Lumpia, or Filipino egg rolls, are light and crispy, with a flavorful ground meat and vegetable filling. Besides making fried lumpia, I'll show you how to make air fryer lumpia for a healthier option. Serve this Filipino lumpia recipe with easy fried rice, and spicy bibimbap sauce.
I just love Filipino food! Anything from this pancit bihon recipe to pork & Chicken adobo, and of course, lumpia!
I first fell in love with Filipino egg rolls while spending time in the Philippines when I was in the Navy.
I got reintroduced to lumpia years later when a sweet Filipino nurse brought them to work. She made the BEST lumpia I've ever had! I still have the recipe she jotted down for me back in the early '90s.
As you can see from the picture below, she didn't give me exact measurements. I use her recipe as a guide and have developed my own recipe over the years.
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- This Filipino lumpia recipe is a crowd-pleaser. It is always the first to disappear at any potluck or party.
- Besides being delicious, lumpia can be assembled up to a day in advance and fried as needed.
- This Filipino lumpia recipe is so versatile! The lumpia can also be portioned out and frozen to enjoy at a later date.
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredients And Substitutions
- Wrappers: Lumpia wrappers can be hard to find unless you go to an Asian market. Luckily, you can use egg roll/spring roll wrappers as an alternative.
- Meat: Choose from ground beef, pork, chicken, or a combination of two or three of them. You can also add shrimp if you wish!
- Vegetables: For the filling, you'll need green cabbage and carrots, or a coleslaw mix. You'll also need diced celery, green onions, white or yellow onions, garlic, and canned water chestnuts, which add a nice crunch.
- Spices: I usually just add salt and black pepper. The heat will come from the Sriracha sauce added to the filling and the dipping sauce that you will serve the lumpia with.
- Dipping Sauce: Lumpia is traditionally served with a sweet and spicy chili sauce. If I don't have any on hand, I will make bibimbap sauce instead.
- Vegetable Oil: You will also need oil to fry the lumpia in.
🥟 How to Make This Filipino Lumpia Recipe
Step 1: Begin by browning pork, beef, or chicken in a large skillet or a wok.
Step 2: Add celery, chestnuts, onions, and scallions and saute for a few minutes. Next, add the garlic, coleslaw mix, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and Sriracha. Cook for a few more minutes. Cool filling.
Step 3: Before rolling the lumpia, whisk an egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make a thin eggwash. The eggwash acts as a glue to keep the lumpia wrappers from opening while being fried.
How to Roll Lumpia (Filipino Egg Rolls)
There are a few different ways to roll lumpia. For this recipe, we will be cooking the filling first and rolling the lumpia similar to rolling Assyrian egg rolls.
Step 1: Place the wrapper with one of the corners facing up. Dab eggwash on all four corners of the wrapper.
Step 2: Add up to two tablespoons of filling towards the bottom of the wrapper and form into a strip. Roll up the bottom corner of the wrapper over the filling then fold in the sides.
Step 3: Finish by rolling tightly all the way up until the lumpia is sealed. Place seam-side down onto a platter and continue until you use up all the wrappers and filling.
Pro Tip: Make sure to keep the wrappers covered either with a dish towel or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out!
Here is another way to roll lumpia. Cut the wrapper in half so that you have two triangle-shaped wrappers.
Shape the uncooked filling into a thin cigar shape and place it on the bottom, long edge of the wrapper. Fold in both sides over the filling, then roll up to seal.
How to Cook Lumpia
Step 1: Heat oil in a skillet until it reaches 375 degrees F. Using tongs, carefully add 3 to 4 lumpia into the hot oil. Roll the lumpia as necessary so that all the sides are golden brown. This should only take a few minutes.
Pro Tip: If you don't have a digital thermometer, you can tell that the oil is ready if it begins to bubble as soon as the lumpia is placed into the hot oil. If the oil does not bubble right away, keep heating it then try again.
Step 2: Drain fried lumpia on paper towels and continue until all the lumpia is fried. Serve immediately, while still hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
♨️ Air Fryer Lumpia
You can also prepare lumpia in an air fryer! To make air fryer lumpia, brush lumpia on all sides with avocado oil or olive oil. Place inside air fryer basket and air fry on 375 degrees F for about 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip lumpia to the other side and air fry for an additional 6 minutes or until golden brown.
Note: Depending on the air fryer you're using, the time may need to be adjusted, so you may want to check on them sooner to make sure they don't burn.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
I recommend serving the Lumpia with a sweet chili sauce, like Mae Ploy. You can purchase the sauce at any grocery store, or even on Amazon.
Even better, if you like a little spice, make your own sauce using one of the many great recipes online. This Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce recipe happens to be my favorite.
Lumpia wrappers are made with flour, water, and salt. Some recipes call for rice flour and cornstarch, while others call for all-purpose flour.
Unlike egg roll wrappers, eggs are not used in the recipe. Lumpia wrappers are almost see-through and much thinner than egg roll wrappers.
Another visible difference is that lumpia wrappers don't get "bubbly" when fried like egg roll wrappers do. They have a much smoother texture.
Unfortunately, lumpia wrappers are not as readily available as egg roll wrappers. For this reason, I use egg roll wrappers when I'm craving lumpia but don't feel like going out of my way to purchase lumpia wrappers, or making my own.
