Lumpia Recipe (Filipino spring rolls)

This homemade lumpia recipe (lumpia shanghai) is a savory mixture of ground pork and beef, veggies, and seasonings wrapped in a thin pastry and then fried to crispy golden brown perfection! Dip these traditional Filipino spring rolls in a sweet chili sauce for the perfect party appetizer or side dish.

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

Jump to:

• Why We Love This Lumpia Recipe:
• What is Lumpia?
• Types of Lumpia
• Lumpia Ingredients:
• How to Make Lumpia:
• How to Air Fry Lumpia:
• Lumpia Filling Variations:
• What kind of dipping sauce to use:
• Storing and Reheating:
• FAQ:
• More Asian Inspired Recipes to Try
• 📖 Recipe

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.

Why We Love This Lumpia Recipe:

Great Finger Food! These light crunchy rolls were made for dipping! Serve these as a party appetizer or starter to complement your main dish.

Restaurant Quality! Make it just as good as a sit-down place or takeout, from the comfort of home.

Easy to Make! They seem time-consuming, but once you get the hang of it, you will be able to whip these up in no time. In fact, the most tedious part is separating the lumpia wrappers!

Customizable! 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!

What is Lumpia?

Nearly every Asian country has its own version of spring rolls. In the Phillippines, spring rolls are called lumpia. Sometimes it is referred to as lumpia shanghai or lumpiang shanghai; a smaller, meatier version of traditional lumpia.

Basic lumpia contains ground meat (usually pork) with minced vegetables like carrots and cabbage, tightly wrapped in a paper-thin pastry known as a lumpia wrapper. Then they are fried and served with lumpia sauce, rice, noodles, soup, or salad.

Types of Lumpia

There are a variety of Filipino spring rolls. Here are a few of the most popular ones:

• Lumpiang Sariwa: Also known as "fresh lumpia", this spring roll is wrapped with thin crepes instead of lumpia wrappers.
• Lumpiang Hubad: Also known as "naked lumpia" or "naked spring rolls" does not have a wrapper. Instead, it's a bowl of lumpia filling, usually served with white rice.
• Banana Lumpia: Also known as lumpiang saging or banana turon, is filled with bananas for a deep fried dessert.
• Lumpiang Gulay: This is a vegetable spring roll made without meat.

Lumpia Ingredients:

• Lumpia wrappers: These are very delicate, thin wrappers, but are strong enough to hold the lumpia filling.
• Diced veggies: This recipe calls for 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.
• Vegetable oil: For frying.
• Seasoning: Combine black pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.

How to Make Lumpia:

Make Meat Mixture

Combine ground beef, and all of the vegetables and seasoning in a large mixing bowl, combining well so that the vegetables are evenly distributed.

Cut and Separate Spring Roll Wrappers

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 damp paper towels over the top of the wrappers to prevent them from drying out.

Method #1 for Rolling the Lumpia Shanghai Recipe: 

For the first method, simply cut the spring roll wrappers down the middle diagonally so that you get equal triangles.

On a clean work surface, separate the spring roll wrappers by pulling them apart and layering them in a crisscross fashion so that they are easy to grab (see pic below). Pinch off a little piece of the meat 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. Some recipes use beaten egg to seal the edge but water works just fine. Wet your fingers with the water, and continue rolling to seal the roll.

Method #2 for How to Roll Lumpia:

The video in the recipe card 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!

Fry Lumpia

Whichever method you decide to use, deep fry them in hot oil over medium-high heat until you achieve that beautiful golden-brown appearance. Usually, 5 minutes per side is perfect.

Lumpia shanghai should be fried in batches so that you do not overcrowd the skillet or air fryer. Overcrowding when frying will cause them to steam and they will not be as crispy.

How to Air Fry Lumpia:

Cooking lumpia in an air fryer is super easy and a healthier alternative to fried lumpia. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F then place the pre-rolled, uncooked, lumpia in the basket, ensuring they aren't touching. Cook for 5 minutes on one side before flipping and cooking for an additional 5 minutes on the other.

Lumpia Filling Variations:

This homemade lumpia recipe with ground beef is delicious but what I love most about lumpia is how versatile it is. You can fill them with whatever meats or veggies you have. Here are some ideas to mix and match.

Meat: Ground pork, ground chicken, minced shrimp. A lot of Filipino lumpia recipes are made with minced pork instead of minced meat.

Vegetables: Green onions, red pepper, cabbage, bean sprouts, sweet potatoes, chili pepper, jalapenos, green beans, cilantro

What kind of dipping sauce to use:

Once you put your own spin on them, you will be making these decadent spring roll-like appetizers for many meals! The best lumpia are served with dipping sauce.

Serve them piping hot with your favorite sweet chili dipping sauce, sweet-and-sour sauce, or even ketchup! Some people like to make their own sauce with a mixture of fish sauce, soy sauce, and hoisin.

Another super popular sauce is Filipino banana ketchup. It has a sweet distinction from American ketchup. This homemade lumpia shanghai is SUPER addictive, you will not eat just one!

Storing and Reheating:

You do not need to fry all of them at once. Fry enough for one sitting.

The pre-rolled lumpia that you do not fry can be stored in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. You can freeze it for up to two months.

When you are ready to eat them, fry them straight from frozen. There is no need to thaw or defrost them. They are just as delicious as when you first rolled them!

FAQ:

What are Filipino lumpia wrappers made of?

Most lumpia wrappers are made with three simple ingredients: flour, cornstarch, and water,

Are lumpia wrappers the same as spring roll wrappers?

No they are not the same. Spring roll wrappers can be found in the Asian aisle at your grocery store, whereas lumpia wrappers are in the freezer section.

Spring roll wrappers are almost "plastic like" when they are dry. Once they are rehydrated in water, they become almost "skin like," and super pliable.

Both these wrappers are very delicate once they are in the wrapping form. So it is very important to handle them with care.

They are both different from egg roll wrappers as well!

What's the difference between lumpia and egg rolls?

Although both are spring rolls, they are different. Eggs rolls are actually American-inspired Chinese spring rolls. They are wrapped in a thick, crispy fried dough instead of the thin wrapper used to make lumpia.

More Asian Inspired Recipes to Try

• Copycat PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Quick and Easy Beef and Broccoli Recipe
• Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
• Easy and Delicious Vermicelli Bowls

Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook when you make this recipe! I would love to see your creation, and give you a shoutout!