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…..
Hi Nagi. I tried making it; used shredded jicama/mexican turnip, squeezed the water out before cooking it with the rest of the ingredients. It freezes beautifully too as i put the unfried ones in a tight-lid container and thaw it at room temp for 10-15mins till at least the skin is slightly soft.
Once again, thank you!
Sounds amazing Farha!
I made these today but just did them vegetarian but were delicious and I did mine in the air fryer worked really well and Nagi love Dozer catching the food his is such a gem , great work love all your recipes 💋🐾
Sounds great Krisanne!!
Hi Nagi in my part of the world wrappers are not readily available 🙂 so do you have a recipe for home made spring roll wrapper? Thank you btw loooooove your page here and on Instagram too!
Hi Adeola, sorry I don’t have a recipe!
I’ve been making the same spring roll recipe for 15+ yrs , and been wanting something different. These ……were…..it!!!i loved them! We are do full , unfortunately it wasn’t till I was about to start frying them ,I was going to start the sauce , only to realize I have EVERY vinegar you could think of , except apple cider!🤦♀️ But they’re so good I don’t even care!!
Wahoo!!!! That’s great Vickie ❤️
These were absolutely yum. Not sure what happened to mine as the wrappers puffed up whilst cooking. They were kinda ugly but that didn’t stop us scoffing them all😋
Hi Mandy, sometimes rolling them on the wrong side can cause them to go bubbly (but as long as you loved the flavour that’s all that matters) – N x
This recipe is delicious. When using hamburger should you pre cook the beef or just let the deep frying cook it since the vegetables are precooked?
Hi there 😃, I absolutely love your recipes, and the way you don’t leave any stone unturned, so easy to follow your instructions, thank you 😊. So tonight I’m making several of your dishes. I would like to know if I can cook the vegetables and pork mince for your spring rolls this morning, keep it in the fridge until 6 this evening, and then assemble them into the wrappers ?
Thanks for the inspiration Nagi 🥰
Definitely Claire! I hope you love them!
YUMM! I will definitely keep this recipe to make more in the future. They are delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re so welcome Patricia!
Can I use pork sausage instead of ground pork? Very excited to make these!
Hi Brooke, pork sausage usually has seasonings in it so I don’t recommend it for this recipe, sorry – N x
Can’t wait to try these! The quick Asian beef ramen is so delicious! No left overs here! Thanks for your recipes and knowledge!
Nagi, these look fantastic. My husband is a brassica phoebe though, do you have a substitute for the cabbage? Oh, and your Quick Ramen…..once-a-week staple in our house since I discovered the recipe at the beginning of the year, so I reckon that makes it about a dozen times I’ve cooked it. Big hit!least
Hi Anna! So glad you like the ramen so much 🙂 Any julienned or finely shredded vegetable is fine to sub the cabbage, you could just scale up the other vegetables. 🙂 N x
Just made my first batch with chicken and can’t wait to try them with pork. My family love them and it was even suggested that they were better than our local takeaway
Woah what a great compliment!!
Hi Nagi, I LOVE every recipe you share. If I want only vegetables no meat what more should I add/tweak to replace mince?
Thanks ❤️❤️
Hi Zeina, you could use mushrooms, cabbage, carrot, tofu, anything really!
Hi Nagi,
I’m thinking about making these but I only have beef mince. Do you think that’ll work or will the taste be much better with pork or chicken?
Sorry for a silly question but I really want to check with you first.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Jenny! The meat flavour will probably come across stronger with beef, but I’m sure it’ll be great still. — Nx
Thanks Nagi! Just wanted to update you – these turned out great with the beef mince. I’ll make them again with chicken – pork but beef was still yummy. Loved the baked option – so much less oily and makes me feel healthier! Thanks again for your reply and all of the wonderful recipes you have shared!
Sooooo good! I baked veggie spring rolls and they came out so awesome. I would not have guessed they were baked because it was nice and crispy. The sauce was a little too sour,but it could just be because I didn’t use a measuring cup so maybe I put too much vinegar. But I’ll just add a little more honey, and perhaps some chili flakes. Definitely a keeper. Thank you!
Hi Sabrina, I’m so glad they worked out for you – and sorry for the sauce, definitely measure the vinegar because a little goes a long way!
Hi Nagi, I just love these spring rolls. Have made them a number of times and everyone loves them. My daughter is on a gluten free diet. Could I use the same recipe, but use rice paper and fry them? Thanks so much, love your recipes
Hi Angela, it would be similar to a Vietnamese spring roll using rice paper – I have successfully fried rice paper before – N x
Excellent flavour,(I used left over duck), crispy and addictive!
Every recipe of yours that I have tried is easy to follow and has always turned out well! Thank you!
These were so good and so tasty. Instructions were clear and easy! To the person above who complained in such a childish manner…I also eat organic and if you do as well then you’d know to use organic products or their equivalent. Not hard. Such silly feedback you left!
Thanks for you fabulous page! I’ve cooked many things you have shared!!
Thanks so much Caroline ❤️
I bought oyster sauce for the first time. I am cooking these rolls, and my kids ran out of the house, my hubby just came home, had to leave. I am gagging here, and I don’t think we can eat these. I have candles burning doors open it is unbearable! My husband says, just toss it out, I can’t even taste it, as it is making me gag. Lesson learned, first and last time using oyster sauce. It is going to the trash. Just upset at all my organic ingredients and work I put in 😞
Sure you didn’t use fish sauce?
Yes, no fish sauce in this, it’s a Chinese recipe – Chinese recipes don’t usually have fish sauce (that’s more South East Asian recipes 🙂 ) N x
Nagi, I didn’t use fish sauce, it was oyster sauce, and I thought it would be better if I bought it straight from the Chinese store. It wasn’t.
The bottle said oyster sauce.
I am not sure what you did wrong, but oyster sauce does not make a kitchen/house smell like that!!
There is nothing you can do wrong, following the recipe. It’s not as I went and fermented my own oyster sauce, and changed the recipe. I added the ingredients listed, used oyster sauce from a Chinese grocery store, and it was unbelievable. I had to take it outside, wrap it in a bag.
Well, your family must have the most sensitive noses on the planet. Did it occur to you that maybe the oyster sauce had gone off? Oyster sauce does not have a strong, offensive smell and even if it did, that is hardly an issue with the recipe or Nagi.
Thank you, these are delicious.
One question: The spring roll wrappers come frozen. If I make them to freeze, the wrapper has to be thawed then refrozen. The package specifically states not to refreeze them once thawed. Is it safe to do it anyways?
Hi Cathy, I make a big batch and re-freeze and have never had a problem! ☺️