Who needs greasy takeout with questionable ingredients when you’ve got these incredibly DELICIOUS air fryer egg rolls! Seriously, all the same flavor and crunch made in your own kitchen!
This is one of those air fryer recipes we like to make a big batch of and freeze…
They’re easy to reheat and serve alongside your favorite Asian recipes such and Hunan beef or Empress chicken (our family picks!). Although these egg rolls are so delicious and satiating, you can certainly eat them on their own for a meal.
Let’s dive in!
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What I Love About This Air Fryer Egg Rolls Recipe
So so so many reasons to love this air fryer egg rolls recipe. To name a few:
- They’re HOMEMADE egg rolls, which means you get to enjoy this scrumptious delicacy any time you’re craving it!
- Once you get this recipe down, you can get creative with the filling and work up any sort of egg rolls you’re craving! Breakfast egg rolls, ham and cheese egg rolls, you name it!
- I hate to constantly gush over my air fryer, but here I go again. Because air fryers are SO AMAZING! Your house won’t smell like a fast-food restaurant, they’re easy clean-up, and your food is significantly less greasy — without any compromise in the taste or texture!
- As I already mentioned, they’re really easy to make ahead. In fact, we have a few bags in the freezer to reheat as an app anytime we’re serving Chinese!
How To Make Egg Rolls
Thanks to our nifty air fryer (if you don’t have you, this recipe is the REASON you’ve been waiting for!) making these egg rolls is a super breeze! Here’s what you’ve got to do:
Make the filling. I do this a little differently than most recipes, as I like to make the veggies soft (keep the crunch for the shell!) and form a delicious sauce. To do this, we’ll saute the veggies, cook them in a broth, then carefully remove the excess liquid — this prevents the egg rolls from getting soggy.
Prep your rolling area. Grab a bowl of water (this will be the “glue” that keeps our air fryer egg rolls together), the filling, and a clean plate to place your egg rolls on.
Start rolling! Place the egg roll wrapper with a point facing you. Fill each wrapper with 2 tablespoons of filling in the center. Fold the corner closest to you over the filling, then brush water over the folded corner. Fold the sides in toward the center.
Brush the unrolled corner with water, and roll the egg roll, similar to a burrito. Make this as tight as possible! (See how to make egg roll photos below!)
Continue until you’ve done this for all your air fryer egg rolls.
Cooking the egg rolls. Thanks to our air fryer, this is the easy part!!
You’ll definitely want to spray your egg rolls with oil before tossing them in — some recipes say you can skip this part, but the egg roll wrapers have a dry/floury texture without it, so do it!
Place them on the air fryer tray in a single, non-touching layer and bake at 400F for 8 minutes.
Recipe Notes
A few additional notes, and you’ll be chowing down in no time:
Ingredient Notes
The ingredient list is standard for egg rolls, but there are a few things I should point out:
- Ground pork – this can be substituted for ground chicken or shrimp!
- Egg roll wrappers – do yourself a HUGE favor and buy a pack of these at the store. They’re usually in the fridge or ethnic foods section. NOTE: these are different than spring roll wrappers, as spring roll wrappers won’t fold around your ingredients.
Storing Tips
As with any fried food recipe, these are best served immediately after frying — and thanks to our nifty air fryer (have I told you how much I love mine yet?!) you can easily fry whatever you plan to eat right before you plan to eat it!
To do this, simply roll, store in the fridge, spray with cooking oil, and fry right before you plan to eat! It’s as simple as reheating your food in the microwave.
Can You Freeze These?
YES! And I suggest you do!
For best freezing results, you’ll want to roll them (PRO TIP: we like to make a double batch and turn it into a family activity to roll these together!) then freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet — this will prevent the egg rolls from sticking together.
After an hour, you can toss them together in a giant bag, remove as much air as possible, and place them in the freezer.
Next time you’re craving egg rolls, leave them in the fridge overnight to defrost, then fry in your air fryer!
Recipe Variations
Feeling creative? Here are a few ways to add some pizzazz to your air fryer egg rolls:
- Switch up the meat. As I mentioned above, these can easily be turned into a vegetarian feast with shrimp! Ground chicken is another great option
- Swap the veggies or add in your faves! Water chestnuts, mushrooms, bok choy. Whatever you’re craving, as long as you have removed the liquid before adding them in.
- Play around with spices. Want to add some heat? Stir in sriracha or red pepper flakes! Can’t get enough ginger? Double what is included below. The great news is, you can taste the filling before folding, so you can easily adjust to your taste.
Air Fryer Egg Rolls
Ingredients
Egg Rolls:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound pork ground
- 1/4 cup green onions thinly sliced, white part only
- 1/4 cup carrot shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup cabbage shredded
- 1 tablespoons sesame oil
- 20 egg roll wrappers
- oil to spray egg rolls before cooking
Sauce:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
Filling:
- Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Cook pork until no longer pink and cooked through. Break the meat into small pieces as you cook with the back of your spoon.
- Place cooked pork on a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan and return to medium heat.
- Add green onions and carrots, and cook until they begin to soften -- about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant -- about 2 more minutes.
- Add chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, and cabbage. Stir to combine. Bring contents of the pan to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes, or until the veggies have softened to your liking.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in the sesame oil and pork.
Cooking + Assembly:
- Grab a bowl of water and set it at the top of your rolling station.
- Lay an egg roll wraper down on a clean surface, with a point facing you.
- Add 2 tablespoons of filling to the center of each roll.
- Fold the corner closest to you over the filling, then dip your fingers in the bowl of water and brush the corner of the wrapper that's folded over the meat.
- Fold the side pieces in toward the center.
- Tightly roll toward the open corner. Brush the tip of that corner with water before closing the egg roll.
- Continue until you've used all the filling and wrappers.
- Spray the egg rolls with cooking spray and lay them on the provided tray of the air fryer in a single, non-touching layer.
- Air fry at 400 F for 8 minutes.
- Serve with the sauce, and enjoy!
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More Air Fryer Recipes
If you’re as in LOVE with your air fryer as I am, then you’re going to LOVE these recipes:
- Air fryer crab rangoon. Serve these with these egg rolls for an air fryer Chinese food party!
- Air fryer chicken. Just as good as traditional fried chicken, but a whole lot less greasy.
- Air fryer arancini. Breaded risotto balls stuff with cheese is always a good thing.
- Air fryer turkey burgers – Super tender, juicy, with a nice crispy crust.
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges – are crispy on the outside and tender and fluffy inside
- Air fryer chicken parmesan. And Italian classic made EASY with our beloved kitchen accessory.
- Air fryer coconut shrimp. Easy, peasy and DELICIOUS!
Conclusion
I hope you love this air fryer egg rolls recipe!
Let us know in the comments below what you think! Did you recruit the kids? Where they just as great as takeout? Enjoy!
What Air Fryer do you use? I have been looking for one and would love a recommendation if possible.
I make a lot of your recipes all the time and they have all been wonderful!
Thanks!
Hi Ester. To be honest, my husband impulsively bought one for me when while he was shopping at Costco. It’s a Gourmia 6-quart. It seems to work just fine and I like that it’s a 6 quart. 🙂