Lumpiang Shanghai (Filipino Spring Rolls)
That these are the BEST SPRING ROLLS is no exaggeration. Whenever I serve these Filipino Lumpiang Shanghai, they’re gone in seconds. True crunchy deliciousness in every bite. Serve with a sweet chili sauce! Perfect appetizer for potlucks, summer picnics, or any holiday gathering!
Lumpiang Shanghai or Filipino Spring Rolls are traditionally made of ground meat (usually pork), minced onions, finely chopped carrots and seasoning all rolled up in a paper-thin wrapper made with flour and water. It is sealed at the end either by using a sticky beaten egg or plain water.
By the name it is given, you can almost guess that it has its origins in China though for some reason we haven’t dropped the “Shanghai” at the end and continues to use it to this day.
I suppose the reason for this is to differentiate this from the other kind of Lumpia which uses mostly vegetables (though occasionally with a little meat tucked in) as filling.
So, when you simply say Lumpia, people will tend to think you mean the plumper and bigger spring roll rather than the “Shanghai” which is a smaller and meatier one.
In the Philippines, perhaps next to Pancit, Lumpiang Shanghai has got to be the most common dish you will find in any kind of celebration – whether it be a wedding, birthday, reunion or a simple get-together. The reason is that it can be made in bulk and ahead of time!
True, it takes a bit of effort to make it (fancy making spring rolls for an hour or 2?) but when you make a lot of it – you don’t need to make other extra dishes because everyone goes for the spring rolls!
Besides, since you can actually make this at least a day ahead or even weeks ahead if you freeze them, then it’s actually a very practical dish to make.
So despite some labor required it does save time in the end and less stress in thinking of what other dishes to prepare. So make a huge batch, freeze and serve it whenever you need it!
Of course, Lumpiang Shanghai is best eaten with a sauce. I usually prefer the sweet chili sauce, the kind that you find in any Asian store. In the Philippines though, it is often served with our favorite ketchup – Jufran Banana Ketchup! Yes, such a ketchup exists and I love it!
I always pre-cook my meat fillings for lumpiang shanghai so I take the guesswork out of the equation (did the meat cook properly? did I season the mixture enough?) and my mother always did, so I wanted to play safe too!
It may be a bit labor-intensive this way, but at least you’ll be guaranteed the results and no need for the rolls to really soak up all the oil in the deep fryer.
Nonetheless, there are lots of ways one can cook lumpiang shanghai and they can all turn out yummy, too. Here’s my version which has always worked for me (even my little tots love it).
It’s easy enough to tweak to suit one’s palate. And yes, if you bring this to a party, you’ll be the star, well – at least the dish will be! 🙂
Here’s a quick photo tutorial on how to make the spring rolls. Details of the method can be found in the recipe below.
HOW DO YOU WRAP LUMPIA (SPRING ROLLS)?
Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the cold pork mixture in one of the corners of the wrapper. Spread the filling into the wrapper horizontally.
Roll the meat mixture towards the middle.
Fold both sides inward to seal, then continue to roll until you have about an inch left of the wrapper.
Using your finger, brush the edges with a little water to seal completely. Make sure it is tightly secured. Place the finished roll on a deep baking dish (casserole) with the sealed side downwards. Repeat until all the meat is gone.
Then, fry and enjoy!!!
Don’t forget to serve with some sweet chili sauce or even ketchup will do.
FOR FULL RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS and to PRINT, SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW.
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LOVE SPRING ROLLS and other delicious Asian appetizers? Our cookbook – RICE. NOODLES. YUM. (EVERYONE’S FAVORITE SOUTHEAST ASIAN DISHES) has many easy and very tasty appetizers, snack food and street food favorites. Below are samples.
Goi Cuon (Fresh Spring Rolls)
Bahn Goi (Crispy Fried Dumplings)
Cha Gio (Vietnamese-style Fried Spring Rolls)
That these are the BEST SPRING ROLLS is no exaggeration. Whenever I serve these Lumpiang Shanghai, they’re gone in seconds. True crunchy deliciousness in every bite. Serve with a sweet chili sauce!
Yield: 60-80 pieces depending on the size
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour
Lumpiang Shanghai (Filipino Spring Rolls)
Ingredients
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 inch (5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 kilo (2 pounds) ground pork
- 2 small onions, finely chopped
- 1 big or 2 medium size Carrots, finely chopped
- 5-6 tbsp soy sauce, or to taste
- 1 jicama (singkamas) or a small tub of water chestnut, finely chopped (optional – but I do love the extra crunch and flavor either brings!!!)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- oil for frying, just enough to cover the rolls
- 2 packs paper thin spring roll wrappers, (can be found in Asian stores), thawed
Instructions
- Heat a little oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Saute the garlic and grated ginger just until aromatic (less than a minute). Add the ground pork and brown in the pan. Season with a little salt and pepper (just to give the meat a little flavor so go easy with the salt). Stir the meat to prevent clumping.
