HOMEMADE LUMPIA (Filipino spring-rolls)

Homemade Lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) are a savory and crunchy staple in Filipno households around the world. Seasoned meat and vegetables wrapped in a spring roll wrapper and fried to crispy perfection!

These Lumpia are the perfect side for this Quick and Easy Pepper Steak recipe. Or, try them with these Food Court Style Asian Noodles as well!

This is one of the most requested appetizers from family and friends! Crunchy, and super delicious Filipino spring rolls called Lumpia. I owe a lot of my Filipino childhood friends for teaching me how to make these delicious spring rolls.

They seem time-consuming, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to whip these up in no time. The ingredients can be customized to your taste, which makes this recipe SUPER inexpensive to make. Once you make them, trust me, you will not be able to eat just one!

DON’T FORGET THE DIPPING SAUCE!

Once you put your own spin on them, you’ll be making these decadent spring roll-like appetizers for many meals! Serve them piping hot with your favorite sweet-chili sauce, sweet-and-sour sauce, or even ketchup! These spring rolls are SUPER addictive, you won’t eat just one!

What you need to get started: 

• Spring roll wrappers- visit your local Asian market, or order on Amazon!
• Diced veggies: carrots, celery, and onion. You can also shred the veggies if a finer texture is desired
• Ground beef and/ or ground pork. A lot of people combine the two, or use either or. 
• A small bowl of water- this is used to help seal the edges when rolling
• Grab your seasoning, and a large bowl to mix it all up!
• Vegetable oil- for frying

Two methods for rolling the lumpia: 

For the first method, simply combine all of the ingredient in a large bowl. Cut the spring roll wrappers down the middle diagonally so that you get to equal triangles.

Next, seperate the spring roll wrappers by pulling them apart and layering them in a criss-cross fashion so that they’re easy to grab (see pic below). Pinch off a little piece of the meat and veggie mixture, and place it on the bottom edge of the wrapper. 

Fold the wrapper just over the edge of the meat, enough to cover it up. This will take approximately one full roll going upward.

Then fold each side toward the middle. It is okay if the pieces overlap a bit.

Continue rolling upward until there is only about an inch of the wrapper left at the top. Wet your fingers with the water, and continue rolling to seal the roll.

This video shows you exactly how to achieve the alternative rolling method. Some prefer this method because it requires less handling of the meat, and it can be a bit faster!

Whichever method you decide to use, fry them up in some hot oil until you achieve that beautiful golden brown appearance. Usually, 5 minutes per side is perfect.

No need to fry all of the Lumpia at once!

Fry enough for yourself, or for your family. If you do not fry it all, store it in a large gallon size Ziploc bag and freeze for up to two months. When you are ready to eat them, fry them straight from frozen- no need to thaw.

Let’s get rolling!

Yield: 8 people

Homemade Lumpia (Filipino Spring Rolls)

Print

Homemade Lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) are a savory and crunchy staple in Filipno households around the world. Seasoned meat and vegetables wrapped in a spring roll wrapper and fried to crispy perfection!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground beef, not cooked
• 1 package Spring roll wrappers
• 1/2 cup Carrot, shredded diced
• 1/2 cup Celery, shredded or diced
• 1/2 medium Onion, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 small bowl Water, to help seal lumpia
• 2 cups Vegetable oil, for frying

Seasoning (to taste)

• 1 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Seasoning salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Onion powder

Instructions

1. Cut spring roll wrappers in half (diagonally). Use a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife for this step. Once they are halved, separate each sheet and set to the side to make them easier to grab once you start rolling the lumpia. Place a damp paper towel over the top of wrappers to prevent them from drying out.
2. Combine ground beef, and all of the vegetables and seasoning in a large bowl, mix well so that vegetables are evenly distributed.
3. Grab one of the spring roll wraps, take about a tablespoon of the mixture and place it on the very edge of the long side of the wrapper.
4. Roll upward toward the pointy edge of the wrap, being sure to roll as tight as possible without tearing the wrap.
5. Once half-way up, fold the sides in towards the middle.
6. Continue rolling all the way up, once an inch is left at the top, wet your fingers with the water and place it on the wrap to help seal it. close the roll and set to the side.
7. Continue rolling until all wrappers and meat have been used.
8. If serving right away, heat oil on medium heat, and fry them until golden brown, about 10 minutes- turning frequently to cook them evenly.
9. MUST HAVE: this sweet chili dipping sauce, it makes the lumpia much more irresistible!

Notes

Wrappers do not have to be cut in half, keep them whole and add more meat if you prefer. See video for alternative rolling method.

Use more or less meat, depending on preference. Recipe tastes great with both ground pork and ground beef combined. 

Rolls can be meatless by adding mushrooms and cabbage instead of meat.

Remaining, uncooked lumpia can be stored in a freezer bag and kept frozen up to a month. When you're ready to cook, fry them frozen, no need to thaw.