Thai Fried Spring Rolls

Fried Thai Spring Rolls are filled with a savory filling of ground meat, mushrooms, glass noodles and carrots. They are rolled and fried until golden for the perfect appetizer or side dish for a Thai-inspired meal. 

Reader Lexa Says: “My husband loves spring rolls, and we tried these last weekend. They turned out amazing. Thanks for sharing this recipe Renee.” ★★★★★

You’ll find spring rolls at the night markets in Thailand, and they’re a popular appetizer at Thai Restaurants. Growing up, my mom always made crispy spring rolls for parties, so continuing the tradition is so important to me. 

I try my best to provide easy and quick recipes on my blog, this is not one of them. There is quite a bit of prep work involved and the recipe is portioned for 50 small spring rolls. You can decrease the portion or follow the last step on how to freeze rolled spring rolls.

Spring Roll Wrappers

This is a key ingredient for Thai Spring Rolls, therefore the correct skin or wrapper is necessary. The one you want is found in the freezer section at most Asian Grocery Stores. 

I use these same wrappers for my Fresh Spring Rolls, Shrimp in a Blanket, Cheese Rolls, and Banana Spring Rolls.

Do Not use the dried rice paper wrappers, these are for Fresh Spring Rolls. 

If you are in a pinch and can’t get the frozen spring roll wrapper, you can use egg roll wrappers. Just keep in mind they are thicker, have a different texture, and will taste more like an egg roll than a spring roll. 

I’ve always been able to find frozen spring roll wrappers at both large and small Asian markets.  Watch the video down below to see which type of wrapper I use.  

Filling Ingredients

Meat- In this recipe we are using ground chicken. Ground pork and shrimp are pretty popular proteins for fried springs rolls as well.  For shrimp you can either dice it fine or pulse it a few times in a food processor.

Vegetarian- To make the spring rolls vegetarian use shredded cabbage instead of meat. You’ll need to wilt the cabbage by cooking it in a pan with a little oil. A shortcut is to use coleslaw mix, which is usually 16 oz.  Cook with all the remaining ingredients: noodles, mushrooms, carrots, cilantro stems, soy sauce, mushroom sauce, and spices. You can omit the eggs, and allow the filling to cool before rolling. 

Glass noodles- They also go by Bean Thread or Vermicelli noodles. These need to be soaked in warm water to soften. Once softened, drain and rinse. I like to go in with kitchen shears or a knife and make the strands shorter, otherwise they will be really long. 

Dried Mushrooms- When I first posted this recipe I used dried black fungus mushrooms, however I wanted to try using dried shiitake mushrooms since these are more common to find. The dried shiitake mushrooms worked great! You’ll need to rehydrate them in warm water and chop them up.

Cilantro Stems-  I’m using just them stems and finely chopping them. The cilantro stems actually have more flavor and the leaves tend to turn brown when cooked. This is a great way to use up the stems and save the leaves for a fresh garnish. 

Soy Sauce- Traditionally in Thai cooking Golden Mountain Soy Sauce is used. There is a slight difference in taste compared to Japanese soy sauce, but I’ve made this spring roll recipe with both and you can’t taste a significant difference. If you already have regular soy sauce or need it to be low sodium, then go ahead and use what you have. Otherwise Golden Mountain sauce can be found at an Asian market. 

Oyster Sauce- Oyster sauce is a thick, slightly sweet and salty sauce. If you have a shellfish allergy or need it to be vegan, then use mushroom sauce instead.

Rolling the Spring Rolls

This is the time consuming part, but also kind of fun. If you plan to make the full recipe, then I highly recommend having some help with this part. 

I show in the video the 2 different sizes of square spring roll wrappers, and how to cut the large wrappers into triangles to make them smaller and double the quantity.  Or you can use the wrapper as is and buy 2 packs. 

Crack an egg into a small bowl and scramble for the ‘glue’.  Or you can mix equal parts all purpose flour and water together.

Triangle method-  If you are cutting the large wrappers into triangles, then start with the point at the of your board. Dip your finger into the egg wash and paint the tip of the triangle. Then add a heaping tablespoon of filling in the middle, close to the bottom. 

Fold one side over, smooth it out, fold the other side, smooth it out, and tightly roll it all the way to the top. Ensure the top is sealed with the egg wash.

Square Method-  If you are using a full square wrapper then start with it in a diamond shape. Dip your finger in egg wash and brush the top point of the wrapper. Place the filling in the center/middle of the wrapper, fold the bottom over the filling, then repeat with the sides, and roll to the top. 

In both methods you want to roll to be tight and sealed with the egg wash. 

How to Fry

I prefer to shallow fry, this saves oil and makes clean up easier. I’m using a large skillet and filling it half way with a high heat oil like Canola. A good rule of thumb when frying is to have your oil at 350 degrees, otherwise if the temp is lower the food will absorb the oil instead of getting crispy. 

If you don’t own an instant thermometer, I can’t recommend it enough! You can check the oil temp with one and it’s essential when grilling or cooking meat, poultry, and even fish. 

Carefully place spring rolls into the 350-degree oil, the number of rolls will depend on the size of your pan. Just make sure the pan is not too crowded to prevent the oil temp from dropping.

If you are using this recipe with ground chicken or pork, you want to make sure the spring rolls are fully cooked. I flip them a few times to get a nice golden color. Approximate cooking time was 4 minutes. 

How to Serve and Store

The Best Part is eating the Spring Rolls! When you remove the rolls from frying, place them on a paper towel lined dish to cool down for a few minutes. The filling will be very hot!

Thai spring rolls can be served as is or with a sweet chili dipping sauce.  I just use a bottled sweet chili sauce. 

If you are making all 50 spring rolls, keep them warm on a baking rack in the oven at 200 degrees. If you have leftover spring rolls, store them in the fridge and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until warm and crispy. 

Another option is to roll all the spring rolls then place them in the freezer to fry when needed. For example you can store a dozen in a zip top bag and fry them directly from frozen. 

If you are serving these for a party, keep them warm in the oven at 200 degrees and remove them before your guests arrive. They can stay at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

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