Layers of Chinese flavors wrapped in a crispy shell that shatters when you take a bite! Easy Air Fryer Egg Rolls are better than takeout!
Forget expensive takeout and messy deep frying! This fantastic Air Fryer Egg Roll recipe fills traditional Chinese egg roll wrappers with delicious ingredients like green onion, pork, and veggies, then season them with the aromatic flavors of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sriracha, and sesame oil. These amazing egg rolls are destined to be a family favorite appetizer, Asian side dish, or afterschool snack!
The Difference between Spring Rolls and Egg Rolls
While Spring Rolls and Egg Rolls often LOOK alike, there are some notable differences. Spring Rolls go way back to ancient China. They are very thin flour or rice wrappers that are stuffed with spring vegetables (and sometimes meat). Spring Rolls can be eaten uncooked, baked, or fried.
Egg Rolls are a more recent invention that likely originated in the U.S. They have a thicker – sometimes doubled – flour wrap and are usually filled with pork and salad vegetables like cabbage and carrots. Egg rolls are fried and served with a sweet & sour sauce. (Our recipe cuts calories, time, and mess by utilizing the air fryer to get that crispy, crunchy, yummy finish!)
Other Recipes to Serve with Air Fryer Egg Rolls
- Wonton Soup, with its clear broth and tasty meat-filled dumplings, is perfectly yummy with egg rolls!
- Easy Fried Rice – skip the takeout and make this fantastic Chinese recipe at home!
Ingredients
Wrap: A package of pre-made egg roll wrappers from the grocery makes this recipe super simple!
Veggies: Egg rolls are filled with finely chopped cabbage, carrots, green onions, and mushrooms.
Meat: The most traditional filling for Chinese Egg Rolls is ground pork, but you can also use chicken, ground beef, shrimp, or go vegan and skip the meat entirely!
Seasoning: Egg Rolls are LOADED with mouthwatering umami flavors from nutty sesame oil, soy sauce, minced garlic and ginger, and a little spicy sriracha.
Sauce: Serve egg rolls with a sweet chili or sweet & sour sauce for dipping. YUM!
How to Make the Best Egg Rolls
STEP ONE: Heat a little sesame oil in a large pan and fry the ground pork until thoroughly cooked, breaking it up into fine crumbles while cooking. Stir in the ginger and garlic, cooking for another minute.
STEP TWO: Add in the finely chopped cabbage, carrots, green onions, and mushrooms, and cook until the veggies are soft (about 3 minutes). Add the soy sauce and sriracha and stir. Use HIGH heat for just under a minute to cook off any excess liquid.
STEP THREE: Place two wrappers on a flat surface, letting the upper one overlap the lower one. Place a heaping spoonful of filling into the middle of the lower wrap. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, then fold the left & right corners to the center. Now “push” the egg rolls away from you and roll to the middle of the upper wrap. Once again, fold the sides toward the middle and push the roll to finish wrapping. (See pics!) Use water or a cornstarch slurry to seal the roll.
STEP FOUR: Brush or spray the egg rolls with oil on both sides. Then place them into the basket of the air fryer in a single layer so that they are not touching. (You’ll need to cook them in batches.)
STEP FIVE: Cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, at 400 degrees F or until golden and crispy. Serve with dipping sauce!
Tips for Success
- We double the wrappers to get extra crispy egg rolls, but you CAN do a single wrapper – just don’t overfill, or it may split open.
- The cooking time can vary based on the air fryer and your desired level of crispiness.
- For extra convenience, use a bag of chopped slaw in place of the cabbage and carrots.
- Chicken, beef, or shrimp can be substituted for the pork – or go vegan and use tofu. (Sear it first in some soy sauce and sesame oil for amazing flavor!)
- Serve these egg rolls with a sweet chili dipping sauce or sweet and sour sauce!
Can You Make Egg Rolls Ahead of Time?
Absolutely – and there are two ways to do this! You can entirely make them ahead of time except for the air frying step. Place the uncooked rolls on a baking pan, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for up to 36 hours. They’re ready to pop into the air fryer when you’re ready! The second way is simply to prepare the filling and then refrigerate it in a covered container. All you have to do the next day is roll and cook!
Why Are Eggs Rolls Called Egg Rolls?
The real question is: Do Egg Rolls Contain Eggs? And the answer is no. So what gives with the name? The honest answer is that nobody quite knows. But there are a few possibilities: 1) The Chinese words for “egg” and “spring” sound very much alike…so spring rolls may have accidentally also become egg rolls. 2) The original wrapper may have been more dough-like and actually contained eggs. 3) There is an original Chinese dish called Dan Gun, which is like a rolled omelet with a similar egg roll filling, and Egg Rolls may be a version of that recipe.
Other Easy Egg-Roll Wrapper Recipes!
- Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls
- Air Fryer Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
- Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls
- Crispy Spring Rolls
- Chicken Spring Rolls
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ½ pound ground pork
- 3 cups green cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup button mushrooms cleaned and chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 20 egg roll wrappers (2 per egg roll)
- Avocado oil spray (or vegetable oil)
Instructions
- Add the sesame oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground pork and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces, until no longer pink about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the cabbage, carrots, green onions, and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the veggies are soft.
- Add the soy sauce and sriracha and stir to combine. Turn the skillet to high heat for 30-60 seconds so any excess liquid can evaporate. (You don’t want the filling to be too wet.) Check the seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper to your liking. Remove the filling from the heat and set aside.
- Place 2 egg roll wrappers on a flat surface so that they overlap on one corner, with the upper wrapper overlapping the bottom one.
- Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling in the middle of the lower wrap. Fold the bottom corner up and over the filling. Fold the left and right corners in toward the center. Pushing the egg roll away from you, roll toward the middle of the upper wrapper. Fold the sides of the upper wrapper into the middle and roll until the end. Dab some water on the corner of the wrapper to glue the dough to the roll.
- Spray the egg rolls with avocado oil (or brush with vegetable oil) on both sides. Place them into the basket of your air fryer in a single layer so they are not touching.
- Cook at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Flip the egg rolls halfway through cooking. (You will need to cook in batches.)
- Carefully remove the egg rolls from the air fryer and serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Cooking time varies based on your air fryer and on how crisp you want the egg rolls to be.
- You can use only one egg roll wrapper if desired, but I prefer to use two. That way, the egg roll wrapper won’t rip as easily, and they get even crispier!
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