You’ve never really had a Spring Roll until you’ve tried homemade!! Way better than your run-of-the-mill suburban Chinese restaurants, this Spring Roll recipe is shatteringly crisp on the outside with a juicy pork, vegetable and mushroom filling. Helpful step-by-step rolling instructions included, to make a pro of you in no time!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Spring Roll recipe
When was the last time you ordered spring rolls at a Chinese restaurant? Did you bite into it and wonder what was actually inside? And if it was a really bad one, you may have even been treated to oil squirting into your mouth when you bit into it.
That pretty much describes the run-of-the-mill spring roll experience at local Chinese restaurants and takeout places in food courts. I mean, you can get truly great spring rolls at “posh” Chinese restaurants, where you can pay $13 for 2 (yes – 2, two, TWO spring rolls).
Or – you can make a whole batch of spring rolls at home for less than $10!
Wait a sec. Are these Egg Rolls?
Nope. Egg Rolls are different. We don’t get Egg Rolls here in Australia, but I’ve had my fair share in the States.
Don’t worry Australia, we’re not missing out. Spring Rolls are way better!!They’re shatteringly crispy on the outside whereas Egg Rolls tend to be a bit chewy and also greasier.
Spring Rolls Filling
There’s really no definitive rules about what goes inside Spring Rolls. But typically, you’ll find a mix of some kind of meat (usually ground pork / mince) with finely chopped or shredded vegetables, plus seasoning.
I like to add chopped mushrooms which adds extra umami (savoury flavour) into the filing.
Spring Roll Wrappers
Made with wheat flour, spring roll wrappers come broth frozen and refrigerated ready for use. While thin, they are pliable, easy to handle and less fragile than you might imagine.
They come in various sizes, from small squares that make mini spring rolls to the size I’m using here which are 21.5cm/8″ squares that make spring rolls about 10 – 12cm / 4 – 5″ long.
Spring roll wrappers are sold at Asian grocery stores. Though nowadays, Spring Roll wrappers are now widely available in Australia in large supermarkets (Woolworths and Coles, freezer section. ↓↓↓).
I know spring rolls is one of those things that may seem daunting to try your hand at. But it’s actually not that tricky at all. Wrapping spring rolls is more straight forward than Wontons or Gyoza (Japanese dumplings). Plus, the spring roll wrapper is easier to handle than most doughs – it has stretch, you can even scrunch it up, whirl it around and dance around the kitchen with it, then still be able to use it. True story. (I might have done it)
Plus there’s the recipe video too. 🙂 Very handy for demonstrating the spring roll wrapping process.
There’s a lot of literature “out there” about how to make the perfect spring rolls. But I really don’t think it’s necessary to write a long list of tips and tricks to make great spring rolls. Just follow the recipe, the steps are perfectly straight forward. 🙂
Healthier BAKED Spring Rolls
For a real-deal spring roll experience, there’s no denying that frying is the way to go. That’s how to make a beautifully golden spring roll that’s flaky and crispy, as it should be (wait until you see the end of the video!).
However, you can most certainly bake them. The best way to bake them is to spray with oil and bake on a rack – no turning required. They will come out golden all over and very crispy. The crispness is just not quite the same delicate flaky crispness that you get from deep frying, but it is undeniably crispy. The main difference is the flavour – when you bake, the flavour of the spring roll wrapping is more dominant than when fried i.e. with fried spring rolls, you can taste the filling more.
Here’s a comparison of baked vs fried: the top is the baked one, the bottom is the fried one. You can see how the fried one is a more even golden colour. But there’s not that much difference!
Sauce for Spring Rolls
Spring Rolls are usually served with Sweet and Sour Sauce. it’s truly worth making your own – it’s really quick and easy! I’ve popped the recipe in the notes of the recipe.
One bite of these spring rolls, and you will be amazed. It’s how spring rolls should taste. You can really taste the filling. It has real texture, rather than just being some sort of mystery mush.
It isn’t greasy, you won’t get any squirts of oil when you bite into your homemade spring rolls.
And who cares if your spring rolls come out a bit wonky and lopsided? That isn’t going to affect the flavour AT ALL! – Nagi xx
More great Yum Cha / Dim Sum Recipes
Potstickers (Chinese pan fried dumplings)
Gyoza (Japanese dumplings)
Shumai (Japanese steamed dumplings on my mother’s site, RecipeTin Japan!)
