Have you ever ordered Chinese spring rolls from the takeaway and wondered if it was possible to make them at home? Crispy and crunchy outside with a delicious vegetable and meat filling on the inside – these are a real authentic staple Chinese snack or appetiser. And while you can easily buy them readymade from most supermarkets, I never think they taste as good as the real deal – often they’re small in size and lacking in filling and flavour, which is why I like to make them from scratch.
Why make spring rolls at home…
Once you’ve tried to these homemade crispy spring rolls, and realise how simple they are to make – then there’ll be no going back! And even better, this spring rolls recipe is made in the air fryer – meaning no deep frying and less oil. Plus, while traditional spring roll recipes call for vegetables including carrots and napa cabbage to be shredded, I stumbled on a brilliant and time-saving alternative – prepared vegetable stir-fry packets from the supermarket to add to the spring roll filling.
When my dad owned his Chinese takeaway, it was my grandfather’s task to make fresh spring rolls every morning, so they were ready to be fried to order. It always fascinated me to watch him deftly roll them around the filling so quickly – he even let me try to do some occasionally, so I confidently say I learned from the best!
Are spring rolls the same as egg rolls?
They’re not dissimilar both with meat and vegetables. However, spring rolls originate from China and are made from fine flour wrappers or rice wrappers, while egg rolls are American-made from a much thicker wheat wrapper dipped in egg before frying.
Here is the list of ingredients needed
-
spring roll wrappers
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pork mince (ground pork)
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pre-chopped mushroom stir fry vegetable packet
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soy sauce
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oyster sauce
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Chinese rice wine
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garlic
-
ginger puree
-
vegetable oil
First, you need to make the Chinese spring roll filling…
Simplicity is key here – and because you don’t have to shred or chop any vegetables, you can make the filling quickly and effortlessly. Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce and Chinese rice wine in a small bowl. Get a wok or a large frying pan, and heat some vegetable oil over a medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger then the pork mince.
Stir fry for a few minutes, before adding the stir fry vegetables. Continue to cook so the vegetables begin to soften, then add the cornflour and the sauces. Turn down the heat, and cook until the pork and vegetables are cooked and there’s no liquid. It’s essential not to have any, as the spring rolls will burst and be soggy. Not what we want!
Once you’ve made the filling, you’ll need to let it cook completely. If you’re keen to cool quickly, spread the pork filling on a baking sheet and put in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. Hot filling will break the spring roll wrappers.
Now it’s time to assemble the spring rolls
Wrapping air fryer spring rolls isn’t as hard as you’d imagine.
Prepare the wrappers – Lay a spring roll wrapper on a clean, flat work surface in a diamond shape. Mix together cornflour/cornstarch and water to make a slurry – this will be used to seal the spring rolls.
Add the delicious filling – Place a spoonful of the filling mixture near the bottom corner of the wrapper, leaving some space on either side. Be careful not to overfill, as this can make rolling difficult.
Roll tightly – Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll tightly towards the top corner. Using your finger, dab the cornflour slurry along the edges to seal well. Repeat this process until all the filling is used up, ensuring that the spring rolls are neatly sealed to prevent any leakage during cooking. Don’t worry if it takes a few tries – you’ll get the hang of it soon.
How to cook spring rolls in an air fryer?
Using a cooking spray, spray oil on the basket of the air fryer to prevent them from sticking. Preheat your air fryer – some have a preheat setting, but if not, do it at 200°c (390°F) for five minutes. Once the air fryer spring rolls are ready to be cooked, spray the tops of them with a little bit of oil or dab some oil over them using a pastry brush. Now you’re ready to air fry. Place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer making sure not to overcrowd them, you may need to air fry them in several batches.
How long does it take to cook spring rolls in the air fryer?
Air fry at 200°c (390°F) for 5 minutes then, use tongs to turn them and brush oil or spray oil on the other side. Continue to cook for a few minutes before checking again. Depending on the strength of your air fryer, be careful not to let the spring roll wrappers burn. You may need to air fry for a further 2-5 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove them from the air fryer and let them cool slightly before serving.
