Crispy Beef Spring Rolls

5 from 16 votes

Crispy Beef Spring Rolls

How to make the best crispy Chinese spring rolls at home, just like in Chinese restaurants. They're way easier to make than you think and are cheaper than the take-outs. These delicious spring rolls are freezer-friendly and we're showing you how to cook them 3 ways, deep-fried, baked, and air-fried!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Passive Time30

Servings: rolls

Author: Bea & Marco

Ingredients

Beef

1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon less sodium soy sauce
¼ teaspoon white pepper powder
½ lb minced beef

Veggies

½ cup sliced rehydrated dried shiitake
2 cup thinly sliced cabbage
1 cup julienned carrot
½ cup chopped spring onion
2 garlic cloves , grated
½ inch ginger , grated
2 tablespoon oyster sauce

Slurry Glue

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoon water

Others

14 pieces spring roll sheets of 10-inch (25cm) , thawed
some sweet chili sauce , for dipping

Instructions

Beef

Add meat, cornstarch, white pepper, soy sauce, and sugar into a bowl. Mix well using a spatula and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend in.
Heat some oil in a pan and add the meat. Stir for a few minutes until it's fully cooked, breaking it into small pieces as you go. Pour it into a plate and set aside.

Veggies

Heat the same pan with some oil and sautee minced garlic and ginger until they're golden brown. Now add in the veggies and cook until they're slightly soft, not soggy or mushed. Add back in the meat together with oyster sauce. Give everything one last mix. Cool the filling before using it. If you see it's saucy then strain it in a colander to discard the sauce.

Slurry Glue

Add all-purpose flour and water into a bowl and mix well with a spoon to form a thick liquid. We'll use it to glue our Chinese spring rolls so they don't open when frying.

Assemble

We're showing you how to roll spring rolls so they're all the same size! Take a sheet of wrapper and put it on a clean working surface. Cover the rest of the wrappers with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. Fold the wrapper ⅓ in and place some filling on top. Fold both the left and right corners to the center. Roll the filling tightly, leaving the upper corner. Spread some slurry and continue folding it until the end.

Deep-fry

Heat a pot with abundant oil on medium heat. When it's hot, slowly add in the spring rolls. Fry them for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown, flipping them now and then for even cooking. Place them on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil. Serve these delicious Chinese spring rolls hot with some sweet and spicy sauce. Enjoy!

Air-fryer

Preheat the air-fryer to 400ºF (200ºC). Place the spring rolls in the air-fryer basket and spray them with some oil (we just used 3 to demonstrate). Air-fry for around 30 minutes until they're golden brown, flipping them halfway through cooking time.

Oven

Preheat the oven to 430ºF (220ºC). Place the Chinese spring rolls in a tray lined with parchment paper and spray them with some oil (we just used 3 to demonstrate). Bake for around 30 minutes until they're golden brown, flipping them halfway through cooking time.

Notes

The estimated nutrient values are before deep-fry, air-fry, or baked.
Cover the spring roll wrappers with a damp cloth. This will prevent them from getting dry and tearing when you use them.
Use low water-content veggies. This will prevent the filling from becoming soggy or saucy, which is the secret to getting crispy Chinese spring rolls!
Drain the filling. If for some reason your filling is saucy, no worries! Strain it with a colander and discard the excess liquid.

Nutrition