Crispy Air Fryer Egg Rolls

A good egg roll is all contrast: a wrapper that shatters when you bite it, and a filling that is savory, juicy and still has a little crunch left in the cabbage. Deep frying gets you there, but it also gets you a pot of oil to cool, strain and store. These air fryer egg rolls get you the same golden, blistered wrapper with a spoonful of oil brushed on, and they cook in about ten minutes a batch.

They sit happily in our Air Fryer collection next to party food like our Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings — the kind of spread where everything comes out of the basket hot and crisp and nobody believes none of it was fried. Serve them as an appetizer with sweet chili sauce, or make a meal of them with fried rice and a cucumber salad.

Two habits decide whether egg rolls come out crisp or soggy. First, the filling must go into the wrappers cool and fairly dry — a wet, steaming filling softens the wrapper from the inside before it ever crisps. Second, the rolls need space in the basket and a full coat of oil on the wrapper, seam included. Get those two things right and the air fryer does the rest.

Cook the filling first, and cook it dry

Raw cabbage releases a surprising amount of water as it cooks, and inside a sealed wrapper that water has nowhere to go except into the wrapper itself. So the pork and vegetables are stir-fried first, the pan is left uncovered so the liquid cooks off, and the filling cools for at least ten minutes before wrapping. You want a filling that holds together in a spoon with no puddle underneath it. If yours still looks wet, tip it into a sieve for a few minutes — it is a small step that saves the whole batch.

Wrapping tight is what makes them shatter

A loose roll traps air pockets that expand and split the wrapper, and a gap at the seam lets the roll unravel in the basket. Keep the stack of wrappers under a barely damp towel so they stay pliable, brush the far corner with water, and roll firmly, tucking the sides in like a burrito. Place each finished roll seam-side down as you work. The water seal plus a snug roll is the whole trick — no egg wash needed.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (15 ml), for the filling, plus more for brushing
• 1 lb ground pork (450 g)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (about 9 g)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (6 g), finely grated
• 4 cups finely shredded green cabbage (280 g)
• 1 cup shredded carrots (110 g)
• 4 green onions (about 40 g), thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (30 ml)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (15 ml)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (5 ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 12 egg roll wrappers (about 340 g package)
• Sweet chili sauce or duck sauce, for serving

Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Stir-fry the pork. Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains and the edges are starting to brown, reaching 160°F (71°C).
2. Add the vegetables. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cabbage and carrots and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, uncovered, until the cabbage is wilted and any liquid in the pan has cooked off. Stir in the green onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and black pepper, then spread the filling on a plate to cool for at least 10 minutes.
3. Wrap the rolls. Lay a wrapper on the counter in a diamond shape. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of filling in a line across the lower third. Fold the bottom corner over the filling, fold in both side corners, brush the top corner with a little water, and roll up firmly and snugly. Set seam-side down and repeat with the remaining wrappers.
4. Preheat and load. Heat the air fryer to 390°F (199°C) for 3 minutes. Brush or spray the rolls all over with oil, including the seams, and arrange them in a single layer with space between them — work in two batches so air can circulate.
5. Air fry until crisp. Cook for 9 to 11 minutes, turning once halfway, until the wrappers are deep golden, blistered and crisp all over. Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce, while the wrappers are at their loudest.

Nutrition estimate

Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.

Storage & reheating

Egg rolls are at their best within minutes of cooking. Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator and re-crisp well in the air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncooked wrapped rolls freeze beautifully: freeze them in a single layer on a tray until solid, then bag for up to 2 months and air fry from frozen at 390°F (199°C) for 13 to 15 minutes, turning once. Cooked rolls can also be frozen, though the wrapper never quite regains its first-day shatter. Nutrition figures are estimates from standard ingredient data and vary with brands and substitutions.

Crispy Air Fryer Egg Rolls

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq, FryDaily editor · Published 19 October 2026

Shattering wrappers, savory pork-cabbage filling — takeout crunch, no deep fryer.

Yield: 12 egg rolls  ·  Scale: 1x2x3x

Prep20 minutes

Cook10 minutes

Total30 minutes

Servings12 egg rolls

Calories165 kcal

Save on PinterestCook Mode

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (15 ml), for the filling, plus more for brushing
• 1 lb ground pork (450 g)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (about 9 g)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (6 g), finely grated
• 4 cups finely shredded green cabbage (280 g)
• 1 cup shredded carrots (110 g)
• 4 green onions (about 40 g), thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (30 ml)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (15 ml)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (5 ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 12 egg roll wrappers (about 340 g package)
• Sweet chili sauce or duck sauce, for serving

Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.

Instructions

1. Stir-fry the pork. Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains and the edges are starting to brown, reaching 160°F (71°C).
2. Add the vegetables. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cabbage and carrots and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, uncovered, until the cabbage is wilted and any liquid in the pan has cooked off. Stir in the green onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and black pepper, then spread the filling on a plate to cool for at least 10 minutes.
3. Wrap the rolls. Lay a wrapper on the counter in a diamond shape. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of filling in a line across the lower third. Fold the bottom corner over the filling, fold in both side corners, brush the top corner with a little water, and roll up firmly and snugly. Set seam-side down and repeat with the remaining wrappers.
4. Preheat and load. Heat the air fryer to 390°F (199°C) for 3 minutes. Brush or spray the rolls all over with oil, including the seams, and arrange them in a single layer with space between them — work in two batches so air can circulate.
5. Air fry until crisp. Cook for 9 to 11 minutes, turning once halfway, until the wrappers are deep golden, blistered and crisp all over. Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce, while the wrappers are at their loudest.

Calories: 165 kcalProtein: 8 gCarbohydrates: 15 gFat: 8 gSaturated fat: 2.5 gSodium: 390 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 2 g

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq · FryDaily. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.

Frequently asked questions