- When the meat has changed its color add the onions. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the chopped onions have softened. Add the carrots and season with the soy sauce. Stir to mix. Lower the heat and simmer for about half an hour (to allow the meat to absorb the seasonings). At this point, I add the water chestnuts or jicama and just let it cook for another couple of minutes. Adjust seasoning to your taste. Set aside to cool down. Drain completely to remove any excess liquid. I use a strainer to do this. It should be dry and not dripping with sauce.
- Prepare the spring roll wrappers and have a small bowl filled water near you. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the cold pork mixture in one of the corners of the wrapper. Spread the filling into the wrapper horizontally. Roll the meat mixture towards the middle. Fold both sides inward to seal, then continue to roll until you have about an inch left of the wrapper. Using your finger, brush the edges with a little water to seal completely. Make sure it is tightly secured. Place the finished roll on a deep baking dish (casserole) with the sealed side downwards. Repeat until all the meat is gone. To ensure that the seal does not open while you are frying it, I keep the rolls overnight in the refrigerator. This way they seal properly and won’t open when frying.
- Before you heat the oil, take the spring rolls out of the fridge so it will be a little warmer when you fry it. (Others have fried it from frozen, I heard). Pour cooking oil (enough to cover the rolls) in a deep pan and turn heat to medium and let heat up for about 10-12 mins. (If you have a deep fryer, preheat to about 350 F). To make sure the oil is hot enough, test one roll and see if it browns quickly. Fry the lumpia in batches until they turn golden brown. This shouldn’t take too long if the oil is hot enough and because they have been previously cooked. Do not overcrowd the rolls to allow them to brown evenly.
- Place the cooked rolls in a strainer with paper towels to drain the oil while the other rolls are cooking. Transfer the cooked ones in a serving dish. You may again wrap them in paper towels to extract any remaining oil.
- To double the amount, cut the rolls in half. Serve with sweet chili sauce, a yummy chutney or even plain old ketchup as dip! Yum!
Notes
Nutrition
Last updated on April 17th, 2024 at 09:20 pm
I love spring rolls like these. I had some years ago and never forgot them. To make my own will be so fun! Thanks for the lesson and recipe. Pinning!
How will I preserve the crunchiness of the lumpiang shangha to bring to my son's class?
I am assuming the school is not over 30 minutes away, in which case they should still be crunchy when you reach the destination provided you immediately transport them after frying. Thanks for asking. 🙂
Do you ever make your own wrappers ? And if so, do you have a recipe for them?
No, I just buy from the store. I use that for convenience and I don't have a recipe, sorry. Thanks for asking!
I love spring rolls! Great pictures on how to roll them
I LOVE homemade spring rolls!
these look absolutely delicious!
These look so light and delicious! I think Ill make them as an appetizer some night when we aren't eating a full meal! Yum!
I'm making a batch or two to freeze – thanks for sharing! 😀
These look delicious! Can't wait to give them a try!
When stationed in Hawaii, I learned to make pancit, bihon, fried won tons and lumpia, but the lumpia was rolled very tightly with open ends. Always the fastest emptied plate at a party! Thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes!
Hello there, this is always my good to go lumpia and my family and in-laws love it. I just have a question as I would like to make this a day before. Can I cook the fillings and wrap it then just keep it in the fridge or do I really need to store it in the freezer?
Hello Laisa! That’s exactly what I do – all the time. I make and wrap the fillings the day before then keep them in the fridge overnight and fry them the next day. So it’s perfect for your schedule! Just make sure that the lumpia filling is completely dry so it doesn’t make the wrapping wet. Other than that you’re all good! So glad you like this so thanks for the feedback!
Hi. I want to try your recipe soon. I was wondering, can I cook this in my air fryer? If so, what temperature and how long? Thank you! Can’t wait to try this.
Yes, just cook until nicely browned and crispy. I would brush the spring rolls with a little oil to achieve this. I have reheated these at 370F for about 10 minutes so you can try that.
These spring rolls were absolutely delicious, Abby! The filling and that crispy pastry, total yum dipped in chilli sauce, we all enjoyed them!
These look fantastic I always try your recipes and they never fail me so this is on the list. I loved the empanadas also a great recipe, thank you for all you do!
I love how this Filipino spring roll recipe came out. I wanted to make some for a dinner party I’m having and did these. Everyone loved them!
Oh, how I wish I had made a double batch!! These spring rolls were absolutely delicious and I cannot wait to make them again. The best I have ever had! Thank you.
I will definitely make these again! The filling was delicious, and they turned out perfectly crisp on the outside. They were so perfect with a sweet chili sauce too!
Best party food ever! I made it for a group of 7 and they were gone in a few minutes. Thanks for the recipe.
what s the difference between these spring rolls and Vietnamese spring rolls? They look so good.
Are you talking about the fresh Vietnamese spring rolls (Goi Cuon) or the fried ones? If it’s Goi Cuon – this one is fresh (not fried) and wrapped in rice paper plus ingredients are different. If you’re talking about the fried Vietnamese spring rolls – the ingredients are different, too including the wrapper. Too much to mention here but you can google if you want to know more. The dipping sauce are different, too.