Crispy Egg Rolls At Home

Air Fryer Egg Rolls

Crispy egg rolls that aren’t deep-fried in oil? Get out of my dreams, get into my mouth! These homemade Air Fryer Egg Rolls have a gratifyingly crispy exterior, which gives way to a meaty, veggie-packed filling. I already want seconds!

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Air Fryer Egg Roll Recipe

• Lighter Alternative to Deep-Fried Egg Rolls. What did we do before air fryers?! (Aside from weeping over a sheet pan of soggy baked egg rolls.) The same technology that gives us healthier favorites like Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Shrimp, and Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks transforms deep-fried egg rolls into a crispy-crunchy appetizer that you can feel good about eating.
• Minimal Mess and Maximum Flavor. No more standing over a pot of hot oil watching it spatter all over your stovetop—air fryer egg rolls can be cooked with a fraction of the effort (and cleanup time!). 
• Easy to Make Your Own. Use this recipe for air fryer egg rolls as a template and customize it to your liking. Skip the mushrooms, add more meat, swap in tofu, add green onions—as long as you work within the proportions of the original recipe, you’re good.
• SO TASTY. Of course, we can’t forget the most important part: air fryer egg rolls are incredibly delicious! Crispy on the outside and full of flavor on the inside, they’re practically impossible to resist. Plus, they’re adapted from a reader favorite, my Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe, so you already know they’re going to be a winner.

How to Make Air Fryer Egg Rolls

The Ingredients

• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce. Using low-sodium soy sauce adds umami flavor without excess sodium.

• Ground Ginger. Ginger adds a warm flavor to the marinade.
• Cornstarch. Helps tenderize the chicken.
• Lean Ground Chicken or Ground Turkey. Marinated chicken (or turkey) makes these air fryer egg rolls extra satisfying.
• Oil. Canola oil, grapeseed oil, or another high-smoke point cooking oil.
• Cremini Mushrooms. Cremini mushrooms (also known as baby bellas) have more depth to them, but white mushrooms or shiitake will work in this recipe too.
• Garlic. Always essential!
• Coleslaw Mix. Save yourself the chopping and use a bag of coleslaw mix instead.

• Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper. For seasoning your egg rolls.
• Sesame Oil. Toasted sesame oil adds some oomph to the filling mixture.
• Red Pepper Flakes. You can skip ‘em or add more if you want these air fried egg rolls to be extra spicy.
• Square Egg Roll or Spring Roll Wrappers. These are sometimes sold in odd places at the grocery store—in the refrigerated case of the produce section, or even with vegetarian and vegan products like tofu and tempeh. Look around or ask for help.
• Sweet Chili Sauce. Or your dipping sauce of choice.

The Directions

1. Marinate the Meat. Whisk together the first three ingredients, then add the chicken and stir to coat. Marinate for 10 minutes.

2. Brown the Meat. Add the marinated chicken to a hot wok or sauté pan and cook until it’s no longer pink.

3. Add the Mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms in the pan with the chicken until they’re softened.

4. Finish the Filling. Stir in the coleslaw, salt, pepper, and garlic; once softened, add the sesame oil and red pepper flakes, then remove from heat.

5. Assemble. Working one at a time, add the filling to the egg roll wrappers and roll them tightly. Brush the edges with water to seal.

6. Air Fry. Place the first batch of egg rolls in the air fryer basket, spray them with nonstick cooking spray. Air fry egg rolls at 390 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Reheat with the remaining egg rolls, then serve with dipping sauce and ENJOY!

Recipe Variations

• Vegetarian Air Fryer Egg Rolls. Press a block of extra-firm tofu to release the excess liquid, then crumble it into small pieces. Use it in place of the ground chicken.
• Pork Air Fryer Egg Rolls. Swap ground pork for the ground chicken in the recipe if you prefer pork egg rolls.
• Veggie Air Fryer Egg Rolls. Omit the meat and add an extra bag of coleslaw mix, or try switching things up with thinly sliced snow peas, shredded carrots, water chestnuts, or edamame.

Storage Tips

• To Store. Store air fryer egg rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• To Reheat. Re-crisp leftover egg rolls by heating them in a 350 degree F air fryer for 1–2 minutes, or in a 350 degree F oven for about 7 minutes.
• To Freeze. Wrap air fryer egg rolls in plastic wrap or foil, then freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.

