Crispy Rice Paper Spring Rolls

Lots of spring rolls placed on top of each other like a pyramid. The top one is cut in half so you can see inside the purple cabbage bits and some carrot and bell pepper pieces.

Crispy Rice Paper Spring Rolls

These rice paper spring rolls are the best Chinese spring rolls using rice paper instead of classic spring roll wrappers. These crispy, savory rolls have a colorful, pre-cooked veggie filling (with julienne carrots, purple cabbage, scallion, and bean sprouts) as well as marinated shredded tofu.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Indian, Nut-free, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword rice paper spring rolls, vegan spring rolls

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Baking time 10

Total Time 40

Servings rolls

Calories 144kcal

Author Emese Maczko

Equipment

Ingredients

8 Rice paper sheets -> guide to all types

Spring Roll Filling

1 Tbsp Sesame oil
1 cup Cabbage shredded
1 Scallion
½ Carrot
½ Bell Pepper
2 Tbsp Sprouts
1 Tbsp Soy sauce or tamari

Shredded Hoisin Tofu

1 Tbsp Sesame oil
1+½ cup Firm tofu shredded
1 Tbsp Soy sauce or tamari
2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

Wash, peel, and shred carrots using a grater or cut them in julienne-style with a knife. Julienne means thin matchsticks, so cut them as thin as you can.
Wash and cut scallion and bell pepper in julienne-style with a knife.
Take the outer leaves of the red cabbage. Shred them using a grater with large holes or cut them into shreds with a knife.
Wash bean sprouts if you bought them unwashed.

Pre-cook the veggie filling

Take a frying pan or a skillet and heat it over medium heat. Add sesame oil.
Add all cut veggies (scallion, carrot, bell pepper, and red cabbage). Stir and cook them for 1-2 minutes.
Add bean sprouts and soy sauce. Stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
The filling is ready when the veggies have softened, but they are still a bit crunchy. You don’t want them too soft and mushy.

Making shredded hoisin tofu

Use a firm tofu and press it. We use our trusted TofuBud, but you can choose any DIY method or tofu press. Pet it dry with a paper towel.
Use a grater with large holes and grate the firm tofu. (We used ⅓ of a tofu block to make 8 spring rolls.)
Take a frying pan or a skillet and heat it over medium heat. Add sesame oil.
Add shredded tofu and soy sauce. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add hoisin sauce. Stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the tofu gets dark brown.

Rolling rice paper rolls

Gently submerge the rice paper. (See NOTES on how to know the duration.)
Once submerged, transfer it to a dry and smooth surface.
I place the filling in the middle around the lower third of the rice paper. If you have standard-size rice paper (approx. 20-22 cm /8-9 inches), you can fit 2-3 Tbsp of filling, which would make an approx. 10 cm (4-inch) long spring roll.
First fold the sides gently but tight towards the middle.
Take the bottom seam and fold it upwards gently, but tight.
Use your fingers to tuck the filling tight within the rice paper before rolling it up.
Roll it all the way up, but use your fingers to keep the filling tucked tightly.
Place your finished spring roll on a parchment paper with the closing seam on the bottom.

Baking, deep-frying, or air frying

Preheat the oven to 395 Fahrenheit (ca. 202 °C). Place the rolls on a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Spray it with a bit of oil. Don’t brush them, as you might end up adding too much. Bake them for 10-15 minutes. The rice paper will not change color, so don’t wait for them to be golden brown. I usually flip them after 10 minutes to ensure they are crispy all around.
We recommend placing the finished spring rolls in the fridge to eliminate any moisture. Make sure they don’t touch, and cover them with a saran wrap. Deep fry in enough oil for a couple of minutes until crispy.
Spray a bit of oil on the bottom of the air fryer. Air fry them at 380 Fahrenheit for approx 10 minutes. Check at the 10-minute mark.

Video

Notes

Use dry hands → Make sure to dry your hands before handling rice paper wrappers to avoid them sticking together. Wet hands can activate the rice papers.
Damp towel or submerging in water? → The method of softening rice paper depends on its tapioca starch content. Check packaging for ratio of tapioca and rice flour, use a damp towel for high tapioca content and submerge in water for high rice flour content.
How long to submerge rice papers wrappers? → Submerging time varies by type. Typically, you will need 7-8 seconds for wrappers made of 100% rice flour, less for those with tapioca starch. Test by submerging your rice paper for 3-4 seconds. Place it on the smooth, clean surface and wait for 2-3 seconds. If it is still not soft, submerge it again.

Nutrition