I love a good spring roll. But I have a little secret to tell you. They’re really just as good when they’re baked as they are when they’re fried. I like a good fried thing as much as the next girl, but it’s easier and distinctly less messy to put them on a baking sheet and cook ’em up until crisp.
It’s a good thing I discovered how effective this method of making spring rolls can be, because I’ve been on a spring roll tear lately. Every time I go out, I am tempted by these little crispy bites and the beauty of dipping them in spicy-sweet sauce.
A spring roll addiction wouldn’t be a problem except for the fact that I live in Thailand. We can get spring rolls everywhere here…everywhere. Things are being fried on every corner – rolls filled with meat or veggies, little puffy balls of dough, bananas in batter (a personal favorite of mine). You might even remember the fried “crab rangoon” incident that got this whole blog started.
Everything about making these is marvelously simple, except for rolling them. This takes a bit of practice. But, here’s the thing – even the ones that don’t look so nice….still taste great.
Here’s how I fold them. First I fold the bottom third up over the filling.
Then I turn the left and right sides in towards the middle.
Then, holding all that tasting filling in as tight as I can without breaking the wrapper, I roll the whole thing up into a cozy little burrito.
I love seeing them all lined up…their little spring roll tooshies ready to be baked. At this point they can be refrigerated for a day. (Just cover them with a damp paper towel.)
Or, if you can’t resist waiting (as is always true for me), pop them straight in the oven with a bit of vegetable oil.
In the meantime, you can whip up some super easy dipping sauce. This is the easiest one around and tastes just like the kind we are served at restaurants here in Bangkok.
Don’t mind my yellow-spotted mortar and pestle. They’ve never fully recovered from the turmeric in several batches of Khao Soi Noodles back in March.
- 24 small frozen spring roll wrappers (1 small package)
- 1 - 8 oz. packet glass noodles (may also be labeled as mung bean vermicelli)
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (plus 2 Tbsp vegetable oil for baking)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 small carrots (cut into very thin strips)
- 20 green beans (cut into very thin strips)
- 10 small shiitake mushrooms (cut into very thin strips)
- Sweet and Spicy Thai Dipping Sauce, for serving (recipe below)
- Remove the frozen spring roll wrappers from the freezer and allow to come to room temperature.
- Soak the glass noodles in hot water for 10 minutes, until soft. In a large skillet over medium heat combine the 2 tsp. vegetable oil, soy sauce, softened noodles, carrots, green beans, and mushrooms over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the ingredients are evenly combined and fragrant, about 5 minutes. (The carrots and green beans should be tender, but still slightly crisp.)
- Working with one wrapper at a time, place a heaping tablespoon of the glass noodle and vegetable filling in the lower half of the wrapper. Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper up to the center of the wrapper to enclose the filling. Turn the right and left hand sides of the wrappers into the middle and roll the wrapper up towards the top. (See the pictures above.)
- Place the filled spring rolls seam-side down on parchment paper. At this point the rolls can be refrigerated for up to a day. Cover them with a slightly dampened paper towel to keep them from drying out.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a small bowl. Brush a large baking sheet with vegetable oil. Place the spring rolls on the baking sheet, seam-side down. Lightly brush the tops of the spring rolls with the remaining vegetable oil. Bake for 15-18 minutes, gently turning the spring rolls halfway through, until both sides are golden brown and crisp.
- Serve immediately, with Sweet and Spicy Thai Dipping Sauce (recipe below).