Browse the Yum Cha recipe collection, all Chinese Recipes and Asian Takeout copycat recipes
Watch How To Make It
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Spring Roll recipe
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped or minced
- 400 g / 13 oz pork mince (ground pork), or chicken or turkey
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in boiling water OR 8 fresh (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot (1 large or 2 small)
- 1 1/2 cups (heaped) bean sprouts
- 1 1/2 cups (packed) shredded green cabbage (any type is fine)
- 1 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tsp soy sauce (light or all purpose is best, dark is also ok)
Spring Rolls:
- 15 – 20 spring roll wrappers, defrosted (21.5 cm / 8” squares) OR 35 – 40 small spring roll wrappers (Note 2), or Egg Roll wrappers to make Egg Rolls (Note 6)
- 2 tsp cornflour (for sealing rolls)
- 1 tbsp water (for sealing rolls)
- Oil for frying (I use vegetable) OR oil spray for baking (I use canola)
Sweet and Sour Sauce (makes ~ 2/3 cup):
- 2 tsp cornflour/ cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (adjust to taste)
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tsp soy sauce
Instructions
FILLING:
- Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add garlic, stir quickly, then add pork. Cook, breaking it up as you go, until it turns white.
- Add carrot, bean sprouts, cabbage and mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add cornflour, soy sauce and Oyster sauce, cook for 1 minute until the liquid is gone. The Filling should not be watery, it should be kind of sticky (watery filling = soggy spring rolls = ? ).
- Cool Filling (super speedy: spread on tray, refrigerate 5 minutes). (Hot filling = spring rolls burst open = ? )
SPRING ROLL:
- Mix cornflour and water in a small bowl (for sealing the rolls).
- Carefully peel off one spring roll wrapper, keep the others covered under a damp tea towel.
- Place the wrapper with the SMOOTH SIDE DOWN (Note 3) in a diamond position. Place a very heaped dessert spoon of filling on the bottom. Roll up halfway, fold sides in, then finish rolling. Use cornflour sludge to seal. (Watch VIDEO below). They should be about 12 cm / 5″ long, 2.5cm / 1″ wide once wrapped.
- Pour enough oil in a wok or large saucepan (Note 4) so it is double the height of the spring rolls. Heat on medium high until hot – stick a bamboo chopstick or wooden spoon handle in, if rapid bubbles appear, then it’s hot enough.
- Carefully place spring rolls in the oil (about 4 – 5 at a time) and cook, turning occasionally, until deep golden – around 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Repeat with remaining spring rolls. Serve while hot with Sweet and Sour Sauce!
BAKING option:
- Place spring rolls on a rack and place the rack on a tray. Spray very generously with oil all over (use canola or other natural oil). Bake at 200C/400F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan / convection) for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and crispy – no need to turn.
SWEET and SOUR SAUCE:
- Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer, stirring regularly, then simmer until it thickens to taste (about 3 – 5 minutes).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
A very typical day at RecipeTin HQ:
Me: Messy bun, ugg boots, hands in food;
Dozer: thinking that if he stares at the food hard enough, it might jump off the table into his mouth…..
Janyce says
Hi Nagi! I am sorry but that is not call Spring Roll at all. It is actually Egg Roll. Egg Roll you can fried or bake. Spring Roll we use a different wrapping paper (rice wrapping paper). Lot of people mistaken that is the same but it not. Spring Roll is white in color outside. Those two are totally different.
Nagi says
Hi Janyce! I added some more notes about the difference!! The term Egg Rolls and Spring Rolls seems to be used interchangeably in the States because sometimes when I order Egg Rolls, I get spring rolls! But fundamentally, the recipe is the same, it just depends on what wrapper you use and how BIG it is. 🙂
David Heath says
Sorry Janyce, these are definitely spring rolls! The ones you describe with rice paper are Vietnamese Spring Rolls, also known as Vietnamese Summer Rolls, which have a mostly raw vegetable/noodle/herb filling, sometimes with pre-cooked prawns (shrimp). I often wondered what “Egg Rolls” were – we don’t know that term in the UK, so thanks for the clarification, Nagi!
I don’t know if links are allowed but I found this article
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/aug/07/how-to-make-perfect-vietnamese-summer-rolls
Nagi says
Just think of Egg Rolls as LARGE Spring Rolls with a bubbly rather than smooth surface and a thicker wrapper so it’s not quite the same flaky, delicate crunch and also it’s oiler 🙂 That article will be helpful, thanks David! N xx
Kristie Scott says
its a spring roll, its only in the US that you have egg rolls, this is what you get in china/singapore/japan and all over asia which are definitely called spring rolls, also called Cha Gio or Noms in vietnam but also translates to spring roll… a rice paper roll if fried can also be called a spring roll but usually these dont really exist in asia (I’ve lived in hk, singapore, vietnam and now thailand for 17 years and there definitely spring rolls
Nagi says
I’m so glad you said that! I was 99% positive I have never ever seen an Egg Roll anywhere in Asia! N xx
Suzie says
In Australia (which is where Nagi lives) we call these Spring Rolls. Hence Nagi’s PS just before the actual recipe. The rolls that use Rice Wrapping Paper we just call Rice Paper Rolls or Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls and are not cooked once they are wrapped
Nagi says
😍 PS I prefer Spring Rolls to Egg Rolls. Egg Rolls are so big and the filling falls out!!! And the wrapper is thicker so not as delicate / flaky and so it’s also oiler. 🙂 N xx
Sheri says
Great recipe! Can I also make them with Shrimp?
