Many of you have asked us over the years if pan-fried spring rolls are a thing. Well, while spring rolls are normally deep-fried, it is possible to pan-fry them!
This is an easy way to cook fresh or frozen spring rolls without using too much oil, or if you simply want to avoid deep-frying altogether.
Why Pan-fry Spring Rolls?
Spring rolls are generally best when deep-fried. When we make spring rolls, we use a small pot or saucepan to conserve oil. This oil can be strained and reused to cook other dishes.
However, we understand that many of you don’t want to use that much oil or don’t enjoy deep-frying. Because the fillings in most of our Chinese spring roll recipes are already cooked, they can easily be pan-fried. Your main goal is to brown and crisp the wrapper while heating the filling through.
Note that this wouldn’t work as well with Vietnamese spring rolls (cha gio), which are made with a raw filling and rice paper wrappers. That said, you can use this technique with either our Shanghai-style Spring Rolls, our Cantonese Spring Rolls, or the delicious Vegetable Mushroom Spring Rolls in our cookbook!
Are you starting with fresh or frozen?
Unlike frozen wontons and dumplings, which do not require defrosting before you cook them, spring rolls should be thawed beforehand. Luckily, spring rolls defrost nicely!
If starting with frozen spring rolls, defrost the spring rolls ahead of time. During this process, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Make sure the spring rolls are separated before you start defrosting them. Any spring rolls that may be stuck together can be gently pried apart. Be careful to not crack the wrappers. (However, when pan-frying, any nicks or holes in the spring rolls will not present as much of a problem as they do when deep-frying.)
- Prevent your spring rolls from turning soggy by propping them up on a small rack. This prevents water from pooling underneath them as they defrost.
- Keep the spring rolls from drying out by covering them with a large overturned mixing bowl. (If they dry out, they will crack.)
- The spring rolls are done defrosting when, if you lightly squeeze them, they are soft to the touch.
Will they be crispy?
Yes, they will be crispy, but it takes longer to get a crispy result, since you are using less oil. They also won’t be as uniform in color and texture as a deep fried spring roll, but the taste and texture are still enjoyable and presentable!
Air-fryer Spring Rolls?
I know that some of you are wondering if you can cook spring rolls in an air-fryer. Rest assured, the next time we have a batch of spring rolls (Lunar New Year is right around the corner!) we will be testing air-frying methods.
If you are adamant about trying it, for now, my (untested) advice would be to brush them all around with oil, place them in the air-fryer basket, and air-fry them at a low temperature like 325°F (160°C) for about 10 minutes, so the filling warms up and the outside doesn’t crisp too quickly and burn.
How to Make Pan-fried Spring Rolls
Preheat a frying pan until smoking. or heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the pan has a chance to cool down slightly. Add half of the oil, spreading it evenly to coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the spring rolls, spacing them out so they aren’t touching.
Slowly brown them over medium low heat. This may take 8-10 minutes. Don’t rush, as it takes time to get that nice golden color. Brush additional oil on them if needed.
Add one tablespoon of water to the pan—without wetting the top of the spring rolls. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes, until there is no visible liquid. The steam from this step ensures the filling is heated.
Remove the cover. Flip the spring rolls to cook the other side, drizzling the rest of the oil into the pan, evenly distributing the oil once more. Slowly brown the spring rolls over medium low heat until golden. As the spring rolls brown, you rest the spring rolls against the sides of the pan to brown the sides of the spring rolls. The curved sides—especially in a nonstick pan—work well to brown the side of the spring rolls.
Lastly, flip the spring rolls over one more time to cook off any leftover moisture on the wrapper (just a couple more minutes). Finally, transfer your pan-fried spring rolls to a plate lined with paper towels and serve!
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Recipe
Pan-fried Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- 8 spring rolls (that’s about how many we could comfortably fit in our pan – fresh or thawed from frozen – see note)
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable, canola, peanut, avocado, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat a frying pan until smoking. or heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the pan has a chance to cool down slightly. Add half of the oil, spreading it evenly to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Add the spring rolls, spacing them out so they aren’t touching. Slowly brown them over medium low heat. This may take 8-10 minutes. Don’t rush, as it takes time to get that nice golden color. Brush additional oil on them if needed.
- Add one tablespoon of water to the pan—without wetting the top of the spring rolls. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes, until there is no visible liquid. The steam from this step ensures the filling is heated.
- Remove the cover. Flip the spring rolls to cook the other side, drizzling the rest of the oil into the pan, evenly distributing the oil once more. Slowly brown the spring rolls over medium low heat until golden. As the spring rolls brown, you rest the spring rolls against the sides of the pan to brown the sides of the spring rolls. The curved sides—especially in a nonstick pan—work well to brown the side of the spring rolls.
- Lastly, flip the spring rolls over one more time to cook off any leftover moisture on the wrapper (just a couple more minutes). Finally, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and serve!
Tips & Notes:
- Make sure the spring rolls are separated before you start defrosting them. Any spring rolls that may be stuck together can be gently pried apart. Be careful to not crack the wrappers. (However, when pan-frying, any nicks or holes in the spring rolls will not present as much of a problem as they do when deep-frying.)
- Prevent your spring rolls from turning soggy by propping them up on a small rack. This prevents water from pooling underneath them as they defrost.
- Keep the spring rolls from drying out by covering them with a large overturned mixing bowl. (If they dry out they will crack.)
- The spring rolls are done defrosting when, if you lightly squeeze them, they are soft to the touch.
