Egg rolls are one of those inventions that are so central to American-Chinese takeout. So much that you’d feel ripped off if you didn’t get one in your lunch special. But did you know you can get perfect egg rolls every time, right in your own kitchen? Egg rolls or spring rolls, whatever you call them, these magical crunchy little cigars have been around in the US since at least the beginning of the 20th century. But they’ve been a traditional spring dish in many parts of China for centuries, with the term ‘spring roll’ first recorded during the Qing Dynasty up to 400 years ago, but existing as far back as the Eastern Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)! Geographical significance is also diverse: while Southerners are frying egg rolls to celebrate the coming of Spring Festival, i.e. Chinese New Year, we Northerners are boiling dumplings. Another explanation for the name is that they are often filled with many crisp spring vegetables, like bamboo shoots, cabbage and bean sprouts. Egg rolls often get a bad rap for being oily and chewy, when takeout restaurants don’t make them so well or they store them for too long. Here I’ve put together the ultimate guide on how you can make the most perfectly crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on the-inside egg rolls, based on my go-to recipe from the wonderful Jessica Gavin’s Easy Culinary Science (you can buy her book here). I love this book, especially the way she makes egg rolls, as she takes you through the evidence-based methodology to get that perfect texture. No guessing games!
Cooking notes
1. Deep-frying vs. baking
I previously made traditional Southern Chinese style Chicken Egg Rolls using the deep-frying method. Later on, I tried baking instead of frying them in this Cheesy Shrimp Baked Spring Rolls recipe. After getting an air fryer, I also experimented with cooking egg rolls in the air fryer. I would say that all of these methods yield great results. The one I’ll show you today is the classic method, which generates an irresistible golden crust that’s crispy and flaky. However, you can baking them in the oven using the method in this recipe if you dislike deep frying. It creates very crispy results but you might not get an even golden color. If you have an air fryer at home, definitely try it. You can spray the egg rolls with oil, or skip the oil for a healthier low-fat result. Preheat the air-fryer to 390 F (10 mins or so), then spread the egg rolls in the basket without overlapping. Bake for 6 minutes, flip, and bake for another 5 minutes. The result is so good that I like it just as much as deep fried.
2. Egg roll wrappers
3. Chinese egg roll filling
Get adventurous with the filling, but make sure you use crisp veggies for that mega crunch factor. I went for sliced carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts, and scallions, as well as ground turkey (for a more flavorful taste instead of ground chicken). Note, different from Chinese dumplings, which use raw meat in the filling, the filling for Chinese egg rolls requires pre-cooking. This step will make the filling more flavorful. Plus, the liquid from the veggies will evaporate, so it won’t cause the egg rolls to turn soggy.
4. How to wrap Chinese egg rolls
When you start wrapping your rolls, go in with confidence and roll firmly! The filling needs to be properly encased as tight as possible so that the filling doesn’t spill out. But rest assured, wrapping these is so much easier than wrapping dumplings.
Place the wrapper flat on a clean surface, with one corner nearest to you. Place 2-3 tbsp of egg roll filling onto the wrapper, about one inch away from the edges and the corner nearest to you. Take the corner nearest to you and tightly fold it over then underneath the filling as shown in the photo. This should roll the filling over once and leave half of the rest of the wrapper. Take the two corners at either side of the filling and turn them inwards to pack it in securely. At this point it should look like an open envelope. Continue to roll up the filled wrapper until it reaches the last corner. Moisten with a bit of egg white or water so that this corner seals the egg roll shut. Repeat until your egg roll filling or wrappers run out!
5. Cook the egg rolls
Now that you have your egg rolls prepped, it’s time to get cooking! You can either bake or fry the cute bundles of yum and both methods will yield equally ravishing rolls. I deep fried these ones as I absolutely love the rich flavorsome crunch. But if you’re on a health kick, baking them works too. Just follow my Shrimp Spring Rolls recipe method. Do prepare a sheet pan with a cooling rack stacked on top. Rest the egg rolls on the rack once you’re done cooking. You want the egg rolls to cool down a bit before serving or storing, so the crust remains crispy.
6. How to store egg rolls
Controversially, I do NOT recommend storing the egg rolls after wrapping and before cooking. The filling will make the wrapper wet and this will affect the cooking result. What I’ve found works best is actually frying them straight after they’ve been wrapped, and then storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer up for a month. When you’re ready to serve them, stick them in the oven at 450 F for about 10 to 15 minutes. They will crisp up and get as good as if they had been made fresh. Don’t use the microwave to reheat them or they will come out soggy! Finally, put away the knife and fork because these adorably scrumptious egg rolls were made to be dipped in sauce and eaten with chopsticks or even fingers! If I were you I’d be sure to buy plenty of wrappers because you’ll be making these long into the future. Happy cooking!
More delicious dim sum recipes
How to Make Shumai Wonton Soup Nepali Momos with Spinach and Ricotta Steamed Ribs in Black Bean Sauce Cheesy Shrimp Baked Spring Rolls
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
