Easy Filipino Lumpia Recipe
This recipe guides you through making authentic Filipino Lumpia, a popular crispy fried spring roll. It features a savory filling of ground pork, finely minced carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and water chestnuts, seasoned with soy sauce and black pepper. The mixture is tightly wrapped in spring roll wrappers and deep-fried until golden brown, resulting in a delicious and satisfying appetizer or snack.
Equipment
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Deep pot or frying pan for deep frying
- 1 Tongs or spider skimmer for safely handling fried lumpia
Ingredients
Main
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 4 ounces carrots minced
- 4 ounces celery minced
- 1 small onion minced
- 1 ounce garlic
- 1 ounce water chestnuts
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 pack spring roll wrappers
- canola or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Finely mince the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and water chestnuts. Ensure all ingredients are uniformly small.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, all minced vegetables, soy sauce, black pepper, and egg. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
- Prepare your work surface. Take one spring roll wrapper and lay it flat with one corner pointing towards you.
- Place about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture near the corner closest to you, forming a small log shape.
- Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper over the filling, then fold in both side corners to create an envelope shape.
- Roll the wrapper tightly away from you, sealing the edges with a dab of water or egg wash at the top corner to secure.
- Repeat the rolling process for all remaining wrappers and filling until all lumpia are formed.
- Heat enough canola or vegetable oil in a deep pot or frying pan to 350-375°F (175-190°C).
- Carefully place a few lumpia into the hot oil, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the fried lumpia with tongs or a spider skimmer and place them on a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve hot with your preferred dipping sauce.
Notes
Ensure all vegetables are finely minced to create a cohesive filling and prevent tearing the delicate wrappers. When mixing the filling, do not overmix, as this can make the pork tough. The egg acts as a binder; adjust slightly if the mixture feels too dry or wet. The key to crispy lumpia is proper oil temperature (350-375°F or 175-190°C) and not overcrowding the pan, which lowers oil temperature and results in greasy lumpia. Roll the wrappers tightly to prevent them from unraveling during frying. Serve immediately with a classic sweet chili sauce or spiced vinegar for best results.