Go Back
–+ servings
Top-down, overhead view of homemade air fryer egg rolls on a plate lined with parchment paper next to a small bowl of soy sauce.

Air Fryer Egg Rolls (Homemade or Frozen)

The absolute best and easiest way to get crispy, perfect egg rolls without deep-frying. Includes a cooking method for frozen egg rolls and an easy recipe for homemade egg rolls.
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Yield:6 homemade egg rolls

Equipment

  • Large skillet or wok, for homemade egg rolls
  • stovetop for homemade egg rolls
  • large silicone spatula for homemade egg rolls
  • clean, flat surface for homemade egg rolls
  • water for homemade egg rolls
  • Small bowl for homemade egg rolls
  • air fryer
  • neutral spray oil must be safe for air fryers
  • Tongs

Ingredients

For the Homemade Egg Rolls

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • ½ cup sliced green onions
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • ½ pound ground pork
  • salt to taste
  • freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup coleslaw mix shredded cabbage and shredded carrots
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon sriracha more or less to taste
  • 6 egg roll wrappers

For the Frozen Egg Rolls

  • 4-8 frozen egg rolls any brand, any variety

Instructions

For the Homemade Egg Rolls

  • Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to large skillet and place skillet on stovetop over medium heat. Heat pan until sesame oil is hot and shimmery, swirling and tilting skillet occasionally to distribute oil across entire surface.
  • When oil is hot, add ½ cup sliced green onions and 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger. Stir to incorporate ingredients into oil, then sauté green onions and ginger 2 to 3 minutes or until ginger is fragrant and green onions have softened.
    Green onions, grated fresh ginger, and sesame oil in a large skillet.
  • Add ½ pound ground pork, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to skillet. Stir to incorporate, breaking ground pork into smaller pieces. Cook pork 5 to 7 minutes, stirring and breaking up pork frequently, until meat is crumbled and no longer pink.
    Ground pork, green onions, and ginger in a large skillet.
  • Add 1 cup coleslaw mix, 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, and ½ tablespoon sriracha to pork mixture. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly to fully combine ingredients, until cabbage is tender-crisp.
    Prepared pork mixture for homemade egg rolls in a large skillet.
  • Remove skillet from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Preheat air fryer to 350° Fahrenheit.
  • While filling cools and air fryer preheats, place 6 egg roll wrappers on clean, flat work surface. Position wrappers with space between each, rotating wrappers so corner (not flat edge) faces you.
  • Scoop ¼ cup pork filling mixture onto center of each egg roll wrapper.
  • Lift bottom corner of egg roll wrapper and gently fold wrapper toward center, covering pork filling. Repeat with remaining egg rolls.
  • Lift left corner of egg roll wrapper and gently fold wrapper in toward center, covering pork filling. Repeat with remaining egg rolls.
  • Lift right corner of egg roll wrapper and gently fold wrapper in toward center, covering pork filling. Repeat with remaining egg rolls.
  • Dip 1 to 2 fingertips into small bowl of water, just enough that fingertips are very lightly wet. Gently and quickly run fingertips around unfolded edges of egg roll wrapper, moistening wrapper slightly to help secure egg roll. Wet fingertips again as needed, being careful not to use too much water or wrapper will fall apart.
  • Starting at bottom edge of egg roll and working quickly and carefully, tightly roll egg roll toward top corner of wrapper, making sure filling mixture is fully enclosed. Set egg roll aside seam-side down to hold closed. Repeat with remaining egg rolls.
    Fully wrapped, but not yet air fried, pork egg rolls in a large white plate.
  • Remove basket from preheated air fryer and lightly spray basket with neutral cooking spray. Place egg rolls in air fryer basket seam-side down, working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding basket. Egg rolls should not touch or be stacked.
  • Lightly spray tops of egg rolls with neutral cooking spray. Return basket to air fryer and air fry egg rolls 5 minutes.
  • Carefully remove basket and use tongs to flip each egg roll over. Return basket to air fryer and air fry egg rolls 3 to 5 minutes more, or until egg rolls are as browned and crispy as desired.
    Six homemade pork egg rolls placed horizontally in two columns in a black air fryer basket.
  • Carefully remove basket and transfer egg rolls to serving plate. Repeat cooking process with any remaining egg rolls, making sure to lightly spray basket again between each batch.
  • Once all egg rolls have been air fried, serve egg rolls warm with soy sauce, duck sauce, sweet chili sauce, or other dipping sauce of choice.

For the Frozen Egg Rolls

  • Preheat air fryer to 350° Fahrenheit. Once air fryer is preheated, remove basket and lightly coat basket with neutral cooking spray.
  • Place 4-8 frozen egg rolls in air fryer basket in one even layer, working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding. Egg rolls should not touch or be stacked. Lightly spray tops of frozen egg rolls with neutral cooking spray.
    Three frozen egg rolls in a black air fryer basket.
  • Return basket to air fryer. Air fry frozen egg rolls 5 minutes, then carefully remove air fryer basket and flip egg rolls over.
  • Return basket to air fryer. Air fry frozen egg rolls 5 to 6 minutes more, or until egg rolls are warmed through and as crispy as desired.
  • Carefully remove basket and transfer egg rolls to serving plate. Repeat cooking process with any remaining egg rolls, making sure to lightly spray basket again between each batch.
  • Once all egg rolls have been air fried, serve egg rolls warm with soy sauce, duck sauce, sweet chili sauce, or other dipping sauce of choice.

Notes

  • Cooking Spray: Make sure to use a neutral-flavored spray oil that's safe for air fryers! Aerosolized cooking sprays can damage the coating of the air fryer basket.
  • Sriracha: Sriracha is really mild, so I don't recommend reducing the amount in the filling. It's needed for flavor and moisture! Sriracha comes in at 1,000 to 2,500 Scoville heat units; to compare, jalapeños can be anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU, and poblano peppers are 1,000 to 2,000 SHU. If you can handle poblanos or jalapeños, you should be fine with the small amount of sriracha in this recipe.
  • Wetting the Egg Roll Wrappers: Feel free to use a small brush (like a clean detail paint brush or a really small/skinny pastry brush) instead of your fingertips to wet the egg roll wrappers. Just be really careful not to use too much water on them or the wrappers can fall apart.
  • Frozen Egg Rolls: You do not need to defrost the frozen egg rolls first! You can take them straight out of the freezer and put them straight into the preheated air fryer.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1homemade egg roll | Calories: 185cal | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 175mg | Total Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Net Carbs: 13g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
Recipe By:Cheryl Malik