Making frozen spring rolls in an air fryer is one of the easiest air fryer recipes. Who wouldn’t like a hands-off, quick snack, straight from your fridge through an air fryer to your guest’s plates! The air fryer transforms the frozen spring rolls into crispy and evenly cooked spring rolls in a matter of minutes without the hassle of preheating the big oven.
Spring rolls were the way to use the fresh spring veggies in a roll. but today in the fast-paced world we have everything frozen and ready to consume. Freshness has somewhere taken a back seat. Ease and convenience are the key driving forces in our world.
I always make frozen garlic bread in an air fryer and cook my squashes in the air fryer too. An air fryer is one of the most used kitchen tools in my kitchen. It is my mini oven that is quicker, smarter, and faster. You can make numerous frozen foods recipes in an air fryer. Use this crispy spring rolls recipe to cook the frozen egg rolls in the same manner.
I like the frozen spring rolls for how convenient they are to make. A quick Chinese snack for a games day, a tea party, or a family snack party is ready. They make an easy and quick evening snack for kids. I just pop in some spring rolls straight from my freezer into my air fryer and get on with my chores. In 10 minutes, the crispy and delicious spring rolls are ready.
Why will you love making these air fryer frozen spring rolls?
- It is quick or rather the quickest way to make crispy spring rolls.
- There is no need to thaw the frozen spring rolls.
- You do not need to use any oil if you do not want to. Also, there is very little oil needed when compared to the pan-fried or deep-fried spring rolls. Hence, they make healthier and yet more delicious spring rolls.
- The air fryer does not take much time to preheat like oven.
- Also, you do not have to preheat the entire oven, even if you are just making a few pieces of spring rolls.
- The frozen spring rolls made in an air fryer are equally good as the ones made in the oven or skillet. In fact, even better!
- The spring rolls are cooked evenly on both sides, with crispy exteriors and thoroughly cooked interior.
- It is the simplest fuss-free way to cook frozen vegetable spring rolls to crispy goodness.
What do you need to air fry frozen spring rolls?
Frozen Spring rolls:
For making this recipe all you need is some frozen spring rolls in your fridge. This air fryer temperature and time will work for most brands of spring rolls. Be it the target brand, trader joe’s, Costco one, or any other. Just note that the mini spring rolls will take less time and the large spring rolls will take a little longer.
Other than that, be it the vegetable spring rolls, the chicken spring rolls, or something else (like pork lumpia), they will all take the almost same time.
Spring rolls have the vegetables, rice noodles, bamboo shoots, and other stuffings wrapped into rolls using a rice wrapper. The wrappers are thin layers that become crispy on frying or baking.
Back in India, the spring rolls served in the restaurants are always deep-fried. Frozen options are limited there. Also, the raw version of spring rolls is another delicious and healthy option. It is a combination of fresh veggies and rice noodles wrapped in thin rice paper. So good with peanut sauce!
Since we are a vegetarian family, I will demonstrate how to make frozen spring rolls in air fryer using vegetable spring rolls. I have used two packs of Canyon Farms frozen spring rolls here. There are 8 pieces in each, which makes 16 spring rolls to air fry.
Vegetable oil
I used about 2 teaspoons of oil to brush these frozen spring rolls before putting them in the air fryer. You can air fry frozen spring rolls without using any oil also. You can use cooking oil spray if you want. But those things have nasty chemicals, why not just brush the spring rolls with some oil.
The oils with a high smoke point are best for use in an air fryer. Other than vegetable oil you can use Avocado oil, soyabean oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, or ghee. But coconut oil, peanut oil, and ghee do have some characteristic odors that might not taste best with spring oil. So, use neutral-flavored oils only.
How to cook frozen spring rolls in air fryer?
Cooking the frozen spring rolls in an air fryer is a simple and easy process. Let us make them in two simple steps:
Step 1 : Unwrap the frozen spring rolls and brush them with some vegetable oil
- To make air fryer spring rolls, unwrap the frozen spring rolls. I like to brush mine outside the air fryer when they are still in their tray. This way they do not roll over and it is convenient to coat them nicely. First, I oil the sides facing me, then just flip them and coat the other side. Brush as many as you plan to make.
