Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Filling
- 500 g ground pork, 80% lean, 20% fat preferred
- 100 g carrots, finely minced
- 100 g water chestnuts, drained and finely minced
- 1 yellow onion, finely minced
- 4 garlic, minced
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 5 ml sesame oil, toasted
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Assembly & Frying
- 40 spring roll wrappers, thawed if frozen, 15cm x 15cm size
- 30 ml water, for sealing wrappers
- 1000 ml neutral oil, for deep frying
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 57 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 140 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 14 mg
- Potassium
- 76 mg
- Calcium
- 8 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 6 mg
- Phosphorus
- 34 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 23 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.9 mg
- Folate
- 7 mcg
- Water
- 19 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the ground pork, minced carrots, water chestnuts, onion, garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, beaten egg, salt, and pepper. Mix vigorously until the filling becomes slightly tacky and cohesive.
Carefully separate the spring roll wrappers. Keep them covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out and cracking during assembly.
Place one wrapper on a clean work surface in a diamond orientation. Spoon about 15g of filling in a thin log shape across the bottom third of the wrapper, leaving a small border on the edges.
Fold the bottom point over the filling, tucking it tightly. Fold the left and right points toward the center, then roll upward tightly into a thin cigar shape. Lightly dab the top point with water to seal.
Heat the neutral oil in a wok or deep frying pan until it reaches 175C (350F). Ensure there is at least 5cm of oil depth.
Carefully lower the rolled lumpia into the hot oil in batches of 6-8, avoiding overcrowding. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until perfectly golden brown and the internal temperature of the pork reaches 74C (165F).
Remove the fried lumpia using a spider skimmer and transfer them to a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet to drain. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Wrapper selection is absolutely critical. Do not use thicker egg roll wrappers. Seek out thin, wheat-based spring roll wrappers (TYJ Spring Roll Pastry is a reliable standard brand) typically found frozen in Asian grocers.
- A food processor is a massive time-saver for the vegetables, but avoid turning them to mush. You want a very fine, uniform mince so they melt into the pork paste without creating sharp edges that might tear the wrapper.
- For the crispiest results, fry the lumpia straight from the freezer. Making a large batch and freezing the uncooked, assembled rolls is highly recommended for easy entertaining.
- Serve immediately with a traditional dipping sauce like sweet chili sauce, spiced vinegar (sinamak), or a homemade sweet and sour sauce to cut the richness of the pork.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store fried rolls in an airtight container lined with paper towels.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze uncooked rolls in a single layer before transferring to a bag. Fry directly from frozen, adding 2 minutes to cook time.
Reheating: Reheat fried rolls in an air fryer at 180C or oven at 200C for 5-7 minutes. Do not microwave.
Troubleshooting
Lumpia wrappers are soggy and greasy
Cause: Frying oil temperature dropped too low, or rolls were drained on flat paper towels trapping steam
Fix: Re-crisp in an air fryer or oven at 200C for 3-5 minutes
Prevention: Fry in smaller batches, check oil temp between batches, and drain on an elevated wire rack
Wrappers are burning but pork filling is raw inside
Cause: Oil temperature is too hot, or rolls are rolled too thickly
Fix: Remove from oil and finish cooking in a 180C oven until internal temp reaches 74C
Prevention: Maintain oil strictly at 175C and keep filling logs to roughly 1.5cm in diameter
Rolls burst open while frying
Cause: Rolled too loosely leaving air pockets, or wrapper was not sealed properly with water
Fix: Cannot be fixed once burst, scoop out loose filling from oil to prevent burning
Prevention: Tuck the wrapper very tightly under the filling log on the first fold to eliminate all air
Cultural Context
Lumpiang Shanghai traces its deep culinary roots to early Chinese immigrants in the Philippines (hence the name referencing the Chinese city). Over generations, it has been fully embraced and adapted into a distinctly Filipino staple. Today, it is arguably the most essential dish at any Filipino gathering, fiesta, or birthday celebration, usually the first item to vanish from the buffet table.
