This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Vegetarian Spring Rolls are stuffed with a variety of sautéed vegetables, wrapped in spring roll wrappers, and pan fried to get that unbelievably delicious crispiness on the outside. Ready in just 25 minutes! If you’ve ever wondered how to make crispy vegetarian spring rolls at home without deep frying, this method is simple, fast, and completely foolproof.
A few years ago we visited a friend who was opening a delivery-only Chinese restaurant called, of course, Secret Chinese Delivery, inspired by the beloved New York City Chinese food he grew up on. He let us sample a few dishes he was working on for the menu, including Vegetarian Spring Rolls stuffed with an unexpected secret ingredient: kale. The kids couldn’t get enough. I went home determined to make my own version, and this recipe has been in my regular rotation ever since!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Crispy without deep frying. Pan frying in coconut oil gives you that golden, crunchy exterior without the mess of a deep fryer. The coconut oil also adds a subtle flavor that takes these to the next level.
- Spring roll wrappers make it easy. No special equipment, no complicated dough. Spring roll wrappers are available in the refrigerated or freezer section of most grocery stores and Asian markets, and they’re much easier to work with than you’d expect.
- Packed with vegetables. With carrots, napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and scallions, these spring rolls are genuinely loaded! The secret ingredient is kale, which might surprise you. Want another recipe with a kid-friendly kale addition? Try my Pizza Quesadillas.
- Kid approved. There is something about a crispy, handheld, dippable finger food that kids cannot resist. These disappear fast at my house.
- Versatile. Serve them as an appetizer, a side dish, or a snack. They work equally well for a weeknight dinner or a party spread.
The Ingredients
- Spring roll wrappers: Find these in the refrigerated or freezer section of most grocery stores or Asian markets — sometimes labeled as egg roll wrappers. Just don’t use wonton wrappers, which are too small.
- Mushrooms, cabbage, and carrots: Shiitake mushrooms add a savory, meaty depth, while napa cabbage and grated carrots bring crunch, sweetness, and balance. Regular mushrooms or green cabbage work if needed.
- Kale: The surprise ingredient. It wilts down a lot as it cooks, so don’t be alarmed by the volume. Just chop it small and it blends right in.
- Ginger and garlic: Non-negotiable. This is what gives the filling that classic spring roll flavor.
- Soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil: A simple sauce that ties everything together. Savory, bright, and slightly nutty.
- Coconut oil: Used for both sautéing and pan frying, it adds a subtle flavor and helps get that golden, crispy exterior. Any neutral oil will work in its place though.
Step by Step Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, grated carrots, and diced mushrooms and sauté for another 3 minutes.
- Add the greens. Add the napa cabbage, kale, scallions, and salt and sauté for an additional 3 minutes until everything is wilted and cooked through.
- Add the sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Pour it into the skillet and stir to coat the vegetables well. Remove from heat and allow the filling to cool slightly before rolling.
- Roll the spring rolls. Place one spring roll wrapper on a flat surface with a corner facing you so it makes a diamond shape. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in a line across the middle of the wrapper. Fold the left and right corners in toward the center over the filling, then fold the bottom corner up over the filling. Brush a little water on the top corner, then roll up from the bottom to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
- Pan fry. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in the skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, place the spring rolls seam side down in the pan with enough room to turn them. Cook for 2 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown all over — each spring roll will take about 7 to 10 minutes total. Don’t crowd the pan or they’ll steam instead of crisp.
- Serve. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain briefly, then serve warm with your dipping sauce of choice.
Variations and Cooking Methods
Air fryer vegetarian spring rolls: Place spring rolls in the air fryer basket, spray both sides with cooking spray, and cook at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes until golden and crispy.
Baked vegetarian spring rolls: Preheat oven to 425°F. Place spring rolls on a rack over a foil-lined baking sheet, spray with cooking spray, and bake for 25 minutes until crispy.
Make the filling ahead: Prepare the filling up to a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Roll and cook just before serving for the best texture. To reheat, use the air fryer at 375°F for 3 to 4 minutes.
Swap the vegetables: This recipe is very flexible. Try adding bean sprouts, shredded zucchini, thinly sliced bell peppers, or baby bok choy.
Change the oil: If you don’t have coconut oil, use vegetable or canola oil. Any neutral, high-heat oil will still give you crispy results.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overfill the wrappers. Two tablespoons of filling per wrapper is the sweet spot. Overfilling makes them difficult to seal and increases the chances they’ll burst while cooking.
- Keep the filling dry. Let the filling cool slightly and release excess moisture before rolling. Too much moisture will lead to soggy spring rolls instead of crispy ones.
- Seal them well. Use a little water to seal the edges and press firmly to close every seam. This helps them stay intact while frying.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Cook in batches with space between each spring roll so they crisp up properly instead of steaming.
- Use a wire rack after cooking. Place cooked spring rolls on a wire rack instead of stacking them on a plate. This keeps air circulating and prevents sogginess.
What to Serve With
Dipping sauce: These are great with a store-bought sweet chili sauce or soy-ginger dipping sauce. If you want to make your own, the homemade sweet and sour sauce from my Coconut Baked Shrimp recipe is a perfect match.