However, if you want to tackle making your own lumpia wrappers, check out this Homemade Lumpia wrapper video.
Lumpia can be frozen either before or after frying. If you plan on freezing unfried lumpia, make sure to first place them on a platter or large tray in the freezer until they are almost frozen.
You can then store them in a large freezer Ziploc bag. This will ensure that the lumpia does not stick together.
Frying Frozen Lumpia
You do not need to defrost frozen lumpia prior to frying them. Just follow the same frying instructions listed in the recipe, with the exception of adding a few additional minutes to the frying time.
Reheating Cooked and Frozen Lumpia
If the lumpia are frozen after they are fried, you can microwave them, a few at a time, for approximately one to two minutes. The exact time will depend on the wattage of your microwave.
For a crispier texture, bake the fried and frozen lumpia for approximately ten minutes in a 350-degree F oven. Using a toaster oven is an even better option and requires less time. Lumpia can also be reheated in an air fryer.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Feel free to use a combination of chicken, pork, or beef in the filling.
- Using coleslaw in the filling not only saves you time, but you can serve the leftover coleslaw on the side!
- If you prefer, you can replace the coleslaw with a combination of julienned carrots and cabbage to equal 3 cups.
- Instead of egg wash, you can use a slurry of cornstarch and water for sealing the lumpia.
- Make sure the oil temperature reaches 375 degrees F. The oil should be hot enough to begin bubbling as soon as the Lumpia is added. Having the oil at the right temperature will keep the lumpia from absorbing more oil than necessary and becoming too greasy.
🍽 Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Easy Filipino Lumpia Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground pork, beef, or chicken (or a combo)
- 1 stalk celery (minced)
- 4 oz sliced water chestnuts (julienned)
- 1 small white onion (minced)
- 3 scallions (minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 cups coleslaw mix
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha hot chili sauce
- 2 packages lumpia or egg roll wrappers (enough to yield approx. 40-45 Lumpia)
- 1 medium egg (for eggwash)
- 1 cup oil (for frying)
Instructions
Filling
- Begin by browning pork, beef, or chicken in a large skillet or a wok.
- Add celery, chestnuts, onions, and scallions, and saute for a few minutes. Next, add the garlic, coleslaw mix, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and Sriracha. Cook for a few more minutes. Cool filling.
- Before rolling the lumpia, whisk an egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make a thin eggwash. The eggwash acts as a glue to keep the lumpia wrappers from opening while being fried.
Assembly Instructions
- Place the wrapper with one of the corners facing up. Dab eggwash on all four corners of the wrapper.
- Add up to two tablespoons of filling towards the bottom of the wrapper and form into a strip. Roll up the bottom corner of the wrapper over the filling then fold in the sides.
- Finish by rolling tightly all the way up until the lumpia is sealed. Place seam-side down onto a platter and continue until you use up all the wrappers and filling.
How to Fry Lumpia
- Heat oil in a skillet until it reaches 375°F. Using tongs, carefully add 3 to 4 lumpia into the hot oil. Roll the lumpia as necessary so that all the sides are browned. This should only take a few minutes.
- Drain fried lumpia on paper towels and continue until all the lumpia is fried. Serve immediately, while still hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- See post for air fryer lumpia directions!
- Feel free to use a combination of chicken, pork, or beef in the filling.
- Using coleslaw in the filling not only saves you time, but you can serve the leftover coleslaw on the side!
- If you prefer, you can replace the coleslaw with a combination of julienned carrots and cabbage to equal 3 cups.
- Make sure to keep the wrappers covered either with a dish towel or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out!
- Instead of egg wash, you can use a slurry of cornstarch and water for sealing the lumpia.
- Make sure the oil temperature reaches 375 degrees F. The oil should be hot enough to begin bubbling as soon as the Lumpia is added. Having the oil at the right temperature will keep the lumpia from absorbing more oil than necessary and becoming too greasy.
- If you don't have a digital thermometer, you can tell that the oil is ready if it begins to bubble as soon as the lumpia is placed into the hot oil. If the oil does not bubble right away, keep heating it then try again.
Kelly Methey says
These are fantastic! So easy and yet so tasty! Yum! It will take a time or two for mine to look like yours do!
Hilda Sterner says
When you're ready, we can practice together!
Noreen (PictureTheRecipe) says
So thrilled to see that you like my Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce recipe. Your lumpia looks fantastic!
HildaSterner says
I sure do, thank you Noreen. I always make your sauce to go with my lumpia!
Terry Smith says
My daughter Andrea and I made your Filipino lumpia tonight for the family. My nine year old granddaughter, Ruby helped fold them together for us. She was so excited to help. They tasted great!
I cooked up ground beef and pork, and added minced carrots to the celery, cabbage, and onion mix.
I didn’t have all I needed to make the coleslaw dressing. I didn’t have lemon juice or white wine vinegar, so I used apple cider vinegar and threw in a splash of Chardonnay. Don't scream, I didn’t tell anyone. Thanks for the recipe. Terry
HildaSterner says
Hi Terry,
Glad you guys had fun making the lumpia. Did you make the dipping sauce too?