Air Fryer Recipe
Spring rolls
Spring rolls are a much-loved East Asian treat, and they work brilliantly in the air fryer, turning crisp on the outside without needing lots of oil.
Ingredients
- Spring roll wrappers - 12 sheets
- 1 cup of shredded cabbage
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 100g bean sprouts
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for brushing
Method
- Prepare the Filling: Heat a touch of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until it smells fragrant. Add the cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts, stirring all the time until they have softened slightly. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Mix until the vegetables are evenly coated and cooked to a tender crunch. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
- Wrap the Rolls: Lay one spring roll wrapper on a clean surface in a diamond shape. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture near the bottom corner of the wrapper. Fold the bottom over the filling, tuck in the sides, then roll it up firmly. Dampen the top corner with water to seal the roll. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- Preheat the Air Fryer: Set your air fryer to 180°C (360°F) and leave it to preheat for about 3 minutes.
- Air Fry the Spring Rolls: Lightly brush each roll with vegetable oil and arrange them in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they are not touching. Air fry for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, turning halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve: When ready, lift out the spring rolls and let them cool slightly. Serve with your preferred dipping sauce.
Why this works in an air fryer
Pre-cooking drives moisture out of the vegetables so the wrappers do not steam from within. A thin oil coating improves heat transfer and browning, while the air fryer’s fast convection dries the wrapper surface, giving a crisp shell without deep-frying.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–5 litre basket holding 6 spring rolls with gaps; cook in batches if needed. In a single-drawer air fryer, place rolls around the hotter outer edge and turn halfway; in a dual-zone model, split evenly between drawers and check 1–2 minutes early as smaller loads brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Wrappers blister but stay pale by minute 10: the surface is too dry or under-oiled; brush with a very thin extra film of oil and cook 2–3 minutes more.
- Rolls split at the seam: the filling was too wet or the wrapper was overfilled; drain and cool the filling fully, then use less than 2 tablespoons and seal with water or a flour-water paste.
- Ends are crisp but the middle is soft: the rolls are touching or stacked; leave visible gaps so air can circulate and cook in another batch if necessary.
- Dark patches appear before the roll is crisp: the air fryer is running hot or the wrapper has exposed sesame oil/soy sauce on it; reduce to 170°C and wipe the basket of drips before continuing.
Variations & substitutions
- Add cooked prawns or shredded roast chicken to the cooled filling; because the protein is already cooked, keep the same air-fryer time and avoid overfilling.
- Use mushrooms in place of bean sprouts; fry them until their liquid has evaporated, otherwise the wrappers soften during cooking.
- Swap soy sauce for tamari to make the filling gluten-free, but check the spring roll wrappers too as many wheat-based wrappers are not gluten-free.
- Brush with rapeseed oil instead of vegetable oil for a neutral finish; avoid extra sesame oil on the outside as it can darken quickly in the air fryer.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooked spring rolls in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 4–6 minutes, turning once, until hot and crisp again.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
