Air Fryer Egg Rolls Recipe
Egg rolls are a popular Chinese restaurant appetizer, but for some, they don't seem like the kind of thing you'd typically cook at home. They're actually not too hard to make, though, especially if you use store-bought egg roll wrappers. Recipe developer Miriam Hahn says she likes to use the air fryer to cook them, too, explaining, "You get the crispy end result without frying in oil, making them so much healthier than fried egg rolls." She also adds that this cooking method is "less labor intensive since you are not standing over the stove."
This recipe is for vegan egg rolls (no, there's no egg in them) as Hahn likes to use tofu as the protein in her filling. Once you have the basic process down, though, Hahn says "you can definitely use a meat filling [like] chicken, pork, or shrimp." With tofu, though, you don't have to worry about cooking certain ingredients to a particular point before diving in. Speaking of which, let's get to it!
Assemble the ingredients for the air fryer egg rolls
For the filling, Hahn uses an onion, mushrooms, green cabbage, and tofu. To season the filling she uses soy sauce (or tamari), rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. You'll also need a bit of oil (something neutral — Hahn uses refined avocado oil) to cook the filling in. The last ingredient is the egg roll wrappers — something that turns what would otherwise be a tricky dish into a recipe easily within reach of most home cooks.
Cook the filling
Heat the oil in a pan on a medium burner, then add the vegetables and cook them for 10 minutes. Crumble the tofu into the pan at this point. Stir the soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger into the filling, then cook it for 5 minutes or until the tofu is heated through.
Assemble the egg rolls
Taking 1 wrapper at a time, wet the edges, pile about 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle, then fold the edges in and roll up the wrapper to make an egg roll shape. (Hahn notes that the packaging for many egg roll wrappers includes a diagram that explains the process in more detail.) Use a little more water to seal the bottom seam of the egg roll, then set it aside. Repeat the process until all of the filling or wrappers (or, with any luck, both) have been used up.
Air fry the egg rolls
Cook the egg rolls in the air fryer at 400 F for about 12 minutes or until they are golden brown. You may need to cook the egg rolls in batches so as not to overcrowd the air fryer basket. Once the egg rolls are done, you can garnish them with scallions. If you'd like a dipping sauce, typical ones for egg rolls include Chinese mustard and duck sauce, although Hahn also likes to use either plain soy sauce or a mixture of sour cream and Sriracha.
As far as leftovers go, Hahn recommends using the same method to reheat them as you do to cook them. As she tells us, "These reheat great in the air fryer ... [it] just takes a few minutes to get them warm and crispy."
- 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups mushrooms, diced
- 1 cup green cabbage, shredded
- 8 ounces super firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- 20 egg roll wrappers
- 4 scallions, chopped
- additional soy sauce, for serving
- sour cream and Sriracha, for serving
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium, then sauté the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and cabbage for 10 minutes.
- Crumble the tofu and stir it into the vegetables along with the soy sauce, rice vinegar and ginger powder.
- Cook the egg roll filling for 5 minutes.
- Working 1 at a time, wet the edges of an egg roll wrapper.
- Pile 2 tablespoons of the filling onto the wrapper, then fold the sides in and roll up the egg roll.
- Seal the egg roll seam with a little more water.
- Repeat with remaining wrappers.
- Cook the egg rolls in the air fryer at 400 F for 12 minutes, flipping halfway. When done, they should be a golden brown. You may have to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Garnish the egg rolls with chopped scallions.
- Serve with additional soy sauce or a mixture of sour cream and Sriracha for dipping, if desired.
| Calories per Serving | 122 |
| Total Fat | 2.2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.3 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 2.9 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 20.2 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.2 g |
| Total Sugars | 0.5 g |
| Sodium | 274.2 mg |
| Protein | 5.4 g |