What to Serve with Air Fryer Egg Rolls

• Chinese-Inspired Recipes. Recreate your favorite Chinese restaurant dinner at home by serving air fryer egg rolls alongside General Tso Chicken or Shrimp Fried Rice.
• Thai-Inspired Recipes. Egg rolls are a staple at Thai restaurants too! Make these egg rolls with Green Curry or Vegetarian Pad Thai.
• Appetizers. Air fryer egg rolls are a fun addition to an appetizer spread for a party. I like pairing hot, freshly-cooked appetizers with something that can be made in advance like Greek Layer Dip or Honey Roasted Cashews.
• Salads. For a light weeknight dinner, serve these egg rolls with Asian Cabbage Salad or Asian Noodle Salad.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

• Air Fryer. You can’t make air fryer egg rolls without an air fryer!
• Non-Slip Cutting Board. I use a cutting board for the veggies in this recipe and also for assembling the egg rolls.
• Baking Sheet. My staging area for egg rolls once I’ve finished assembling them—and then I pop it in the oven to keep them warm once they’re done in the air fryer.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Keep the Egg Roll Wrappers Moist. Don’t open up the package until you’re ready to start using them. Then, dampen a paper towel and drape it over the wrapped egg rolls as you work to keep them from drying out.
• Roll Tightly. The biggest mistake people make when rolling egg rolls (and also burritos, sushi, cake rolls…) is not rolling them tightly enough. When you don’t roll them tightly, they end up kind of flattening and going limp. The good news is that if they don’t work out the first time, you can unroll them and try again!
• Spray the Egg Rolls Generously. You don’t need to use a lot of nonstick spray, but you do need to use enough to make sure they are evenly coated so they get crispy in the air fryer.
• Air Fryer Egg Rolls Need Space. It’s tempting to cram them all into the basket so you can cook them in fewer batches, but if hot air can’t circulate around them, they won’t get crispy. No one wants soggy egg rolls! Make sure they’re not touching and air fry them in a few batches.
• Keep Them Warm. You can place the finished egg rolls on a baking sheet in a 225 degree F oven to stay warm while you work on cooking the next batch. They’ll stay hot and crispy that way!

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Air Fryer Egg Rolls

Homemade air fryer egg rolls are crispy on the outside, with a meaty, veggie-packed filling on the inside. A lighter way to enjoy egg rolls!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 20 egg rolls

Calories 83kcal

Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 pound 90% or 93% lean ground chicken or turkey to make vegetarian, swap crumbled extra-firm tofu; press it dry first
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, grapeseed oil, or similar neutrally flavored high-temperature cooking oil (olive oil will smoke, so I suggest one of these other oils instead)
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 8-ounce bag coleslaw mix
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• Pinch red pepper flakes optional
• 18-20 6-inch square egg roll or spring roll wrappers, about 1 1-pound pack
• Sweet chili sauce optional for serving

Instructions

• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, ginger, and cornstarch with a fork. Add the chicken, breaking apart the meat and stirring to coat with the sauce. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
  
• While you wait, chop the mushrooms super small and mince the garlic.
  
• Heat a wok or large, deep sauté pan over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken and cook, breaking the meat into small bits, until it’s no longer pink and fully cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  
• Add the mushrooms and cook until they soften, about 2 minutes.
  
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the coleslaw, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Stir-fry until the coleslaw softens, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil and red pepper flakes (if using), then remove from the heat and let cool. Taste and adjust the seasoning as you like.
  
• Assemble the egg rolls: On a work surface, position an egg roll wrapper so that it’s arranged like a diamond with a corner pointing down towards you. Mound 3 tablespoons of the filling in the middle, shaping it like a torpedo so it runs horizontally across the center. Fold the right and left points of the diamond towards the middle over the filling, then roll up the egg roll away from you, as if you were rolling a mini burrito; see your package for more rolling tips. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water to seal, then press gently to adhere. If you have all of the wrappers out on your counter in a stack, to keep them from drying out placed a damp paper towel on top. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers.
  
• To air fry, preheat your air fryer to 390°F. Coat the basket with nonstick spray, then arrange the first batch of egg rolls in a single layer in the basket, placing them seam-side down. Mist the top with more nonstick spray. Make sure the eggs rolls are not touching one another.
  
• Air fry egg rolls for 9 to 11 minutes, flipping them over halfway through. Repeat with remaining batches (if you’d like to keep the egg rolls warm between batches, place them on a baking sheet in a 225°F oven). Let cool a few minutes, then enjoy hot with sweet chili sauce as desired.
  

Video

Notes

• Adapted from my Egg Roll in a Bowl
• TO STORE: Store air fryer egg rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• TO FREEZE: Wrap air fryer egg rolls in plastic wrap or foil, then freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes.
• TO REHEAT: Re-crisp leftover egg rolls by heating them in a 350°F air fryer for 1–2 minutes, or in a 350°F oven for about 7 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 egg roll | Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Potassium: 204mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

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