# Crispy Chinese Spring Rolls

> Spring rolls burst or go soggy because the filling is **warm or still holds moisture**. It must be cooked until dry, cooled completely, and drained of any liquid. And the seal is cornflour and water, not egg.

**Chinese Cuisine · 65 min · 5 servings · 190 kcal per serving**

The spring roll is one of the best-known Chinese appetisers worldwide, named for the Spring Festival it was made for. Crisp vegetable rolls served with sweet-and-sour sauce. The recipe is easy, but break either of two rules and it fails.

## Ingredients


### Filling
- 3 cups — cabbage, very finely shredded
- 2 — carrots, coarsely grated
- 1 cup — bean sprouts
- 100 g — mushrooms, sliced
- 4 — spring onions
- 4 cloves — garlic
- 1 tsp — grated ginger
- 200 g — minced chicken or prawns (optional)

### Seasoning
- 2 tbsp — soy sauce
- 1 tbsp — sesame oil
- 0.5 tsp — white pepper

### Rolling
- 20 sheets — spring roll wrappers
- 2 tbsp — cornflour + 3 tbsp water

### For frying
- 3 cups — oil

## Method

1. **The filling** — Over the highest heat, fry the garlic and ginger, add the chicken if using, then all the vegetables and stir for **only 3 minutes**. The vegetables must stay crisp.
2. **Season and dry** — Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper, and stir over high heat until **every trace of liquid has gone**.
3. **Drain and cool** — Spread the filling in a sieve over a bowl and let it cool for at least **30 minutes**. Discard any liquid that drips out.
4. **The glue** — Dissolve the cornflour in the water to a thin paste — this is your glue. Egg slips and the roll opens in the oil.
5. **Roll** — Put two spoonfuls of filling at one end of the wrapper, fold the sides in, roll **tightly with no trapped air**, and brush the last 2 cm with the cornflour paste.
6. **Fry** — Heat the oil to 170°C and fry in batches for 4 minutes, turning, until evenly golden.
7. **Drain** — Drain on a wire rack, not kitchen paper, and serve hot with sweet-and-sour sauce or soy with vinegar.

## Tips

- The filling cold and completely dry — any moisture makes the roll burst in the oil.
- Cornflour-and-water glue, not egg. Egg slips.
- Roll tightly with no trapped air — air expands and opens the roll.
- They freeze raw beautifully and fry straight from frozen with one extra minute.

## FAQ

### How are they different from Vietnamese rolls?
Chinese spring rolls are fried and their wrappers are wheat-based. Vietnamese rolls (goi cuon) are served cold and their wrappers are made of rice and are translucent.

### Why are mine soggy?
The oil was not hot enough (it needs 170°C), or the pan was crowded, or you drained them on kitchen paper. A wire rack preserves the crispness.

### Can I bake them?
Yes — brush with oil and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes, turning halfway. Lighter, but less crisp than fried.

---

Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/chinese-cuisine/crispy-chinese-spring-rolls
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-29