These crispy Air Fryer Egg Rolls are a delicious appetizer or snack! Baked, not fried, this easy egg roll recipe is simple to make and cooks in only 9 minutes.
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Everybody loves egg rolls! They’re super crunchy, full of yumminess, and um, fried food (hello!).
Lucky for you, I created this air fryer egg rolls recipe that is just as good as the deep-fried version but only uses 1 teaspoon of olive oil. You read that right – 1 measly teaspoon.
If you’re looking for a tutorial on cooking frozen store-bought egg rolls, check out our post on Frozen Egg Rolls in the Air Fryer.
If you love health(ier) appetizers, you might also want to check out these Air Fryer Potstickers, Soft Pretzel Bites, Homemade Fried Pickles, Fried Artichoke Hearts, Air Fryer Zucchini Chips, or these Air Fryer Fries.
For this recipe, I used our Cosori 5.8-quart air fryer. Any air fryer will work (even oven-style) but depending on the size you may need to cook your egg rolls in batches.
What Do You Put in Homemade Egg Rolls
This is a truly forgiving recipe that you can customize to your preferences and tastes. I can’t stand mushrooms, but if you want to fill your egg rolls with fungus, go right ahead! This version of baked egg rolls has:
- Egg roll wrappers
- Shredded cabbage – use the pre-made coleslaw mix that is in every grocery store for $1.69
- Shredded carrots (already in the coleslaw mix if you’re using that)
- Green onions, aka scallions, aka spring onions
- Flavors – ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper
- Olive oil – just 1 teaspoon!
If you’d like to add any meat to this easy egg roll recipe, it must be cooked before being placed in the egg roll wrapper. Some protein ideas: crumbled tofu, shrimp, cooked ground sausage, chicken, or beef.
Leftover egg roll wrappers? Make up a batch of Bacon and Egg Rolls for a fun and savory breakfast. Need something sweeter? Try these Apple Pie Egg Rolls!
If you have any leftover shredded cabbage, use it in Air Fryer Cabbage, Kale Chopped Salad, Pressure cooker Chicken Tacos, Fried Cabbage With Bacon or Easy Spicy Coleslaw Without Mayo.
How Do You Wrap an Egg Roll?
I’m so glad you asked! I came up with this handy little step-by-step photo guide for you.
- Set up a “wrapping” station with your cooked filling, a plate, a small dish of water, and a pastry brush.
- Place the wrapper on a plate or cutting board. You’ll want it shaped like a diamond, with the bottom pointing at you. Place 2 tbsp of filling in the bottom third of the wrapper.
- Roll up the bottom point of the diamond so that it goes up and over the filling, but only goes to the center of the wrapper.
- Fold in the left side of the wrapper to cover the center.
- Fold in the right side of the wrapper to cover the left fold. It will look like you’re making a delicious envelope at this point! But don’t mail it. 🙂
- Starting from the bottom, roll the egg roll up until just the top point of the wrapper is still exposed.
- Brush some water on the top point of the egg roll, and fold down. You may need to brush a bit more water over the edges to “seal” the egg roll closed.
- Repeat until you have 4-5 egg rolls made.
Can You Make Egg Rolls Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can pre-roll the egg rolls and store them in the fridge for up to 12 hours. Place a lightly damp rag over them and then place in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Can You Freeze Egg Rolls?
Yep! If you don’t want to cook these right away, place uncooked egg rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and freeze.
Then transfer to a freezer-proof bag or container. Do not thaw before cooking. You will need to add a few minutes to the cooking time.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- As written, the recipe will make six egg rolls (two egg rolls per serving). If you need to make more or less, the recipe card has the option to adjust the number of servings.
- If you have any leftover filling, serve it over rice with some grilled chicken or Air Fryer Shrimp for an egg roll bowl.
- In most grocery stores, you’ll find egg roll wrappers in the produce section near bottled salad dressings and sauces.
- To make prep time faster, use garlic paste, pre-chopped frozen garlic, and frozen ginger.
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WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving has 3 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
Air Fryer Egg Rolls {Easy Egg Roll Recipe}
Ingredients
- 6 egg roll wrappers
- 3 cups cabbage shredded
- 1/4 cup shredded carrot {if not using coleslaw mix}
- 1.5 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp ginger grated
- 1 clove garlic {minced}
- 1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 tsp olive oil
Equipment
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions
- Preheat a frying pan for a few minutes over medium heat.
