In China, we actually call these egg rolls “Chun Jian” (春卷), which directly translate to spring rolls. But that name gets confused with the Vietnamese style spring rolls that are made with rice paper, and these are more commonly known as egg rolls outside of China. Egg roll is a festive dish that people cook and enjoy on the eve of Spring Festival (春节, chun jie), or Chinese New Year. You can find egg rolls in many areas of China, but they are most popular in the southern part, in places such as Shanghai, Fujian, Guangzhou, and Jiangsu. These Cantonese chicken egg rolls show you the beauty of authentic Chinese food. They use the perfect combination of meat, savory dried foods, colorful veggies, and a well-balanced sauce to release the ultimate umami. I learned this recipe from a famous Hongkongese dim sum chef. And it’s quite different from the takeout style chicken egg rolls that are filled with cabbage and chicken. This is a must-try if you’re into real Chinese food.
Chicken egg rolls ingredients
Egg roll wrappers
Like I said, since we usually call egg rolls “Chun Juan”, aka spring rolls, the wrappers’ package usually uses words such as “Spring Rolls Shells” or “Spring Roll Pastry”. They are super thin sheets that are made from wheat flour and they are cooked. They are quite thin but with a texture that is easy to handle, so don’t worry about tearing them apart in the process of wrapping the rolls. When shopping for the wrappers, make sure you get the kind made from “wheat flour”. Make sure you don’t get the Vietnamese spring roll wrappers that are made from rice flour. You can find egg roll wrappers in most Asian markets, in the refrigerated or freezer section. These days you might be able to find them in larger grocery chains as well.
Shiitake mushroom
Dried shiitake mushrooms add umami flavor and a tender texture to the egg rolls. I consider them very important for this recipe. To use the dried mushrooms, you need to rehydrate them first, until they turn tender. Then slice them into very thin pieces before adding to the filling.
Bamboo shoots
Mise en place
Here are the ingredients you need to make chicken egg rolls.
Chopped veggies (bamboo shoot, carrot, rehydrated and sliced mushrooms) Aromatics (ginger and green onion) Ground chicken Mixed sauce for the filling Egg roll wrappers
How to make chicken egg rolls
Make the chicken egg roll filling
Assemble the egg rolls and cook
Can I bake or air fry the chicken egg rolls?
I frequently receive questions on how to avoid having to deep fry the egg rolls. Unfortunately, after many tries, I still couldn’t find a great way to create the best texture without deep frying. I have tried baking and cooking the egg rolls in the air fryer many times, with different temperature settings. The issue is, the rolls won’t be browned evenly. The edges often brown very quickly with the main part of the roll still undercooked. Baking the egg rolls also over-cooks the filling, resulting in a dry texture. I don’t love deep frying, either. But I think deep frying is the only way to create golden crispy chicken egg rolls, like the ones you would get at a dim sum restaurant.
Store and reheat
You can store the chicken egg rolls before frying them. However, I prefer to fry all of them before storing them. Assuming you will be serving the egg rolls once you wrap them, it’s easier to fry all of them and reheat them in the oven later on. These egg rolls freeze and reheat very well. So if you make a big batch, you can freeze them in small bags and bake to reheat them as a snack for game or movie night. They are also perfect finger food for a party or dinner gathering.
More delicious dim sum recipes
Chinese Chicken Dumplings (鸡肉饺子) Cantonese Shumai with Pork and Shrimp (烧麦, Shao Mai) Air Fryer Char Siu Pork (空气炸锅叉烧肉) Black Sesame Sweet Rice Balls (黑芝麻汤圆, Tang Yuan) Gua Bao (Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns, 割包)