- ¼ cup finely minced onion (about a quarter of a regular-sized onion)
- ⅛ cup finely chopped fresh red pepper
- 1 and ¼ cup white vinegar
- 1 and ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (to taste)
- Combine all of the ingredients, except the red pepper flakes) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow the sauce to simmer until reduced by half, 20 minutes. Pour the sauce into a bowl through a small sieve to remove the onion and pepper. If you want the sauce to have some spice, return the strained sauce to the pan over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes to taste and heat for 1 minute more.) Chill the sauce in the refrigerator until ready to use.Combine all of the ingredients, except the red pepper flakes) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow the sauce to simmer until reduced by half, 20 minutes. Pour the sauce into a bowl through a small sieve to remove the onion and pepper. If you want the sauce to have some spice, return the strained sauce to the pan over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes to taste and heat for 1 minute more.) Chill the sauce in the refrigerator until ready to use.
oh…cant wait to try this recipe…never baked them before… thanks girlie…
xoxo from Trinidad
I didn’t know you could bake them! How fantastic. I’ve never made them at home because I’m scared of deep-frying plus it’s not all that good for the waist line. Do you think you can freeze them before the baking stage?
Claire – give it a try and let me know what you think! Seriously – I think you’ll be amazed at how great (and close to the original) they are when baked! I’ve been planning to make a batch and freeze them myself, but haven’t done it yet. I would venture to guess that they would freeze beautifully if you make sure that you freeze them first on a pan without any of them touching and then toss them in a plastic bag after they’re frozen solid. Honestly, if I did this, I would then put them straight in the oven from the freezer and would bake them at a lower temperature (300 degrees) for longer. If you try it – let me know how it goes!
I always wondered if spring rolls can be baked because I hate the hassle of cleaning my deep-fryer. Will give this a go and see how they turn out! Thanks :)
ginger and scotch recently posted..Chicken Stir-Fry with Thai Chilli Kaffir Lime Sauce
They’re not exactly the same as the fried variety, Ginger, but they get such a nice crunch when they’re baked in the oven! I now keep them frozen and make a few baked spring rolls on a whim all the time – infinitely easier than firing up the deep fryer.
I can’t find frozen spring roll wraps,I have the ones you soak in warm water until soft. Once you get them soft,roll,oil and bake . They never even darkened ,they were so chewy you couldn’t eat them, they were like rubber. Do I have the wrong kind of wrapper or what?
Hi Susan – I suspect that what you’ve used are rice paper wrappers (usually found dry on the shelves, not in the freezer section). They are great for other things, but you are right, you cannot bake them – they are best used dipped in water and then eaten raw, like in this recipe – http://www.inquiringchef.com/2011/01/10/vietnamese-summer-rolls/. Depending on where you live, you may have to go to a specialty store or Asian market, and I’ve seen the frozen spring roll wrappers at Whole Foods. Hopefully that helps!
I make spring rolls with rice paper all the time! Just fill them, spritz with baking spray and bake them at like 400/425 for 20 some minutes flipping halfway through. They get really crispy and my family devours them every time I make them. Good luck!
Would you send me a picture of the wraps you use. I can’t find any wraps in the freezer section and the wraps you soak in water do not bake well…they fall apart.
With a picture of the package the store will try to order some. Thank You
Great recipe
Thank you for the pictures. I will have to go to Austin,Tx. to find the wraps but I did make baked egg rolls and they were Awesome!!
You’re so welcome Susan! Great idea to do the same thing with the egg rolls – I’ll have to try that!
Totally tried these! Waiting on for 15 mins! Excited! Thanks. Love from Texas!
Hi! I can’t wait to make these, I love egg/spring rolls! These look delicious! Susan, I have found spring roll wrappers with the egg roll wrappers in the refrigerated section before. I can’t recall ever seeing them frozen. Will have to look specifically.
Thanks for the great recipe!
These look great! I’m hoping to try them tonight. Can you substitute snow peas for the green beans? Also, do you hydrate the shiitake mushrooms first? Thanks!
Hi Cristin – yes – you can definitely substitute snow peas, I bet that would be great! Just make sure to slice them thin before you add them, unless you want extra crunch, which could be great too. I used fresh shitakes (but they’re easy to find fresh where I live). If using dried, definitely rehydrate them first and pat them very dry before adding them to the spring rolls – any extra moisture might prevent the rolls from crisping on the outside. (You could also use another variety of fresh mushroom as a substitute for the shitakes as well.)