Lumpia Shanghai, filled with ground chicken, water chestnuts, carrots, and green onions, is a hearty and tasty appetizer or main dish that will surely be a crowd-pleaser. Golden, crunchy, and in fun bite-size, these Filipino-style meat spring rolls are addictive!
Lumpiang Shanghai is one of my favorite make-ahead meals. Every other weekend, I roll up my sleeves and roll up a few dozen, along with siomai, longganisa, and kikiam, to freeze for when I am too busy or tired to spend more than thirty minutes in the kitchen.
With these food items already prepped in the freezer, a home-cooked dinner is just a matter of quick frying.
What is lumpia shanghai?
Lumpiang Shanghai is Filipino-style spring rolls made of ground pork, chicken, or beef filling wrapped in thin crepes called lumpia wrappers. The meat-stuffed wrappers are rolled into thin cylindrical shapes, cut into bite-size lengths, and deep-fried to golden perfection.
This recipe yields roughly five dozen 3-inch pieces depending on how thick you make the spring rolls. Although you can easily halve the amount, I suggest making the whole batch.
They're so tasty and addictive that you'd be hard-pressed to eat just one. Plus, they can be frozen for any time lumpia fix!
How to store
- Store in resealable bags and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, arrange the lumpia in a single layer with some space in between on a baking sheet. Wrap tightly with cling wrap and freeze for about 1 to 2 hours or until firm. This step will prevent them from sticking together. Transfer in resealable bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To fry, do not thaw. Heat about 2-inch deep of oil to 350 F and carefully add the rolls. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden, crispy, and fully cooked.
Helpful tips
- I like to use ground chicken with chopped water chestnuts, shredded carrots, green onions, and garlic for extra flavor and crunch. Feel free to substitute ground pork or beef and add minced shrimp if you like. You can also use jicama (singkamas), diced bell peppers, celery, onions, and raisins.
- Do a taste test! Fry a small amount of the meat mixture and adjust seasonings as needed before wrapping.
- Use fresh spring roll wrappers. Check manufacturing dates on packages, as the older the wrappers get, the less pliable and harder they are to roll.
- While rolling, cover the rest of the wrappers with a damp cloth to prove them from drying out.
- Do not overfill wrappers to ensure quick cooking. Roll the logs as tight as possible to prevent grease from seeping in.
- Lumpia are best deep-fried. Use enough frying oil to cover the rolls fully. Watch your temperatures! If too low, the lumpia will absorb more grease. If too high, the wrappers will burn before fully cooked.
- Cook in batches to prevent the oil from plummeting, and bring the oil back up to the optimal 350F to 375 F range before adding the next round. Skim the oil in between batches to remove any burnt bits.
- Do not drain on paper towels, or they'll get soggy with the steam. Drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet or in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to catch oil drips.
- If transporting them to a party, leave the container partially open to keep the lumpia crispy as long as possible.
How to serve
- Lumpia shanghai is a popular mainstay in Filipino gatherings and celebrations alongside pancit guisado, spaghetti, and other party fares. They're also commonly served as the main dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner with steamed or fried rice.
- The crispy spring rolls are traditionally enjoyed with dipping sauces such as sweet and sour, lechon sarsa, banana ketchup, and sweet chili.
More lumpia recipes
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken or pork
- ยฝ cup green onions, finely chopped
- 1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 20 pieces spring roll wrappers
- canola oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine ground chicken, green onions, water chestnuts, carrots, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and pepper until well distributed.
- Separate wrappers into individual sheets and lay on a flat working surface.
- Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of meat mixture on the lower end of the wrapper, closest to you.
- Fold the bottom of wrapper over filling and continue to roll tightly into a thin log about ยพ-inch thick. Wet the remaining edge of the wrapper with a dab of water to completely seal.
- Repeat with the remaining mixture. Using scissors, cut each lumpia roll into about 3-inch lengths.
- In a pan over medium heat, heat about 2-inch deep of oil. Add lumpia in batches and cook turning on sides as needed, for about 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp and meat is cooked through.ย
- Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove from the oil and drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Serve immediately with sweet and sour sauce or banana ketchup.
Notes
- Do a taste test! Fry a small amount of the meat mixture and adjust seasonings as needed before wrapping.
- Use fresh spring roll wrappers. Check manufacturing dates on packages, as the older the wrappers get, the less pliable and harder they are to roll.
- While rolling, cover the rest of the wrappers with a damp cloth to prove them from drying out.
- Do not overfill wrappers to ensure quick cooking. Roll the logs as tight as possible to prevent grease from seeping in.
- Lumpia are best deep-fried. Use enough frying oil to cover the rolls fully. Watch your temperatures! If too low, the lumpia will absorb more grease. If too high, the wrappers will burn before fully cooked.
- Cook in batches to prevent the oil from plummeting, and bring the oil back up to the optimal 350F to 375 F range before adding the next round. Skim the oil in between batches to remove any burnt bits.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Jeffrey says
Hi Leilani
Can i use bean sprout instead of chestnut?
Lalaine Manalo says
I use bean sprouts in vegetable lumpia but haven't tried it in this meat version. Let me know how it turns out.
Nora says
I would love to attempt these for our Christmas Eve appetizer party but Iโm so afraid that the filling would be raw...I can only get a hold of wonton wrappers. would those be adequate or will they be too thickโฆ Thus the Wrapper would turn brown and the filling would not be cooked properly....please advise thank you in advance
Lalaine Manalo says
I've tried wonton wrappers with raw filling before and it did cook well. Just make sure the oil is not too hot (350 F is a good temperature for frying) so the wonton doesn't burn before filling is sufficiently cooked.