Also, excellent job on Photography! Especially the drip on the dipping photo!
Hard to do!
Thanks for your hard work! : )
Nagi says
YES YES YES to shrimp!!! I want YOUR spring rolls… 😂
Denise Elarde says
Hi Nagi,
Would they work with Vietnamese rice papers?
Nagi says
Hi Denise! I added some more info in Note 2 – yes you can but they will look different (they will be Vietnamese Spring Rolls!) and require an extra step to soak the rice paper before rolling. N x
Mihaeĺa says
Hi Nagi! I love your recipes, they are easy to folow and make. I’ve tried quite a few and all came out amazing. These spring rolls can be frozen before frying or baking them and then cooked when needed? Or better to cook them first and frozen afterwards?
Suzie says
I have made spring rolls before ( not this recipe, but I will be trying it) and have frozen raw and fried from frozen, they have been perfect
Nagi says
Hi Mihaela! I haven’t tried it but I just asked my mother who said that it will be fine to freeze raw. Because they are quite thin, I’m sure they can be cooked from frozen! N x
Sameer says
Hi Nagi, They look yum, and healthy! I have family who are vegetarian. How can I turn these into vegetarian?
Thanks as always.
Nagi says
Hi Sameer! Skip the chicken and just add more vegetables, about 2 1/2 cups 🙂
Goodluck says
Hey Nagi, u’ve bin an inspiration to me…. I luv !! I luv !!! Coming to ur site …. So a quickie, how do I make Spring roll wrappers from the scratch ? Cos here in Nigeria I’ve Neva seen any at the frozen section, so I’d love how to make it… Also if u cud include a video tutorial of it Wud be fab!!!!… Thank you!
Nagi says
Hiiiii! I’m so sorry to say that I’ve never made spring roll wrappers from scratch! 🙁 N x
Anita in Louisiana says
Did you use rice or wheat wrappers? Both are available as “spring roll wrappers” here. Would this work with rice wrappers and would you need to do anything different? I’m stuck with the gluten problem :-(. The good news about that is that I am trying a lot more recipes at home these days :-). Wow, these look delicious!! Thanks for the great recipe and making these seem doable at home.
Nagi says
Updated Note 2 with more info 🙂 Plus a link to the Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls so you can see how to prepare the rice paper, and a description for how it will differ. N x
Nagi says
Hi Anita! Spring roll wrappers are wheat wrappers here, thank you for the question I will clarify. Rice wrappers are different, they can be used but they need soaking first before wrapping. 🙂 I will update the recipe! N x
Lyn says
You make it look so easy…I’m inspired…Have your fingers gotten thinner and longer???
Nagi says
Nooo! 😂 I have a helper who comes in sometimes and she has long elegant fingers so I can’t resist getting her to do the hand modelling! N xx
Murielle St Jean says
Looking forward to reading and trying all recipes. Thank you for your for your genoresity. Murielle
Nagi says
Thank you Murielle! Think you’ll try your hand at these? 😍 N x
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Nagi! I love spring rolls and I have made them once or twice, the last time I baked them. These sound delicious! I’m not sure if one batch would be enough, might have to double it! My dogs are convinced that if they stare at food long enough it will magically jump into their mouths; never does but it doesn’t stop them from trying. 🙂
Nagi says
Hi Dorothy!! You make spring rolls?? Is there no end to the things you can make?? 😂
Terrie says
We call them spring rolls in Texas, too!! But, spring rolls tend to be smaller – like yours – and egg rolls tend to be thicker and longer – don’t ask me why. LOL!
Nagi says
You do??! I didn’t know that! I don’t remember that – I went to a dim sum place in Dallas and there were only egg rolls! N x
Maëva says
I never tried to make it myself, it always seemed so complicated!
I might give it a go though, because those looks absolutely amazing.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Nagi says
I hope you do! They are so amazing!! N xx
Nagi says
I really hope you do give them a go, homemade are incredible! N xx