粉丝), rehydrated and cut into short sections
• Eggs. They’re to help combine all the ingredients above
• Seasonings: Oyster sauce, sesame oil, white or black pepper, salt and sugar

To make them vegetarian, simply skip the pork and shrimp and increase the volume of other ingredients.

Assemble

Now let’s move on to the next step: stuffing spring roll wrappers with the filling and folding them into neatly sealed cylinders. Apart from the aesthetic purpose, assembling properly also prevents leakage during cooking. It’s an easier job than folding dumplings or folding wontons but it also requires your attention to detail.

Here is how you do it (please refer to the video tutorial in the recipe card below):

On a flat surface, place a wrapper with one of the four corners facing towards you. Put the filling above the closest corner. Use a spoon to shape it into a rectangle.

Lift the closest corner to wrap the filling then roll it to the half-line of the wrapper. Try your best to wrap it as tight as possible without leaving any air pockets inside.

Press two ends of the filling, then fold the left and right corners of the wrapper towards the middle.

Roll the cylinder again until only a triangle is left at the top. Brush a layer of egg yolk over the triangle. Roll again to seal completely.

Freeze for later use

Like dumplings, uncooked spring rolls freeze well so I often make a big batch and store some in the freezer for later use. Do so right after assembly.
It’s not recommended to refrigerate uncooked spring rolls (or leave them on the counter for a long period) as the filling might wet the wrappers over time.

Option 1: Deep frying

Traditionally, Chinese spring rolls are deep-fried. This process creates crispy wrappers that make this dish very attractive. You’ll need an oil that has a neutral flavor and a high smoking point, e.g. sunflower, rapeseeds, canola, peanut, soybean, vegetable oil, etc.

To reduce oil usage, choose a small-sized wok or pot and fry the rolls in several batches. The depth of the oil should be at least double a spring roll’s thickness.

Once the oil reaches 180°C/350°F, gently slide in the rolls one by one. Fry them over medium heat in a single layer (Do not overcrowd). Flip over a few times to ensure even browning.

Once golden, transfer out and place them over kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. The cooking time may vary depending on the performance of your burner (It took me about 3-4 minutes for a batch of 6).

To deep fry frozen spring rolls, put them in without defrosting when the oil reaches 190°C/375°F (a little higher than above).

Note: You can reuse the oil for once or twice. Make sure you dispose unwanted oil properly afterwards.

Other appetizers

Looking for more Chinese appetizer ideas? Check out these recipes:

Fried Wonton, Two Ways (炸云吞)

Salt and Pepper Squid (椒盐鱿鱼)

Siu Mai (Shumai, 烧卖)

Chicken potstickers (鸡肉锅贴)

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5 from 81 votes

Chinese Spring Rolls (春卷), Deep-Fried or Air-Fried

By Wei Guo

A tried and tested recipe for Chinese spring rolls. You don’t need to precook the filling. Two frying methods are provided.

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 15 large rolls

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Before You Start

The time suggested above doesn’t include defrosting frozen wrappers. The number of rolls you can make with this recipe would be different if you use wrappers of a different size.

Video

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Ingredients 

For the wrappers

• ▢ 15 large flour-based spring roll wrappers, 25×25cm (10×10 inches), see note 1

For the filling

• ▢ 200 g minced pork (or chicken/beef), 7oz
• ▢ 120 g shrimp, shelled and cubed, 4oz
• ▢ 120 g carrot, grated, about 2 cups
• ▢ 130 g bean sprouts, about 2 cups
• ▢ 100 g Chinese chives, cut into sections (or finely shredded cabbage), about 2 cups
• ▢ 6 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (rehydrate beforehand if using dried ones)
• ▢ 2 stalks scallions, finely chopped
• ▢ 100 g dried mung bean vermicelli, rehydrated and cut into sections, about 2 cups after soaking
• ▢ 2 eggs

For the seasoning

• ▢ 2 tablespoon oyster sauce, see note 2 for substitutes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sugar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground white or black pepper

For frying

• ▢ Cooking oil for deep frying or air-frying, see note 3

For the dipping sauce (optional)

• ▢ 2 tablespoon white rice vinegar (or fresh lemon/lime juice)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• ▢ 1 pinch sugar
• ▢ 1 clove garlic, minced
• ▢ Fresh chili pepper, finely chopped, to taste

Instructions 

• Ready-made spring roll wrappers usually come frozen. Defrost in the fridge the night before.

Mix the filling

• Put all the ingredients for the filling into a large mixing bowl (NB: leave out one egg yolk for brushing the wrappers).
• Add all the seasonings. Mix until well combined (It’s best to do so with your hands. Wear kitchen gloves if available).

Assemble the rolls

• Gently separate the spring roll wrappers one by one. Remember to always cover them with a clean damp cloth as they dry out easily.
• Place one wrapper on a flat surface with one of the four corners facing towards you. Put about 3 tbsp of the filling above the closest corner (Use a spoon to help shape it into a rectangle).
• Lift the closest corner to wrap the filling then roll it to the half-line of the wrapper. Try to wrap it as tight as possible without leaving any air pockets inside. But be gentle during this process to avoid tearing.
• Lightly press two ends of the filling then fold the left and right corners of the wrapper towards the middle.
• Roll the cylinder until only a triangle is left at the top. Brush a layer of egg yolk over the triangle. Roll again to seal completely. Repeat to assemble all the rolls.

Option 1: Deep fry the rolls

• Heat the oil for deep frying until it reaches 180°C/350°F. Gently slide in the rolls one by one (Do not overcrowd. Fry them in batches if necessary).
• Fry over medium heat. Flip over a few times to ensure even browning. When they become golden, transfer out to a tray lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.

Option 2: Air fry the rolls

• Preheat the air fryer at 200°C/390°F for 3 minutes. While waiting, brush a layer of oil all around the spring rolls.
• Put the rolls over the crisper tray of the air fryer in a single layer. Leave to cook for 8-10 minutes. Then flip over and cook for a further 5 minutes until they become golden.

Serve and reheat

• Serve warm on their own or with the dipping sauce.
• To reheat leftover spring rolls, put them in a preheated oven at 200°C/390°F for about 10 minutes, or in an air-fryer at 200°C/390°F for 5 minutes or so.

Make ahead

• You may store uncooked spring rolls, right after they’re assembled, in the freezer for up to three months (Keep them in an air-tight bag/container).
• Cook as usual without defrosting. If deep frying, raise the temperature to 190°C/375°F. If air-frying, prolong the cooking time by 3-5 minutes.

Notes

1. If your spring roll wrappers are of a different size, please adjust the filling volume and frying time accordingly.

2. Here are two vegetarian/vegan substitutes for the regular oyster sauce: vegetarian oyster flavored sauce and mushroom vegetarian stir-fry sauce. Gluten-free oyster sauce is also available.

3. Use neutral cooking oil that has a high smoking point, e.g. sunflower, rapeseeds, canola, peanut, soybean, vegetable oil, etc.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1large roll | Calories: 153kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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