What to serve with them
Serve with your favourite dipping sauce. We like to dip them in sweet chilli sauce, or even soy sauce mixed with some chilli sauce. They’re also a great accompaniment to noodles or other Chinese appetisers including prawn toast and chicken wings.
Alternative to spring roll wrappers?
Traditional spring roll wrappers are widely available from Asian supermarkets or grocery stores. However, if you can’t find these you can use filo pastry for the closest texture – or get wonton wrappers or egg roll wrappers – bearing in mind the texture will be thicker.
Can I make a vegetarian version of these air fryer spring rolls
Absolutely. You can leave out the meat and double up on the vegetable stir fry or add more bean sprouts and cabbage, chopped shiitake mushrooms and some vermicelli rice noodles. Play around with different combinations.
Can I cook frozen spring rolls in the air fryer?
If you have any leftover spring rolls (which I very much doubt), then you can freeze them. Pop them in a suitable container or freezer bag and freeze them for up to three months. To reheat, you can cook them frozen in the air fryer at around 180°c (350°F) for around 8-10 minutes.
Other Chinese appetisers you might like
Air fryer prawn toast
Garlic and chilli crispy prawns
Air fryer crispy Chinese chicken wings
Air fryer Japanese fried chicken
Salt and pepper chicken wings
Air fryer spring rolls [super easy]
Ingredients
- 500 g pork mince
- 400 g mushroom stir-fry vegetable packet
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger puree
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil more if you're brushing the top of the spring rolls
- 2 tablespoons cornflour/cornstarch divided
- 2 tablespoons water
- 15 spring roll wrappers [more if you have extra filling]
- vegetable oil spray
Instructions
- Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce and Chinese rice wine in a small bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan, over a medium heat. Then add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry for around 30 seconds then add the pork mince.
- Stir fry for a few minutes, before adding the stir fry mushroom vegetables. Continue to cook so the vegetables begin to soften, around 1-2 minutes. Then add the cornflour and the soy sauce and oyster sauce mixture. Turn down the heat, and cook the pork and vegetables for a further minute until there's no liquid. The pork filling shouldn't be watery. If you feel it still is too wet, sprinkle in some more cornflour.
- Cool the pork filling by adding it to a baking sheet and putting it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Once the filling is cool, it's time to assemble your spring rolls. Mix together 1 tablespoon of cornflour/cornstarch with the water to make a slurry - this will be used to seal the spring rolls.
- Lay a spring roll wrapper on a clean, flat work surface in a diamond shape.
- Place a spoonful of the filling mixture near the bottom corner of the wrapper, leaving some space on either side. Be careful not to overfill, as this can make rolling difficult.*
- Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll tightly towards the top corner.
- Using your finger, dab the cornflour slurry along the edges to seal well. Put the spring roll to one side on a tray or plate. Repeat this process until all the filling is used up, ensuring that the spring rolls are neatly sealed to prevent any leakage during cooking.
- Using a cooking spray, spray oil on the basket of the air fryer to prevent them from sticking. Preheat your air fryer - some have a preheat setting, but if not, do it at 200°c (390°F) for five minutes.
- Once the air fryer spring rolls are ready to be cooked, spray the tops of them with a little bit of oil or dab some oil over them using a pastry brush.
- Place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer making sure not to overcrowd them, you may need to air fry them in several batches.
- Air fry at 200°c (390°F) for 5 minutes then, use tongs to turn them and brush oil or spray oil on the other side. Continue to cook for 4-5 minutes before checking again. Depending on the strength of your air fryer, be careful not to let the spring roll wrappers burn. You may need to air fry for a further 2 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove them from the air fryer and let them cool slightly before serving.
Amazing
These are so easy to make
Hi. Made these. They tasted really great. I did not add any oil but they still turned out on the greasy side from the ground pork and did not stay crispy.
I’m guessing minced pork is ground pork.
I will make this again but with a chopped loin so I can remove the fat.
Or if using ground pork, I will cook the pork first and then use the rendered grease to replace the suggested oil.