Biting into a freshly fried Thai Spring Roll is an experience you can indulge in right at home! These homemade spring rolls are incredibly flavorful and wrapped up tightly in a thin, crispy wrapper. The hearty filling is whipped up with a medley of ground pork, vegetables, and other bold ingredients that are bound to make your mouth water!
Thai Spring Rolls
I don’t know if I’ve ever met a spring roll that I hated, but I know one thing for certain – homemade Thai spring rolls are the BEST I’ve ever tasted! The crispy fried wrapper that’s wrapped tightly around the savory filling creates the most satisfying bite without being overly oily from the fryer. Plus, it’s thin enough to not be too heavy, but still thick enough to provide a light crunch.
Besides the perfectly fried wrapper, the filling here is also what makes these spring rolls so unforgettably good. It’s consistent of delicious ingredients like ground pork (hello protein!), noodles, and various vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms. The flavor certainly doesn’t stop there, though. What makes the filling so complex with flavor is the addition of soy sauce, oyster sauce, cilantro stems, and a seasonings.
You can serve up these Thai spring rolls as an appetizer, finger food for your next party, or as a side dish to your favorite Thai-inspired meal! I often find myself frying up a batch of these bad boys whenever I make Pad Thai for dinner, Khao Pad or other favorite Thai dishes.
How to Make Thai Spring Rolls
Ingredients You Need:
- Wrappers – Use spring roll wrappers. This is very important! Do not use dried rice wrappers, as those are meant for fresh spring rolls. Spring roll wrappers are much thinner than egg roll wrappers and cook nice and crispy.
- Egg – This is the best sealing agent for your wrapped spring rolls.
The filling:
- Ground Pork – If you’d prefer, you may also use ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Cabbage – Make sure it’s thinly shredded.
- Carrots – Your carrots will also need to be thinly shredded to maintain the best consistency.
- Rice Noodles – Glass noodles or vermicelli both work. The difference is that glass noodles are made with mung beans and vermicelli is made with rice.
- Dried Shiitake Mushrooms – Try not to substitute these with any other type of mushrooms.
- Garlic – for the best flavor, use freshly minced garlic, not the paste or pre-minced.
- Cilantro Stems – use stems, not the leaves.
- Soy Sauce – use low sodium soy sauce and if you need gluten free options, use tamari or coconut aminos.
- Oyster Sauce – use gluten free oyster sauce if needed.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar adds a nice balance of sweetness with salty ingredients.
- Pepper – You will need white AND black pepper to create the best flavor.
- Salt – Just a pinch if needed.
Where can I find spring roll wrappers?
You can easily find spring roll wrappers in an Asian market or a well stocked grocery store. If Asian culture is prominent where you live, chances are that your grocery store will have them. Check the frozen foods section!
Cooking Directions
Prepare your ingredients.
Prior to cooking, you’ll want to prepare your ingredients. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water until they are re-hydrated and soak your noodles according to package instructions. Once re-hydrated, mince the mushrooms and chop the noodles into 1 inch pieces.
Shred the cabbage and carrots. Smash and mince the garlic and mince the cilantro stems.
To make sure you have everything ready to go, measure all of your remaining ingredients. And if your spring roll wrappers are frozen, allow them enough time to thaw.
Make the filling.
In a large wok with a bit of canola oil, sauté the garlic until fragrant. Then, toss in the ground pork, breaking it up as it cooks. Pour in a tablespoon of soy sauce, continuing to cook and break up the pork.
Stir in the cabbage and carrots and cook both until softened. Add the cilantro stems and shiitake mushrooms to the pan.
Stir in the remaining measured ingredients. Make sure everything is thoroughly combined and that the vegetables are all softened before removing the pan from the heat.
How to Wrap a Spring Roll
Place a spring roll wrapper on a diamond. Spread about 3-4 tablespoons of the cooked filling in a line on the lower part of the diamond. Leave a couple inches on each side.
Carefully fold the bottom corner over the filling mixture. Fold both side corners towards the center of the wrapper. It should look like an open envelope.
Dip your finger in the whisked egg and run it all along the edges of the wrapper to properly seal it.
Roll up the spring roll, then complete this process with the remaining rolls.
Cooking The Spring Rolls
Of course, the classic method is to fry them. Since air fryers have become a staple appliance in so many households, I will include an air fryer method below that also yields delicious spring rolls!
