One of my very favorite foods is a perfectly crispy spring roll! I do not eat many fried foods, but this is one that I cannot resist! There is something about that light, crispy wrapper with the savory pork and shrimp filling that is sooo good!

Once you make your own, you will choose them over takeout every time! Do not get intimidated by the process – it’s a bit time consuming – but so worth it!

Making spring rolls is a fun activity to do with friends and family. When everyone sits down to roll spring rolls, it goes quickly and you can make large batches and freeze them to be enjoyed later. I hope you’ll try it!

How to Make Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls

Prepare the Filling

Slice and grate all of the vegetables. Set aside.

Finely chop raw shrimp in a food processor and combine with the ground pork. Set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in a wok or deep skillet on medium-high heat. Add the pork and shrimp mixture along with the minced ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until it is mostly done. Use your spatula to break up the meat into small pieces.. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining Tbsp. of oil to the wok. Add the carrots, cabbage, and green onions. Sauté for 2 minutes until vegetables soften. Add the pork and shrimp mixture back in.

Add the oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and pepper. Stir to mix well. Spread the filling over a large baking sheet to cool for approximately 10 minutes. You do not want hot filling for your spring rolls. They will get soggy and difficult to roll.

Spring Roll-Making Station

Set up your spring roll station. You want to have a large baking sheet to put your rolled up spring rolls. Have a light towel to cover them so they do not dry out while you are rolling the rest of the spring rolls.

Have your spring roll wrappers ready and covered with a towel. Spring roll wrappers are very thin and can dry out quickly. Covering them with a towel will keep them moist and pliable.

Scoop your cooled filling into a bowl. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl and have it near your spring roll station with a pastry brush.

Rolling Spring Rolls

Take one spring roll wrapper and lay it on the counter in a diamond shape with the corner pointed at you. Scoop about 2 Tbsp. of filling and place it on the bottom third of the wrapper.

Gently fold over the bottom corner and start rolling your spring roll. When you get to the center (halfway) of the wrapper, stop. Fold in the left and right sides of the wrapper towards the center. Brush the top corner of the wrapper with the egg wash to help seal it tightly. Finish rolling the spring roll and place on the baking sheet, seam side down. Cover with the towel to keep moist.

Repeat the process with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Cooking Spring Rolls

Line a large baking sheet with paper towels to absorb the excess oil from the spring rolls.

Fill a small stockpot or 2 qt. saucepan with about 2” of high temperature cooking oil. Or if you have a deep fryer, you can use that. Heat the oil over medium-high heat for several minutes. To test if the oil is hot enough, stick a bamboo skewer or chopstick into the oil. If you see tiny bubbles rapidly bubbling around the skewer, it is ready for frying.

Using a pair of tongs, gently add 3-5 spring rolls into the hot oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes until they are evenly browned. Don’t overcrowd the pot, you do not want the oil to cool down and absorb into the spring rolls. Once the spring rolls are golden brown, remove them and place them on the paper towels to drain. If the spring rolls appear to be browning very quickly, reduce heat slightly.

Continue frying the remaining spring rolls and draining on the paper towel lined baking sheet.

Serve with your favorite sweet chili sauce!

Notes:

You can add bean sprouts or chopped water chestnuts for additional crunch.

If you wish, you can use all pork or all shrimp instead of a mixture.

This recipe easily doubles if you want to make a large amount for a party.

Spring roll wrappers are found in the frozen section at Asian supermarkets. You can use the smaller 5” wrappers, just use 1 Tbsp. of filling instead of 2 Tbsp.

Do not use the dried rice paper wrappers in the grocery stores! They are used for making fresh spring rolls and will not fry well at all!

To Freeze: Spring Rolls freeze very well! Place fried spring rolls in the freezer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, they can be put in a ziploc bag and will keep for about 3 months.

To Reheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place spring rolls on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until hot. Serve with your favorite sweet chili sauce!