Thai Egg Rolls (Crispy Spring Rolls)

Thai egg rolls, also known as Thai crispy spring rolls, are a classic and popular appetizer commonly found in Thai restaurants and along the streets of Thailand. These Thai eggrolls are so flavorful, even without any dipping sauce!

If you want a little extra zing in the dipping sauce, pair your Thai egg rolls with my Thai sweet chili sauce, peanut sauce or Tamarind sauce for a perfect dipping sauce.

Be sure to try my popular Vietnamese Spring roll recipe for a fresh, healthy version of this appetizer.

For more tasty Thai appetizers, check out Thai fish cakes, Gai Tod-Thai fried chicken wings, Thai shrimp cakes, Thai beef jerky, chicken wings with hoisin sauce.

Jump to:

• Why you'll love Thai Egg Rolls
• What are Thai Egg Rolls?
• Egg Rolls vs Spring Rolls
• Ingredients for Thai Egg Rolls
• Optional ingredients to add to your Thai egg rolls 
• How to Make Thai Egg Rolls
• Garnishing Options
• Helpful Kitchen Notes and Tips
• Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
• What to Serve with Thai Egg Rolls
• Variations
• Storing and Reheating
• Top Tip
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Thai Recipes You'll Love
• Thai Egg Rolls
• Thai Dipping Sauces You'll Love

Prepare your taste buds for a delectable journey with Thai Egg Rolls. These crispy delights will be a hit with your family and friends. 

Why you'll love Thai Egg Rolls

• Golden Crunch: Thai Egg Rolls are all about that satisfying crunch, offering a delightful contrast to the tender, flavorful filling.
• Versatile: Whether served as appetizers, a side dish, or even a main course, these rolls are a versatile addition to any meal.
• Homemade Goodness: Making eggrolls at home means you can customize the filling to your liking and enjoy the freshness of your kitchen.
• They are addictive! If I see eggrolls at parties, I know I was at the right place and will most likely set up a permanent seat near them. They never last long!
• Show stoppers! Thai Egg Rolls are sure to impress at gatherings and parties, making them an ideal classic appetizer for any occasion.

What are Thai Egg Rolls?

Thai Egg Rolls are a crispy, crunchy treat made by wrapping a flavorful mixture of fresh vegetables, protein (often ground pork or chicken), and glass noodles in spring roll wrappers. These rolls are then deep-fried to a perfect golden brown, resulting in a delightful contrast with the tender filling.

They are sometimes called Thai spring rolls, fried spring rolls, or crispy spring rolls. In Thailand, they are called Poh Peah Tod or Poh Pia Tod. Poh Peah refers to the crunching sound of the crispy wrappers breaking in your mouth as you bite into them. Tod means to fry or deep fried. 

Egg Rolls vs Spring Rolls

When it comes to egg rolls and fresh spring rolls, the main difference lies in the wrappers and cooking methods. Fresh spring rolls are made with delicate rice paper wrappers and are not fried. They are filled with fresh herbs and vegetables, giving them a light and refreshing taste.

On the other hand, egg rolls are made with crispy egg roll wrappers and typically contain ground meat, rice noodles, and various vegetables. They are deep-fried, resulting in a crunchy texture.

The best way for me to remember spring rolls from egg rolls is that "Spring" rolls are fresh and light, like Spring time. They are healthier appetizer options, too.

Egg rolls are typically deep-fried. The meat and vegetables must be cooked more for a tasty filling. The crispy fried Egg rolls are delicious and fun to enjoy as a finger food or appetizer.

Ingredients for Thai Egg Rolls

To create these scrumptious Thai crispy rolls, you'll need some ingredients to make this easy Thai egg roll recipe. 

• Eggroll wrappers. See notes for the correct type of wrappers used. 
• Garlic. The garlic will be cooked in oil to add flavor to my eggroll recipe. 
• Sweet onions. They will be sauteeing alongside the chopped garlic. These extra steps and flavors give my egg roll fillings a little edge. 
• Ground pork. Pork works best for eggrolls as the pork meat has just enough fat and sweetness. Ground chicken, turkey, or beef also work, but these proteins get slightly dry. 
• Green onions. (Spring onion). Chives work fine as a substitute, too. 
• Glass noodles (clear noodles). Read more about the different types of Thai noodles here. 
• Thin Soy sauce. Thai thin or light soy or mushroom soy sauce works great for this recipe. Find them at your local Asian market. If not, regular soy sauce at your grocery store will also work. Read about the different types of sauces for Thai cooking here.
• Fish sauce. This Thai salty sauce adds an umami flavor that is distinctively Thai! 
• Rice vinegar. It adds a touch of tanginess that adds a lovely balance to the flavors of the eggroll fillings.  
• Cilantro stems. Use cilantro roots if you have them (4 roots). This ingredient also sets Thai eggrolls apart from Chinese and Vietnamese eggrolls.  Read more about Thai herbs here.
• White pepper. This is what makes Thai eggrolls. Read more about the essential Thai spices here.
• Vegetable oil (for deep frying). Avocado, coconut, or canola oil works great for deep frying. Never use sesame oil or olive oil for deep frying.

Optional ingredients to add to your Thai egg rolls 

Play around, mix and match with your favorite ingredients, and see what you come up with!

Some popular options to add to your spring rolls are bean sprouts, wood ear, shitake, enoki, portobello mushrooms, chives, pea pods, kale (not Thai but for the vegetarian version), tofu, and other ground proteins of choice.

