Name: Crispy Golden Spring Rolls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 cloves minced garlic; 1 pound ground chicken (or ground pork); 2 large carrots (grated); ½ cup shiitake mushrooms (thinly sliced); 2 cups shredded napa cabbage; 3 green onions (thinly sliced); 2 tablespoons oyster sauce; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 18 6” square spring roll wrappers; 2 tablespoons water; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; Vegetable or peanut oil for frying

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I have a feeling you might just fall in love with these crispy golden pockets of culinary goodness. A delightfully flavorful filling of ground chicken, veggies, and more is enveloped in a delicate wrapper and fried to crunchy in this quick and easy spring roll recipe. Skip the takeout! Try these instead.

Crispy golden spring rolls on a plate with dipping sauce.

Crunch! That’s the sound you want to hear when you bite into a spring roll from your favorite takeout spot after dipping it in a yummy sweet and sour sauce. Guess what. That’s what you’re going to get from these awesome little roll-ups. Except you’ll be making them in the comfort of your own home (in just 40 minutes by the way), skipping the unhealthy junk often found in takeout, and probably saving a few extra bucks while you’re at it.

Perfectly browned ground chicken is sauteed with garlic, shredded napa cabbage, carrots, shitake mushrooms, and green onions before soaking in a savory, subtly sweet mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a hint of sugar. The mixture is then tenderly wrapped in a thin wheat wrapper and fried to crispy golden brown. Let’s say it again…crunch!

Crispy golden spring rolls on a plate with dipping sauce; one spring roll cut in half and another dipped in sauce.

Why You’ll Love These Easy Spring Rolls

This crispy golden spring roll recipe does an excellent job of recreating a classic takeout favorite. Here are some of the best things about it in my opinion.

Crunch. These little morsels deliver that perfectly crunchy first bite that you crave when you open a takeout box full of spring rolls…but even better because you made them yourself.
Quick and simple. Novice in the kitchen? Fret not. This recipe may look intimidating, but they are as easy as making the filling, filling and sealing the wrappers, and giving them a quick fry. You can do it!
Versatile. These spring rolls can be adapted to a number of dietary needs and taste preferences. Sub the chicken out for pork, chopped shrimp, or tofu. Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Grab rice paper wrappers instead of classic wonton wrappers if you are gluten-free. Check out the section below titled “Easy Variations” for more ideas.
Better than Takeout. Forget the takeout. Spend the 40 minutes you would be waiting for your delivery (just twiddling your thumbs) in the kitchen instead making this interactive recipe from scratch. It’s a load of fun and you will skip the less-than-healthy additives and extras often found in takeout.

Spring Rolls vs Summer Rolls vs Egg Rolls

These 3 classics are frequently confused. Allow me to clear things up. Where spring rolls are fried in a wheat wrapper and served hot (egg rolls are basically the same aside from the fact that the wrapper batter contains egg), summer rolls have all of their goodies contained in a clear, rice paper wrapper and are served cold.

I have 2 wonderful recipes for summer rolls here on my blog. One for chicken summer rolls and one for rainbow (veggie) summer rolls. Give them a try!

Crispy golden spring rolls arranged on a wire wrack over a baking sheet.

Recipe Ingredients

Here is a quick list of the ingredients needed to make these crispy golden spring rolls. Scroll to the recipe card below for more details on measurements, etc.

For the filling:

Vegetable oil
Garlic
Ground chicken – You can use pork too or even finely chopped shrimp if you’re feeling adventurous.
Carrots
Shiitake mushrooms
Napa cabbage
Green onions
Oyster sauce
Soy sauce – If soy does not agree with your body, feel free to use coconut aminos instead.
Sugar
Cornstarch

Assembly:

6” square spring roll wrappers
Water
Cornstarch
Vegetable or peanut oil

Easy Variations

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is easily adaptable to a number of dietary needs and taste preferences. Some of my preferred variations are as follows.