Buster says
So easy and so good! I didn't use the water chestnuts, and my kids helped so making so many went quickly. I thought I made enough to freeze...but after I ate one, I knew I had to cook them all! I made 15 (cut into 45) and my family of 4 ate them all!!!
Lalaine Manalo says
Yay! I'm glad you had fun with the kids. Cooking is always a great activity to do with the family.
jill says
Hi! Love your recipes for Lumpia and Pancit - I was stationed in Hawaii for 8 years and fell in love with filipino food while I was there. I wanted to share that I got an air fryer for Christmas and I used that for my last batch of lumpia and it turned out fantastic! The wrappers were crispy airy golden brown. If you have access to one, I highly recommend trying it. I sprayed them very lightly with olive oil - but you'll have to experiment with the cooking time, based on the size of your lumpia. (I usually use the whole lumpia wrapper for each one - no dainty lumpia for us!) Love your recipes! As one person reviewed - they are addictive and once you taste them you'll crave them the rest of your life!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thanks for the tip! I received an air fryer for Christmas and I haven't used it yet. Will try it for next batch of lumpia ๐
Dianna says
What temperature would you use for air frying the lumpia and how long of a cook time? I have a new air fryer as well but haven't used it yet. Would you need to turn the lumpia halfway through cooking?
Lalaine Manalo says
I'm sorry, I haven't tried cooking lumpia in the air-fryer, and I don't want to give you the wrong information. I will try it soon and will update this post with additional instructions.
Betty says
Are the spring roll wrappers rice wrappers or are the made with wheat flour?
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, I believe they're made of flour.
Margot says
This is a great base for lumpia Shanghai! We made this tonight with some adjustments for what we had on hand and it came out very well. Thank you for sharing!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thanks for the 5-stars. I am glad you're able to make the recipe work according to your taste. Happy cooking!
Reva Cacho says
Do you use the whole wrapper? Won't it be too thick once it's all rolled up?
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, I use the whole wrapper. ๐
Connie Rosales says
You donโt use egg as part of the filling? I just noticed that itโs not part of the ingredients.
By the way, iโm a fan, been following your website for quite a while and I must say, my family enjoys all of the recipes i cooked from your site. More power!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you so much!
I don't add eggs because the filling is pretty compact when cooked even without the egg binder.
nill says
Sana may option kayo na METRIC ang sukat... di nmn pounds ang tinitinda sa palengke eh kundi KILO..
Di namn Ounce ang bentahan eh kundi ML.
Lalaine says
Hello Nill,
I live in the U.S. and we use customary units here. The recipe cards on the site have an option for you to convert the measurements to metric; just click it to make it easier for you.
Ivory says
Lol basa basa din kasi may option naman pala eh
Jane says
Bakit parang galit ka??? Libre na nga tinuturo nโya feeling utos utusan mo sโya? Paki ayos ang attitude at mag basa, mag Google ka kung D mo alam conversion.
P.s nasa U.S.A si ate so natural lang na yun gamit nโya sa pag sukat.
Deborah Patton says
Would it be ok to cook the meat halfway through, before putting them in the wrappers. To be certain
that it gets fully cooked through?
Lalaine says
Hello Deborah,
You can but don't won't be an authentic way to make these spring rolls. Just don't overstuff the wrappers and roll them really thin so the meat will cook fast and adequately.
De'Andrea S. says
Lalaine,
I am so glad I found your site! I am biracial (Black & Filipino) but my grandma doesn't cook as much since most of us are all grown. I struggle trying to connect to my Filipino side since I grew up being raised as Black. One of my 2018 resolutions is to learn as much about Filipino food & culture as I can as well as learn Tagalog. I'm excited to try different recipes from your site in my journey. Tonight I'll be doing this lumpia & the ube crinkle cookies ๐
Lalaine says
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the recipes!
Eileen says
Hello Lalaine,
Is it okay to freeze the lumpia rolls before frying? If it is, how long can I keep it in the freezer before it goes bad? I prefer to meal prep our food because I don't have a lot of time to cook everyday. Thank you!
Lalaine says
Hi Eileen,
Yes, you can freeze them. Use airtight containers to prevent freezer burn. They should keep well for up 3 months. No need to defrost, I like to fry them straight from the freezer as I find the wrapper gets soggy when you thaw them first. Just adjust your heat and cooking time as they will take longer to cook when frozen. Hope this helps.
janet says
Where can I find the wrappers?
Lalaine says
You can buy them at most Asian supermarkets in their freezer section ๐
Sonia Leyva says
Made this tonight for the family! Even ground my own chicken! Just fantastic!! Thanks for the recipe.
Lalaine says
Glad they enjoyed them ๐
Josephine says
Hi Lalaine. I was wondering if you updated this recipe? I was in the mood for lumpia and came to your page but The recipe I remember was for mini rolls (each sheet wrapped was cut into four pieces). Can you please tell me if the ingredients remain the same and only the wrapping/cooking method was different? Or maybe I went to the wrong site?
Lalaine says
Hello Josephine
The recipe is the exactly the same. I just changed the wrapping method in the instructions because I had a video. You can still roll the lumpia into very thin log and just cut into four. Enjoy!
Emily Grace Lim Guingona says
If we do this method, will you also fold the sides of the wrapper? If not, won't the filling come out?
Lalaine says
If you roll it without closing the sides, the meat mixture won't spill as it's raw (cook filling is what spills out most of the time) and it will "congeal" as it cooks.
mary says
yummmy...i must try this one out
Lalaine says
Enjoy!