Air Fryer Spring Rolls

5 from 8 votes

Try our super-crispy Cantonese style Air Fryer Spring Rolls. Traditional spring roll wrappers are filled with shrimp, ground pork, thin sliced vegetables and then air fried for a healthy dim sum treat. (The ingredient list looks long only because we have added the same ingredient more than once in the recipe to make it easier for you.)

Prep Time30

Cook Time17

Total Time47

Course: Appetizers/ Snacks

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 115kcal

Author: HWC Magazine

Equipment

air fryer or standard oven
colander or strainer to strain filling
damp tea towel to prevent spring roll wrappers from drying out

Ingredients

Spring Roll Wrapping Supplies

16 Spring Roll pastry sheets (approximately as it depends on how much filing you are using and the size of your spring roll wrappers)
2 tablespoons cornstarch to make a cornstarch slurry
2 tablespoon water to make a cornstarch slurry
spray oil or brush on light flavored oil

Shrimp and Pork Mixture

½ pound ground pork
½ pound shrimp raw, shelled and deveined and chopped
¼ teaspoon white pepper or to taste
¼ teaspoon salt to taste
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or sherry

Vegetables Mixture

2 cups napa cabbage sliced and chopped or regular cabbage
½ cup green onions chopped
1.5 cups bean sprouts (sprouted mung beans) fresh cut in thirds
1 medium Carrot peeled and grated

Combined Shrimp and Pork with Vegetable Filling Mixture

1 tablespoon oil
1 inch ginger peeled and grated fresh
3 cloves garlic minced
shrimp and pork mixture from above (pork and shrimp that has been marinating)
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
white pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari to taste
vegetable mixture from above (shredded carrots, napa cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions)

Ginger Tamari Dipping Sauce (optional)

3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon ginger grated fresh
chili Optional- bird chili sliced thin, if you like a little heat
1 teaspoon green onions finely chopped
2 teaspoons Black Chinese Vinegar optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spring Roll Wrapper Preparation

Take the spring roll wrappers out of the freezer and allow to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Another option is to place frozen spring roll wrappers in the refrigerator to unthaw for about 2 hours. Keep sealed and do not open package or otherwise they will dry out. (If your spring rolls wrappers have been refrigerated and not frozen, you can skip this step)
Combine the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and stir well to make your cornstarch slurry. Set aside.

Marinate Shrimp and Pork Mixture

In a medium bowl add your ground pork, chopped shrimp, white pepper and salt, cornstarch, sesame oil and Shaoxing wine. Stir well and set aside to marinate.

Prepare Vegetables and Aromatics

Slice and chop napa cabbage. Finely slice green onions. Grate carrot or finely julienne cut. Cut bean sprouts into thirds. Set aside

Stir Fry and Prepare Filling

In your wok/frying pan add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat to a medium high heat. Add ginger and garlic until fry until aromatic. Add the shrimp and pork mixture, more Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper and soy sauce to taste. Stir fry until pork is no longer pink and the shrimp are no longer translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add prepared cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts and green onions to cooked shrimp and pork mixture in the wok and cook just until the vegetables start to give out the juice or about 1 to 2 minutes.
Strain cooked filling mixture in colander/strainer to remove the moisture and press down to remove the excess juice from the mixture. Set aside strained filling mixture to cool. (Save the strained juice for a soup or pitch)

Roll Up Spring rolls

Remove the spring roll wrappers from the package. Carefully remove slowly and carefully peel away one spring roll wrapper and lie on your clean working surface. Place the rest of the unused spring roll wrappers under a damp clean cloth or tea towel so they do not dry out (very important step). Stir your cornstarch slurry mixture again and have it near you.
Place the spring roll wrapper with one of the pointed edges towards you, like a diamond. With a brush or your finger paint the outsides with the cornstarch slurry to help the spring roll stick.
Place one to two tablespoon of delicious pork, shrimp and veggie filling mixture on to the pointed edge.
Then, holding the spring roll firmly but gently, roll the edge over the filling mixture once.
With your fingers, dab a little of the cornstarch slurry on each of the edges to help seal the spring roll. (Remember to stir the cornstarch slurry first as the cornstarch has a tendency to fall to the bottom of the bowl.)
Fold in the sides and keep the spring roll tight as you gently squeeze and roll away from you.
Brush another thin layer of cornstarch slurry on the back half and continue to roll tightly until sealed.
Continue the same process with the remaining spring rolls wrappers and filling. (Don't worry if the first few spring rolls you try to roll look like a disaster. Practice makes perfect and you have about another 15 or so spring roll attempts to get it right)

Air Fryer Spring Roll Directions

Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C)
Spray air fryer basket with a little oil spray. Spray or brush oil on all sides of the prepared spring rolls.
Place the spring rolls in the air fryer basket making sure they are not touching. Depending on the size and model of your air fryer, you may have to cook your spring rolls in batches.
Air fry spring rolls between 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown on all side. Turn spring rolls midway in the cooking process. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before eating. Enjoy!

Baked Spring Roll Directions

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees C (or 375 degrees F)
Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and a little spray oil.
Spray or brush the spring rolls gently on both sides with a little oil. Bake seam side down for about 10 minutes. After the first 10 minutes turn the spring rolls over and brush on a little more oil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before eating. Enjoy!

Dipping Sauce (optional)

In a small bowl add soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, green onion, Chinese black vinegar (optional) and if you like it hot a little chopped bird chili. Mix well and serve as a dipping sauce for spring rolls. Also delicious with a little homemade Garlic Chili Oil, Sriracha sauce or plain.

Video

Notes

Freezing and Storing

The best part of this recipe is that you can make the filling, wrap the spring rolls and then freeze them before air frying (or baking).

First, we like to freeze them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet for a couple of hours. This prevents them from sticking together.
Then, store the frozen uncooked spring rolls in a sealed plastic container or freezer safe bag in the freezer. Spring rolls can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
When you are ready to eat, just preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F (206 degrees C) and air fry until golden brown about 10 minutes on both sides. Do not thaw out the spring rolls. Just place the frozen spring rolls directly into the air fryer sprayed with a little oil first. It takes a little bit longer as they are cooking from a frozen state instead of from room temperature.
You can also freeze air fried spring rolls for up to 2 months and then just reheat before serving.

Expert Tips

Thinly slice vegetables and proteins all around the same size so it is easier to eat,
Drain your filling well after cooking so the spring roll wrappers stay crispy and do not get soggy.
Please cover your spring roll wrappers with a damp tea towel to prevent cracking when you are not using them. This prevents cracking of the thin delicate spring roll pastry.
Do not over fill your spring roll wrappers or it will be very difficult to roll up and seal. You only need a couple of tablespoons for each spring roll.
Use a thick cornstarch slurry to seal the air fryer spring rolls. A cornstarch slurry is cornstarch and water mixed together to form a paste. Sometimes you have to stir occasionally as the cornstarch has a tendency to float to the bottom.
Spray your rolled spring rolls well on both sides before placing them in the air fryer or oven (if baking). Alternatively, you can also brush oil on all sides.
Do not over crowd your air fryer tray with too many spring rolls. Spread them out. You may need to air fry them in more than one batch depending on the size of your air fryer basket.
Turn your spring rolls over about 10 minutes into the air frying process or about 15 minutes into the baking process to be certain they are browned on all sides.
Place a lined baking tray under the air fryer basket to collect any drips from the air fryer spring rolls if you do not want to clean up any messes.

Nutrition