Choose a different protein. You can easily sub in ground pork, tofu, or even finely chopped shrimp for the chicken in this recipe. Play around and see which one is your favorite.
Go all veggie. If you are vegetarian or just trying to get more veggies into your diet, go ahead and forget the ground chicken and add more veggies instead. You can stick with the ones already in the recipe or add your own spin.
Make it gluten-free. If gluten doesn’t agree with you, you can easily substitute rice paper for the spring roll wrappers.

How to Make Crispy Golden Spring Rolls

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. Make the filling, fill and seal the wrappers, and give them a fry. Here is a basic rundown on how to make these crunchy spring rolls. For more detailed instructions, scroll to the recipe below.

Filling:

Browning ground chicken for crispy golden spring rolls.

Brown the chicken. In a large skillet, cook the garlic for about 30 seconds before adding the chicken and browning.

Filling for crispy golden spring rolls; browned ground chicken in a pan with veggies.

Cook the veggies. To the chicken, add the carrots, mushrooms, and cabbage and saute until softened. Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch before adding to the pan. Stir to combine and let everything cook for a moment before turning off the heat and setting aside.

Assembly:

Make the cornstarch slurry. Whisk together the water and cornstarch and set aside.

Filling for crispy golden spring rolls arranged in a spring roll wrapper before wrapping and sealing.

Wrapping filling in spring roll wrapper for crispy golden spring rolls.

Brushing spring roll wrapper with cornstarch slurry to seal a crispy golden spring roll.

Fill the wrappers. Spoon some filling in the bottom center of a spring roll wrapper arranged smooth side down with one corner pointed towards you. Roll the wrapper over the filling and seal it with the cornstarch slurry. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. You should end up with 15-18 spring rolls. See the full recipe below for more details on how to properly fold the wrapper.

A crispy golden spring roll ready to be fried.

Fry. In batches, fry the spring rolls in 3-4 inches of oil heated to 325 degrees F until golden brown. Place the fried rolls on a paper towel to drain excess oil and boom! You’re done!

Tips for Success

These crispy chicken spring rolls are pretty simple to make, but they do require some vigilance. Here are a couple of tips and tricks that will set you up for success.

Shred the veggies by hand. If you are buying pre-shredded ingredients, disregard this point. If you are shredding your own, use a knife or a mandoline. Using a box grater will release too much moisture, leading to a soggy spring roll.
Wrap tightly. You don’t want any air pockets, as oil will seep in and leave you with a greasy roll.
Be generous with the cornstarch slurry. It’s a big bummer when spring rolls fall apart in the fryer, so don’t skimp on the cornstarch slurry when sealing the rolls. It will hold them together.
Fry in batches. If you crowd the pot, the oil temperature will drop, making it so that the spring rolls cannot fry properly, ending you with a soggy finished product.

Can These Be Made in Advance?

Spring rolls are by far more delectable when enjoyed fresh out of the fryer. Keeping that in mind, if you are choosing to make them in advance, I suggest doing it one of 2 ways.

Make the filling, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, and when it comes time to enjoy, fill and seal the spring roll wrapper and fry.
Make the filling, fill and seal the spring roll wrappers, and store them in an airtight container (place wax paper between layers so they don’t stick together) in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Ready to enjoy? Fry as you normally would. The frozen spring rolls might need a couple extra minutes in the frying oil.

You can make this recipe from start to finish in advance to be enjoyed later. Just know they will lose some crunch. See my notes below on storing and reheating leftovers.

What to Serve with Chicken Spring Rolls

Serve these tasty bites as an appetizer preceding your favorite Chinese meal. I have really been enjoying serving crispy golden spring rolls with the following entrees.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

Spring rolls are undoubtedly better fresh out of the fryer, but you can store them for later. Here’s how to do it.

Storing. Allow the spring rolls to cool completely before sealing them in an airtight container and placing them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can place the container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and arrange the spring rolls in a single layer. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until heated through. If reheating from frozen, allow the spring rolls to thaw in the refrigerator first.

More Easy Side Dishes

I don’t know about you but one of my favorite things about a meal is the side dishes. They add so much excitement and variety to the table. Crispy golden spring rolls are a delicious way to go, but here are some other ideas from all over the world.

Crispy Golden Spring Rolls