Light and crispy appetizer that is packed with flavors, these rice paper egg rolls made in the air fryer will provide you with a delightful combination of crunchy texture, and creamy and flavorful filling all in one bite.

A plate full of crispy golden brown egg rolls sprinkled with chopped green onion, and served with chili garlic sauce.

The rice paper was an ingredient that I grew up eating a lot in China. My family has always loved using rice paper to wrap fresh vegetables to make spring rolls. It was usually served with a garlic soy dipping sauce. It is the same sauce I used in this Chinese garlic eggplant recipe.

Since coming to America, I have discovered delicious egg rolls! They are similar to spring rolls but are dipped in eggs and fried to crispy.

So I decided to make my version of egg rolls in the air fryer. There is a reason rice paper is making its comeback with all the hype on social media lately. They are delicious, versatile, and easy to make.

A plate full of crispy golden brown egg rolls sprinkled with chopped green onion, and served with chili garlic sauce. There is a bite in one of them.

What Fillings Are the Best for Egg Rolls

When it comes to egg roll fillings, the possibilities are endless, ground pork, chopped-up shrimp, cabbage, vermicelli noodles, and anything that tickles your fancy.

For vegetarian options, you can do thin-sliced seared tofu and fresh vegetables.

The key is to find the right balance of texture and flavors that fits your taste preference.

I love having half vegetables and half meat/seafood, which results in the best combination of textures. You get the crunch from the veggies and the tender or creamy texture from the protein.

The fillings should not contain too much liquid. If it does, I recommend squeezing out as much liquid as possible before wrapping it in the rice paper. The extra liquid in the filling could make the crispy wrapper soggy or break.

A plate full of crispy golden brown egg rolls sprinkled with chopped green onion, and served with chili garlic sauce.

Why Use an Air Fryer for these Egg Rolls

Air Fryer is one of my favorite cooking methods. The hot air circulating around the food results in similar texture from deep frying but without an excess amount of oil.

The rice paper gets extra crispy and crunchy after 10 minutes in the air fryer while the filling gets cooked and stays moist.

If you love those golden brown crispy foods but don’t want all the oil that comes with it, check out more of my Air Fryer Recipes here.

How to Make Air Fryer Eggrolls

Step by step instruction for making air fryer rice paper egg rolls.
Dip the rice paper in luke warm water, and gently rotate it a few times until it becomes slightly soft.
Step by step instruction for making air fryer rice paper egg rolls.
Prepare the eggroll filling.
Step by step instruction for making air fryer rice paper egg rolls.
Place 1 – 2 tablespoon of filling in the middle of the rice paper.
Step by step instruction for making air fryer rice paper egg rolls.
Gently fold from each side. Make sure you are not folding it too tight.
Step by step instruction for making air fryer rice paper egg rolls.
Once done folding, make sure the last pieces sticks to the roll.

Make sure the surface where you place the rolls are slightly damp or greased in order to remove the rice paper rolls easily.

Step by step instruction for making air fryer rice paper egg rolls.
Step by step instruction for making air fryer rice paper egg rolls.
Beat 1 egg and brush the egg wash all around the rolls. You can also use oil.
Step by step instruction for making air fryer rice paper egg rolls.
Place the rolls in the air fryer without over crowding them.
Step by step instruction for making air fryer rice paper egg rolls.
Flip the rolls half way (I also like to remove the parchment paper at this step), making them more crispy.
Step by step instruction for making air fryer rice paper egg rolls.
Serve with Chili Garlic Sauce.

PArchment paper is optional. These eggrolls tend to stick to my air fryer basket. So I start cooking them with parchment paper then remove them half way to reduce the sticking.

Air frying without the parchment paper can get a better crispiness all around the egg rolls.

That Dipping Sauce Is Important

No egg roll is complete without a delicious dipping sauce.

No matter you like spicy, sweet, umami or tangy, a flavor-packed sauce will elevate this dish to a new level.

Here are a few of my favorite sauces that pair perfectly with these eggrolls.

  1. Honey Garlic Sauce: I like to add 1 – 2 teaspoon of chili crisp to the mix to bring up that heat level.
  2. Asian Peanut Sauce : The perfect creamy sweet and umami dip to go with the crunchy egg rolls.
  3. Sesame Ginger Dressing

Tips to Make the Perfect Air Fryer Egg Rolls

Don’t overfill the rolls which could make the rice paper burst during the cooking process.

Remove the liquid from the filling as much as possible. The extra moisture inside could also burst open the rice papers.

Don’t roll them too tight which could make the cooked rice paper become tough and harder to eat.

Soften the rice paper wrappers thoroughly: You may need to dip and rotate the rice paper in luke warm water several time until it starts to soften It will continue to soften once you place it on a board and start to work with it. However, if the rice paper is still slightly crunchy, it could break more easily during the rolling process.

Work with the softened rice paper gently: Once the rice paper is softened and wet, it becomes very sticky.

Serve immediately: They are the best to serve immediately out of the air fryer. The cooler they get, the thought the wrapper will become. To regain the crunch, you can heat it up in the air fryer for 3 – 4 minutes.

A plate full of crispy golden brown egg rolls sprinkled with chopped green onion, and served with chili garlic sauce.

Make Ahead or Reheat for your Next Party

These egg rolls can certainly be made ahead of time. And even to freeze in order to increase storage time. There are two methods you can use.

First, precook the egg rolls for half of the cook time. Then when you are ready to serve them, brush additional egg wash or oil on the outside and cook for another 6 – 8 minutes (depending on how crispy you want them to be)

The second method is to roll them up and wrap the individual egg rolls in a plastic wrap without cooking them. For best result, you can brush oil around the rolls before storing them. The rice paper is very sticky and can get stale very fast. So oil and plastic wrap is the best way to keep them fresh and ready to be air fried when you are ready.

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS

A plate full of crispy golden brown egg rolls sprinkled with chopped green onion, and served with chili garlic sauce.

Get the recipe:Rice Paper Egg Rolls {Air Fryer}

Yield: 2
Light and crispy appetizer that is packed with flavors, these Air Fryer rice paper egg rolls are easy to make and so delicious!
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Ingredients

  • 6 pieces ripe paper
  • 1/2 lb Ground Pork
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos, divided
  • 1/2 tsp salt to taste
  • 12 oz Coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage

Equipment

Instructions 

For the Filling:

  • In a pan, heat up 2 tbsp of cooking oil. Sautte the cabbage mix with 1/2 tsp of salt or to taste and 1 tbsp of coconut aminos until soft.
  • Mix the cooked veggies togehter with the ground pork.
  • Season with 2 tbsp of coconut aminos

Assembling the Egg Rolls

  • Dip the rice paper in luke warm water, and gently rotate it a few times until it becomes slightly soft.
  • Place 1 – 2 tablespoon of filling in the middle of the rice paper.
  • Gently fold from each side. Make sure you are not folding it too tight.
  • Once done folding, make sure the last pieces sticks to the roll.
  • Beat 1 egg and brush the egg wash all around the rolls. You can also use oil.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 400F
  • Place the rolls in the air fryer without over crowding them.
  • Cook for 12 minutes.
  • Flip the rolls half way (I also like to remove the parchment paper at this step), making them more crispy.
  • Serve immediately.

The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.

Author: Shuang Shuang Liang