- You can also spray them with cooking oil if that is what you like.
Step 2 : Air fry frozen spring rolls
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 0F for 2 minutes before putting the spring rolls in the basket.
- Now spread the frozen spring rolls in the basket of the air fryer in a single layer. There is no need to grease the tray of the basket. Try to space them out to ensure even circulation of air.
- Preheating is optional. It does speed the air frying. If you do not want to wait to preheat the air fryer, just put them straight into the air fryer basket and air fry them at 400 0F for 10 minutes.
- If you preheated the air fryer to 400 0F you might take 7-8 minutes depending upon how crispy you like your spring rolls.
- Halfway through the process take out the basket of the air fryer and give them a little shake to turn them on to the other side to ensure even cooking.
How can I cook frozen spring rolls without an air fryer?
There are various ways to cook frozen spring rolls. Let us discuss them one by one.
1. Bake the spring rolls in the oven:
Baking the spring rolls in the oven is the most common way of making the frozen spring rolls. Preheat the oven to 400 0F and place the frozen spring rolls on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until they are fully cooked through. Do not forget to turn them halfway through the baking process. The actual time taken for baking in the oven will vary by a few minutes from oven to oven.
2. Pan-fry the frozen spring rolls:
Pout 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and heat till the oil temperature reaches about 370 0F. Then carefully put the spring rolls in using tongs. Let them cook for 7-8 minutes on medium heat while turning them regularly. Take them out when they turn deep golden. To ensure that they are fully cooked through, the internal temperatures should be above 165 0F.
3. Deep frying the frozen spring rolls:
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or your preferred vessel to 3500F. Carefully drop in the spring rolls one by one. Fry up to 5-6 rolls at a time. Take out on a paper towel when the spring rolls cook evenly and turn golden. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Some people also make spring rolls in a microwave. But that is waste of time, and I would never recommend it.
If you have an instant pot with the bake mode you can use it to bake the spring rolls in it. I have even made bread in an instant pot using the bake mode.
How to serve the spring rolls?
Spring rolls make an excellent side dish and a snack. Some brands of frozen spring rolls come with packaged peanut sauce. I like to serve mine with some homemade peanut dipping sauce and Hoisin dipping sauces.
Let me list all the suggestions from my side are:
- Spicy mustard sauce
- Thai spicy and sweet chili sauce
- Fish sauce if you are not vegetarian.
- Spicy ketchup sauce.
- Peanut dipping sauce
- Hoisin dipping sauce
- Garlic cilantro sauce
How to store and reheat air-fried spring rolls
If you made a large batch for a party or otherwise have some air-fried spring rolls leftover, just put them in an air-tight container and refrigerate. Alternately you can also wrap them in a foil and then place them in an air-tight bag. You can refrigerate them for a day or two.
To reheat the refrigerated spring rolls, air fry them at 340 0F for 3-4 minutes by placing them evenly in the air fryer basket. It may take more or less time depending on how many are you reheating and the size of your air fryer basket. So, it is a good idea to check after 2 minutes and cook more if not done.
Pro tips for making air fryer frozen spring rolls
- Put the spring rolls in the air fryer in a single layer, such that there are gaps for air circulation. Never overcrowd or overlap the food in the basket.
- If you have a small air fryer basket and you want to make a large batch, try splitting it into batches.
- Do not forget to shake or flip the spring rolls halfway through the cooking time. This ensures even cooking on all sides.
- It is always a good idea to return to check on your food cooking in an air fryer. Simply, open the air fryer and check for the doneness before the suggested time.
Tips for the beginners:
- If you are new to air fryer cooking, my advice to you is to just think of an air fryer as a small and efficient oven. An air fryer cooks and reheat most things like an oven, but quicker and better! Do not limit its use to air fryer frozen foods only.