How to Make Thai Egg Rolls

Part 1. Preparing the Filling For Thai Egg Rolls

1. Soak the glass noodles in very warm water in a small bowl until they become soft. For best results, read package directions to double-check cooking instructions. Drain and cut them into manageable pieces. 

2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven like a wok, large skillet, or deep pan. Sautee garlic and onion until they are lightly golden brown and fragrant. 

3. Add ground pork and stir until it's half-cooked through. This is important as you don't want to cook your pork over, or your rolls will dry. 

4. Add the cabbage and carrot. It'll look like a coleslaw mix. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  

4. Add the noodles and mix in well. Cook for 1 more minute until the noodles are tender.

5. Add chopped green onions, cilantro. Cook for 1 minute until the herb are tender.

6. Add the sauces—season with soy, fish, oyster, and black pepper. Stir-fry until all ingredients are well combined and cooked. Remove from heat, place in a large bowl, and allow it to cool. 

Part 2. Wrapping the Egg Rolls

1. Set up your egg roll wrapping station. Having a station set up helps wrap egg rolls and helps them go by so much faster.  

2. Trim off the rough and straggly edges of the wrappers to help with ease when pulling the sheets apart. 

3. Place a spring roll wrapper on a flat surface. Use a cutting board, a large plate, or a cookie sheet. Wet all the edges slightly with water to soften the sheet.

4. Add a spoonful of the filling near one of the corners of the wrapper. I'm right-handed, so placing my filling in the far right corner is more natural. Pick your corner that makes that is most natural to you!

5. Fold the bottom corner edge over the filling. Then, fold the left and right corners over the filling to make them look like an envelope. See the image for reference.

6. Wet those edges slightly with the egg wash or tapioca flour to help them stay put. Use a brush or your fingers, whatever is easiest.

7. Roll the bottom of the envelope through to the wrapper's center and into the wrapper's top and last edge. Use enough pressure to make a tight roll, but not too much, or it will break apart. It's a balancing act! 

8. Wet that top corner edge with egg wash before completing your egg roll to glue it together. DONE! Now, let's finish the rest! (:

9. Place your wrapped egg rolls in a container and use damp paper towels or a kitchen towel to keep the egg rolls fresh before frying next. 

Part 3. Deep Frying to Perfection

1. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan on high heat, and once the oil is hot,  Carefully drop the eggrolls in and fry until they reach a beautiful golden brown color. About 2-3 minutes.

2. Fry your eggrolls in batches, and do not crowd your pan, or they will not cook properly. You may need to turn the heat down to medium for the last batch, as the oil will have gotten hot. 

3. A stainless steel skimmer or tong will lift them from the hot oil. Place them on a plate lined with paper towel to remove excess oil.

4. The last step and the best part! Prepare a delicious dipping sauce by mixing soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, and a hint of sweet chili sauce.

Serve your crispy Thai Egg Rolls with this delightful Thai sweet dipping sauce.

Thai egg rolls in the air fryer

1. Spray the air fryer basket lightly with cooking spray before placing them in to cook. Spray the eggrolls and cook at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Do not overcrowd the basket.

2. Give them space to cook. Check the eggrolls halfway through to make sure they are a nice golden brown color. Repeat with the rest of the eggrolls until all are gone. 

Garnishing Options

You don't need much for garnishing egg rolls! But if you want a beautiful presentation for your Thai Egg Rolls, add a few small pieces of fresh cilantro leaves, sliced cucumbers, red peppers for extra color, and veggie bites.

Helpful Kitchen Notes and Tips

• The correct type of wrapper used is important. They are different than the Spring roll wrappers. Eggroll wrappers are made from egg flour, while rice flour makes clear-looking wrappers for spring roll recipes. 
• Use a cornstarch mixture of water, cornstarch, or egg wash to help glue the eggrolls intact. Using 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 3 tablespoons of water will work.
• Enjoy any leftover noodles as an egg roll bowl recipe! It's a quick and simple recipe using leftover fillings! 
• When wrapping, work quickly to prevent the wrappers from becoming too soft.
• Experiment with the filling by adding vegetables or ingredients of your choice.

Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe

• Soup pot for deep frying the eggrolls.
• Dutch oven for the deep frying process.
• A storage glass container for storing uncooked egg rolls
• Stainless steel skimmer
• Tongs for grabbing hot egg rolls

What to Serve with Thai Egg Rolls

While Thai Egg Rolls are delightful, they pair wonderfully with Thai sweet chili dipping sauce, 5-minute satay sauce, or Thai tamarind sauce for dipping. 

Variations

• You can customize your Thai Egg Rolls using ground chicken, turkey, or beef instead of pork or adding your favorite vegetables.

• Use ground-up tofu instead of meat for a vegetarian version.

Storing and Reheating

• Although best enjoyed fresh, you can store any leftover Thai Egg Rolls in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat them in the oven to regain their crispiness.

• Using stir-fried noodle dishes for eggrolls is a great way to use your leftovers.  For example, make Pad Woon Sen, Pad Mee, or Pad Thai egg roll. Experiment and have fun! 

Top Tip

Be sure the oil is at the right temperature before frying to achieve the perfect golden brown color. Test a small piece of food in the hot oil first. If it sizzles, remove it, and the oil is ready. If not, wait until it does, then it's ready for frying your eggrolls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Thai Recipes You'll Love

• Vietnamese spring rolls.
• How to make tamarind paste
• Thai sweet chili sauce
• Prik Nam Pla
• Gai Tod, Thai fried chicken
• Thai fish cakes

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