As part of a bigger spread: These pair beautifully alongside my Stir Fried Chicken in Lettuce Cups or Asian Garlic Shrimp for an easy Asian-inspired dinner.
For something different: Try my Asian Slaw Spring Rolls for a fresh, no-cook take on spring rolls — a great contrast to these crispy pan-fried ones.
FAQs
Look for them in the refrigerated or freezer section of most grocery stores, Asian markets, or online. They’re sometimes labeled as egg roll wrappers. Those work just as well.
Yes. Freeze them uncooked on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook from frozen in the air fryer at 400°F for 12 to 14 minutes. You can also pan fry over medium heat, just adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Place them on a wire rack rather than a plate so air circulates underneath. Avoid stacking or covering them. Trapped steam will make them soggy.
Spring rolls can turn soggy if the filling is too wet, the pan is overcrowded, or they’re placed on a plate instead of a rack after cooking. Make sure the filling is dry, cook in batches, and let them rest on a wire rack to keep them crispy.
More Easy Asian-Inspired Recipes
Whether you’re making these for a weeknight dinner, a party appetizer, or an after-school snack, these Crispy Vegetarian Spring Rolls are the kind of recipe that looks impressive but is surprisingly simple to pull together.
That golden, crispy exterior with a flavorful veggie-packed filling is hard to beat, and once you make them at home, takeout just won’t compare! If you try them, leave a rating and comment below. I love hearing how they turn out in your kitchen!
Want more Weelicious? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for all the newest recipes!
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Vegetarian Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 large carrots, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 6 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and diced
- 1 cup thinly sliced kale
- 1 cup thinly sliced Napa cabbage
- 1 scallion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 14-15 spring roll wrappers
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic, ginger, carrots, and mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the cabbage, kale, scallions, and salt and cook for another 3 minutes, until the vegetables are wilted and tender.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Pour the sauce into the skillet and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Remove from heat and let the filling cool slightly.
- Place a spring roll wrapper on a flat surface with a corner facing you, forming a diamond shape. Add about 2 tablespoons of the filling in a line across the center.
- Fold the left and right corners over the filling, then fold the bottom corner up and roll tightly like a burrito. Brush a little water on the top corner to seal.
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium heat.
- Working in batches, add the spring rolls seam side down, leaving space between each one. Cook for 2 to 5 minutes per side, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy all over. Each spring roll will take about 7 to 10 minutes total.
Video
Notes
- Don’t overfill. About 2 tablespoons of filling per wrapper is ideal. Overfilling can cause the spring rolls to burst while cooking.
- Keep the filling dry. Let the filling cool slightly before rolling and avoid excess moisture. This is key for crispy spring rolls.
- Seal well. Use a little water to seal the edges and press firmly so they stay closed while frying.
- Cook in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan or the spring rolls will steam instead of crisp.
- For the best texture, place cooked spring rolls on a wire rack instead of a plate to keep them crispy.
- Coconut oil adds great flavor, but any neutral high-heat oil will work.
- Air fryer option. Cook at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy.
- Freezer tip. Freeze uncooked spring rolls, then cook from frozen in the air fryer at 400°F for 12 to 14 minutes or pan fry with a few extra minutes added.
These were amazing that my picky teenage boys even loved. I used regular mushrooms because that’s what I had. I wasn’t going to use the Kale but I decided to try it. I chopped it up very small in my electric chopper and I loved it as well as the nutrients. I used a purple cabbage which made it look pretty. And I used 2 green onions for the scallion. I also used regular salt. For the boys I lightly cooked up some pork tenderloin that I had and added that to the mixture just before forming the egg rolls. I added a lot more than 2 Tablespoons because this was our main meal. The coconut oil added a great flavor and worked great. I served it with 2 sauces. A bottled sweet chili sauce you can get at any grocery store as well as an easy dumpling dipping sauce I found on allrecipes.com . I can’t wait to make this again.
Glad to hear you liked them!
These were really good. I fried them. Gonna try them in a convection/induction cooker too :). Thanks for recipe.
excellent, will make again! I added shrimp to mine
These look good. What dipping sauce do you use?
It is a very good recipe. Is anyone try coconut oil in Sushi?
Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, but liquid when heated. It shouldn’t be used above medium heat as it has a low melting point. It’s one of my favorite ingredients!
Made these tonight…yummy! Tried both frying and baking….frying turned out better. I’m not a mushroom fan so I substituted with edamame and it worked great. I just dipped in a bit of tamari but I think they’re even good alone! Question, has anyone tried freezing these?
These sound delicious. What kind of sauce are you dipping in? Thanks!
OMG. I’m too excited!
These look delish! Can’t wait to try them. Is coconut oil a liquid? Or a paste? The only ones I’ve seen come in a jar and are similar to PB consistency.
These look Delish!!! Can you suggest a substitute for the mushrooms or do you think they would be fine without them? My husband does not like them but I do lol! But if he knew they were in there he would not eat them!!
Thanks!
Yummy! Thank you.