Air Fryer Egg Rolls give you a nice, tasty, crispy wrap without all the oil from pan frying.
I like making my own egg rolls for a number of reasons. They are a great way to get in a serving of vegetables. They are very flexible about what ingredients to use. Anything crunchy is a good bet - cabbage, bean sprouts, celery, peppers, green onions.
They are a great way to use up a bit of leftover pork or chicken or shrimp. No left over meat? No problem ! You don't have to include meat and you probably won't miss it!
Air fryer egg rolls are perfectly suited to the hot, high temperature. I used to pan fry them in a ½ of oil in a pan before. They were ... ahem...rather saturated in oil by the time you get that crispy, bubbly crust. Now... a tablespoon or so of oil to brush the wrappers is all you need!
This recipe is based on a Pampered Chef Air Fryer with 2 trays. You may need to tweak the time or temperature for your machine. Use your judgment -the filling is already all cooked so you are looking for the crispy bubbly wrapper on all sides. By the time the wrapper is at the stage you want it the filling will be piping hot!
How To Store Air Fryer Egg Rolls
Refrigerator
You can prepare the egg rolls earlier in the day and refrigerate until ready to cook. Do not brush the wrapper with oil until you are ready to cook. Refrigerate them in a single layer and make sure there is no moisture on your tray. Any moisture will soften the wrapper and possibly make it leak or tear.
You can store leftovers in the fridge for a day or two. They are actually rather sturdy once they are cooked. They reheat rather nicely if warmed gently in the microwave or a low oven. I used to take some in my lunch and microwave gently to reheat at the office.
Freezer
Egg rolls freeze well and reheat nicely so you can make a big batch ahead and have them on hand when you need them. You can brush the wrapper with the sesame oil if you freeze immediately. Don't let them sit around once oiled or the wrapper will soften and tear.
Freeze any you want to store individually on a platter. Make sure there is no moisture on the platter or the dough will soften and tear. Once they are frozen transfer the rolls to a freezer container or bag and pull out the number you need when ready. Rule of thumb is 3 months freezer storage.
Quantity
The recipe as written makes about 1 ⅔ cups of filling, which will make about 8-9 egg rolls.
If you have ever bought egg roll wrappers before you know there are way more than 9 wrappers in a package. So you might want to consider doubling the filling or mixing up another one with different meat and/or vegetables for variety. See above for storage guidelines if you make an extra batch.
If you are planning to make an entire Chinese Food meal at home you may interested in:
Lemon Chicken Garlic Bok Choy Stir Fried Rice Garlic Steamed Broccoli Spicy Black Pepper Beef Clay Pork
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1" fresh ginger grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 green onions chopped finely
- 1 medium carrot grated
- ½ sweet red pepper minced
- 1 cup Napa cabbage shredded
- 2 cups bean sprouts rinsed
- 5 oz cooked pork ground or shredded (optional)
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon soya sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 Tbsps sesame oil divided 1 + 1
- 9-12 egg roll wrappers no. will depend on final egg rool size
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute.
- Add green onions, carrot and red pepper. Sauté about 2 minutes.
- Combine the broth, soy sauce and sugar in a cup. Add the cabbage, bean sprouts and the broth mixture to the skillet. Cook about 5 minutes until vegetables have softened and wilted. Continue to simmer until excess liquid has evaporated.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and the cooked pork. Stir to mix and remove from heat.
- Lay out the egg roll wrappers on a work surface. Start with a pointed corner facing you. Wet your fingers in water and wet the perimeter of the wrapper. Add about 3-4 Tbsps of the filling mixture, in a log shape, horizontally across the corner nearest you. You may need to set the filling slightly toward the center so it doesn't pass the outer edge of the wrapper. See Note 1.
- Start with the corner nearest you and roll the wrapper away from you. Press the filling to condense it into a fairly firm log shape. After the first quarter roll tuck the two side corners into the center. Continue rolling so the side ends are close up and secured by the rest of the egg roll. The wet edge will make the wrapper hold together as rolled. Lay egg rolls out on a dry surface until they are all wrapped. You will get somewhere around 9 egg rolls depending on how much filling you use for each.
- When ready to cook- preheat air fryer if your machine requires. Brush egg rolls with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Don't let them touch each other once you have brushed the oil or the wrapper may soften and tear. Distribute egg rolls over 2 trays in a single layer. On Roast setting (375°) book about 8 minutes. At halfway point switch the top and bottom trays and turn egg rolls over. The wrapper should be well browned and have bubbled up. Use your judgement to add time as required based on your machine's performance.
- Serve with plum sauce or your favourite dipping sauce.
- You can brush wrapped egg rolls with oil and freeze immediately, individually. To cook from frozen Roast at 375 ° about 10 minutes per side, switching trays and turning them over at the halfway mark. Wrapper should be well browned and bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: My Air fryer is a Pampered Chef one and I absolutely love it! I have not tried others but based on my research the Pampered Chef with its 2 tray and cube configuration is more versatile than others. You can actually do a 2-3 lb rotisserie chicken in it! it toasts, roasts, bakes, reheats, dehydrates besides air frying. No folks... this is not a sponsored post - I am just sharing my enthusiasm! If you are in Kitchener -Waterloo Ontario, Canada region you can check out Pampered Chef products here https://www.pamperedchef.ca/pws/karenlair or contact a local Pampered Chef rep at cookingwithkarenlair@gmail.com.
Leave a Reply