There are some benefits to using both methods. When you fry spring rolls in oil, you will get a beautifully crispy, crunchy bite. When you air fry the spring rolls, they are not quite as crispy, but they are much healthier.
Frying In Oil:
Before you start frying, make sure you have a couple of sheets of paper towels placed on a wire rack. This is where the rolls will go immediately after they’ve been fried.
Once the oil is preheated to 350°F, fry your spring rolls in batches. Be sure not to over crowd the pan. The rolls need to be fried for 5-6 minutes until they reach a golden brown color.
Use metal tongs to remove the spring rolls from the oil and place them on your prepared wire rack.
How To Air Fry Spring Rolls:
Air frying spring rolls is so easy! Simply place them into the basket of your air fryer in a single layer, making sure there’s a little bit of space between each of them.
Air fry the spring rolls at 375°F for approximately 12-14 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep spring rolls warm while I cook the other batches?
Preheat the oven to 200°F and place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Place the cooked spring rolls on the wire rack and keep them warm in the oven.
How do I serve Thai spring rolls?
These spring rolls are fantastic with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce! Whether they’re served as a side dish, finger food, or an appetizer, you really should make sure they’re dunked in that sweet, spicy sauce.
How do I store Thai spring rolls?
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator. Stored properly, they should stay fresh for about 3-4 days. To reheat them, I highly recommend using at air fryer and reheating them at 375°F for 3-4 minutes. You can also use an oven and reheat them at 350°F for 7-10 minutes.
Fried Thai Spring Rolls
Thai Spring Roll
Ingredients
- 25 spring roll wrappers thawed
- 1 egg whisked
Filling:
- 1 lb ground pork or ground chicken, or ground turkey
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 3 oz glass noodles or vermicelli
- 4-6 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4-5 cilantro stems minced
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce divided
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp white granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- pinch salt if needed
Instructions
Before cooking:
- Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water until rehydrated. Soak the noodles according to the package instructions. (Usually 3-4 minutes in hot, boiling water.) Mince mushrooms when they are rehydrated and chop the noodles into about 1-inch pieces as well.
- Shred or shave cabbage and carrots. Smash and mince garlic cloves and mince cilantro stems.
- Measure remaining ingredients and set everything aside.
- Make sure to thaw spring roll wrappers if they are frozen.
Prepare the filling:
- Preheat a large wok (or a deep, large cooking pan) and drizzle some canola oil.
- Add minced garlic and sauté just for a few seconds, until fragrant. Add ground pork and break it up and add about a tablespoon of soy sauce. Keep cooking and breaking it up until almost done.
- Add in cabbage and carrots, stir and cook until both softened. Stir in minced cilantro stems and minced shiitake.
- Stir in remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and peppers. Stir well and finish cooking until vegetables are completely softened.
- Take off heat and let it cool to room temperature before rolling.
Wrapping spring rolls:
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl and set it on your work station.
- Place a spring roll wrapper on a diamond.
- Spread about 3-4 tablespoons of filling in a line, on the lower part of the diamond, leaving about a couple inches on each side.
- Gently and carefully, fold the bottom corner over the filling mixture. Fold both side corners toward center of wrapper, it will start to look like an open envelope.
- Dip your fingers in the egg and run it all along the edges of the wrapper to seal better. Carefully roll up the spring roll. Repeat with remaining spring rolls.
Frying Spring Rolls:
- Place a couple of sheets of paper towel onto a wire rack for the spring roll when they're fried.
- Preheat canola or vegetable oil to 350° and fry a few spring rolls at a time (don't overcrowd them). Fry spring rolls for 5-6 minutes, until golden-brown. Use metal tongs to take the spring rolls out and place them onto the prepared wire rack.
Air-frying spring rolls:
- To air-fry spring rolls, place them into the air-fryer basket in one layer and make sure to give them a little space between. Don't overcrowd.
- Air-fry spring rolls at 375° for 12-14 minutes, until crispy golden brown.
Baking spring rolls:
- Preheat the oven to 400° and fit a wire rack inside a baking sheet. Lightly grease the wire rack.
- Place wrapped spring rolls onto the wire rack and bake for 18-20 minutes.
To serve:
- Serve Thai spring rolls with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce.
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Rickie says
Yum!
Nikki says
So good!
Annette Liss says
You are my all time favorite , You never disappoint.
You go Girl
LyubaB says
Aww, thank you, Annette! You made my day! 🙂