- All air fryers are built differently. They come in different sizes and shapes, and temperature settings. So, to get the same results with two different sized or designed air fryers, there could be a differential of a few seconds to a few minutes.
- Pull out the air fryer basket before the lowest given cook time in a recipe and see for yourself, how much more time do you need. Your spring rolls might need lesser than the suggested time. This way you will know the cooking time that works best for you.
Frequently asked questions about making frozen spring rolls.
Temperature between 375-400 0F seems ideal for cooking frozen spring rolls. Cooking the frozen spring rolls at such a high temperature leads to the immediate removal of moisture from them and ensures that they turn out crispy. If they are cooked at lower temperatures, they will likely turn out soggy.
It takes somewhere between 8-10 minutes to air fry spring rolls. The exact time will vary from air fryer to air fryer. Though the differential would be very less. A smaller air fryer takes longer to cook than a larger capacity air fryer.
The size of the spring rolls is also a determining factor. Larger s [ring rolls will take longer whereas the mini spring rolls will air-fry much faster.
It is always a good habit to keep checking your food while air frying. All you have to do is pull out the air fryer basket to check on the food without pausing the cooking. By doing this you will know the exact time required. And next time you can straightway input that time in your air fryer without the fear of over and undercooking.
The only reason for the frozen spring rolls not cooking evenly is that you did not turn or flip them in between or overcrowd the air fryer basket. Overcrowding the basket leads to soggy spring rolls. For getting crispy and evenly cooked spring rolls place them in a single layer and have enough space toward the edges for the hot air to circulate freely.
To air-fry large spring rolls place them in the air fryer basket and spray them with cooking oil. Add only as much you can accommodate. Do not overcrowd the basket and place them well in one layer. Air fry at 400 0F for 10-12 minutes or until they turn deep golden.
No, there is no need to thaw the spring rolls before air frying. Just spray with some cooking oil and put them straight for air frying.
Suggested readings
If you are interested in making quicker and easier air fryer recipes, try the following:
Let me know how your frozen spring rolls in the air fryer turned out. Share your opinions in the comment section below. Do not forget to share and save.
Till then,
Make it delicious!
Recipe card for making frozen spring rolls in air fryer
Frozen spring rolls in air fryer
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 packs frozen spring rolls
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Step 1 Unwrap the frozen spring rolls and brush them with some vegetable oil
- Unwrap the frozen spring rolls and brush them with oil on the sides facing you, while they are still in the tray. Then flip them and coat the other side.
Step2 Air fry frozen spring rolls
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 0F for 2 minutes before putting the spring rolls in the basket. Now spread the frozen spring rolls in the basket of the air fryer in a single layer. There is no need to grease the air fryer basket. Try to space them out to ensure even circulation of air.
- Air fry for 7-8 minutes depending upon how crispy you like your spring rolls.
- Halfway through the process take out the basket of the air fryer and give them a little shake to turn them on to the other side to ensure even cooking.
- When the spring rolls turn deep golden, take them out on a plate and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- You can also spray the frozen spring rolls with cooking oil, after putting them in the air fryer basket.
- Preheating is optional. It does speed the air frying. If you do not want to wait to preheat the air fryer, just put them straight into the air fryer basket and air fry them at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- Put the spring rolls in the air fryer in a single layer, such that there are gaps for air circulation. Never overcrowd or overlap the food in the basket.
- If you have a small air fryer basket and you want to make a large batch, try splitting it into batches.
- Do not forget to shake or flip the spring rolls halfway through the cooking time. This ensures even cooking on all sides.
- It is always a good idea to return to check on your food cooking in an air fryer. Simply, open the air fryer and check for the doneness before the suggested time.
Nutrition facts
Andrew
Oh yes, these were great! I always keep a bag in my freezer. They make a quick snack. Loved your instructions, they helped me make them perfectly in the air fryer.
Meenakshi
Hey Andrew, I am glad you found it helpful.