5 Simple and Tasty Spring Roll Recipes

In the mood for spring rolls? These yummy Chinese appetizers are a cinch to make at home, with tons of options for fillings and flavor profiles. They’re also endlessly adaptable, and it’s easy to play around with making vegan or vegetarian spring rolls or to experiment with both sweet and savory ingredients. You can also mix it up by adopting flavors from other regions, such as Vietnamese spring rolls made with shrimp, leafy greens, and mung bean noodles. How you fill your spring rolls is totally up to you. But if you’re looking for some inspiration, we’ve got five basic, balanced, and super delicious spring roll recipes that are worth a try. Which one will you make first?  

What Is in a Spring Roll vs. Egg Roll?

If you can fill a spring roll with it, you can also fill an egg roll with it—and vice versa.  

Spring rolls and egg rolls often have very similar ingredients. In fact, the difference between the two is more about the wrapper than what’s inside of it, with spring rolls coming in a thin rice or wheat wrapper and egg rolls coming in a denser and chewier egg-based wrapper.

So if you have an egg roll filling recipe you love, feel free to try it out in spring roll form. You might even find that you like it better in the flakier spring roll wrapper.

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5 Spring Roll Recipes to Try

To make these takeout favorites at home, start by buying spring roll wrappers at the grocery store or making your own (it’s less challenging than you might think). From there, it’s just a matter of choosing a filling that sounds good to you—and we’ve got some ideas.

1. Vegetable Spring Rolls

It’s hard to go wrong with classic vegetable spring rolls. This filling is also vegan and can be bulked up with the addition of a protein-rich ingredient like tofu or seitan.

Ingredients:

• Spring roll wrappers
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups coleslaw mix
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced small
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions: Add vegetable oil to a large wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, add garlic, coleslaw mix, scallions, bell pepper, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and white pepper and cook until vegetables are tender but not too soft. Remove your filling from heat and salt to taste if needed. Fill and roll your spring rolls, then place in a pot of vegetable oil heated to 325℉. Fry until golden brown.

2. Shrimp Spring Rolls

Shrimp spring rolls are another takeout staple that lend themselves well to home cooking. Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs, since they make a great complement to the shrimp itself.

Ingredients:

• Spring roll wrappers
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 ounces raw shrimp, cleaned and diced small
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup julienned carrot
• ½ cup sliced bamboo shoots
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• Squeeze of fresh lime
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable oil for frying

Directions: Add sesame oil to a large wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, add garlic and minced shrimp and cook until shrimp is tender but no longer pink—about two minutes. Add cabbage, carrots, bamboo shoots, scallions, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime, and white pepper and cook until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and parsley, as well as salt to taste. Fill and roll your spring rolls, then place in a pot of vegetable oil heated to 325℉. Fry until golden brown.

3. Chicken Spring Rolls

Ground chicken makes for a versatile spring roll ingredient. Make these chicken spring rolls spicy with the addition of sambal oelek, or leave it out if you’re not in the mood for heat.

Ingredients:

• Spring roll wrappers
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
• 6 ounces ground chicken
• 3 cups coleslaw mix
• 2 scallions, sliced
• ½ cup water chestnuts, diced small
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sambal oelek
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable oil for frying

Directions: Add vegetable oil to a large wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, add garlic, ginger, and ground chicken and cook five to ten minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Drain excess fat, then add coleslaw mix, scallions, water chestnuts, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sambal oelek, sugar, chili flakes, and white pepper, and cook until veggies are tender. Add additional salt if needed to taste. Fill and roll your spring rolls, then place in a pot of vegetable oil heated to 325℉. Fry until golden brown.

4. Pork Spring Rolls

Add pork spring rolls to the menu with this simple recipe that boasts a surprising amount of flavor.

Ingredients:

• Spring roll wrappers
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
• 6 ounces ground pork
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 cup julienned carrot
• 2 scallions, sliced
• ½ cup water chestnuts, diced small
• ½ cup bamboo shoots, sliced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable oil for frying

Directions: Add vegetable oil to a large wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, add garlic, ginger, and ground pork, cooking for three to four minutes until pork is no longer pink. Drain excess fat and add cabbage, carrots, scallions, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and white pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender, adding more salt to taste if necessary. Fill and roll your spring rolls, then place in a pot of vegetable oil heated to 325℉. Fry until golden brown.

5. Mango Spring Rolls

Give your spring rolls a sweet spin with a mango and sticky rice filling. These Thai flavors are a bit different than what you’ll find in Chinese spring rolls, but no less tasty.

Ingredients:

• Spring roll wrappers
• 1 cup sticky rice, cooked
• 1 cup ripe mango, diced
• ¼ cup coconut cream or milk
• Vegetable oil for frying

Directions: In a large bowl, combine sticky rice, mango, and coconut cream or milk. Fill and roll your spring rolls, then place in a pot of vegetable oil heated to 325℉. Fry until golden brown.

Don’t Forget the Dipping Sauce!

You can’t have spring rolls without dipping sauce. Peanut sauce, sweet chili sauce, and sweet hoisin glaze are all popular dipping options for spring rolls. Other creative pairings include miso paste with spicy mustard, mango chutney, or hot garlic teriyaki. Go with whatever sounds good, making a point to pair your sauce with the flavors of the spring roll recipe you’ve decided to make. 

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