- Add the sesame oil, ginger, garlic, cabbage, and shredded carrot. Cook down for 2-3 minutes or until the cabbage has wilted.3 cups cabbage, 1.5 tsp toasted sesame oil, 2 tsp ginger, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup shredded carrot
- Add the green onions, soy sauce, and black pepper. Stir and remove from heat.1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce, 2 green onions, 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Assemble your egg rolls (see the detailed instructions in the post).
- Brush olive oil over the top of the egg rolls. Alternatively, you could use a Misto to spray olive oil, but I found that caused the egg roll wrappers to bubble up more when they were cooking.1 tsp olive oil
- Brush olive oil on the basket of your air fryer. Place the egg rolls in the basket, seam side down, without letting them touch each other.
- Bake at 360 degrees F for 7 minutes. Flip and bake for an additional 2 minutes.
Skillet Instructions
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then add enough avocado oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Place the egg roll "seam side" down in the oil.
- Cook it until that side is crispy and brown, and then flip. When finished cooking, place them on a plate lined with newspaper or paper towels to absorb the extra oil.
Baked Egg Rolls Instructions
- Place a baking rack on a foil-lined baking sheet. Liberally spray the rack with olive oil.
- Put the egg rolls seam side down on the baking rack and brush olive oil over the top.
- Bake at 325 F for 12 minutes, and flip. Bake for an addition 8-12 minutes or until the egg rolls are nice and crispy without being burned.
Notes
- To freeze: place uncooked egg rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and freeze. Then transfer to a freezer-proof bag or container. Do not thaw before cooking. You will need to add 1-3 to the cooking time. Cook at the same temperature as fresh egg rolls.
- If you want to add meat to the egg rolls, you’ll need to cook it before placing it in the wrapper.
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So so so yummy! I added just a little bit of oyster sauce for a little more umami flavor but it was amazing with or without. I made 20 egg rolls and baked them for me and my husband with homemade fried rice. And wow what an amazing dinner!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! And the oyster sauce is a great addition. I love it but never have it in the house.
I think the calorie counts may be off. I can’t find any egg roll wraps less than 60 calories per wrap. So two eggrolls would be a minimum of 120 calories not including the veggie mix.
Hi Genevive, I think you’re right. The nutrition information is automatically calculated by the recipe card program and sometimes they don’t get it 100% correct. I believe the 78 calories would be correct for 1 egg roll.
I’m going to manually edit it. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for updating, you didnt have to do that and I appreciate it! I was hoping I could ask another question I’m making these tonight and freezing them for tomorrow. Should I brush them with olive oil before freezing or right before cooking? Also is there a recommended bake time for frozen egg rolls? I will be getting an air fryer soon but I couldn’t wait to try this recipe
It was the right thing to do! I’ve never noticed that discrepancy before, so thanks for bringing it to my attention.
I freeze them without oil and then brush them with oil right before cooking. I find 1-2 minutes more than uncooked works for the frozen ones. So about 10-11 minutes (including the flipping time).
I have made these several times. I add impossible meat but no other changes. DELICIOUS! I won first place in a cook-off!
This sounds so delicious & just what I’m looking for. Can I substitute ground ginger for fresh & if so how would I convert that?
Thank you
You bet! Typically dried spices are subbed in at a 3:1 ratio. So, 2 tsp of fresh ginger would convert to a bit more than 1/2 tsp of dried. I would start with 1/2 tsp, cook it a bit and then taste it. You can always add more if you think it needs it.
These are fantastic! I’ve been making these every three weeks!! Hubby and I just love them ❤️
Carol, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Everyone (including my husband who doesn’t eat veggies) ate MULTIPLE of these! The flavor is so tasty! We will be making these again. We included ground pork in our recipe to add in a little fat/ meat.
Anytime I convert a veggie hater with a recipe, I am thrilled! So glad to hear these were such a hit with all of your family members. 🙂
I made this for the first time tonight. It was so good. I was missing egg rolls but do not want to deep fry anything anymore. I did use about 1/4 cup of filling. I use sugar free sweet chili sauce, hot mustard, and sugar free Polynesian sauce. Delicious. For Christmas I always have a holiday appetizer get together and this recipe is going on that list. Do you think I could keep them warm in a foil lined slow cooker on warm setting?
Thanks for the recipes. I am anxious to try some more.
Mary, I love those changes and now I want to try some Polynesian sauce!
I think you’d be able to keep them warm for a bit. The longer they sit, the softer the wrapper will become. I think they’d be fine for a few hours in a slow cooker before they soften up too much.
Worked perfectly first time! (Usually I mess things up the SECOND time)
So glad to hear it! 🙂
First time I used my air fryer egg rolls came out perfect
Congrats on nailing your first recipe! That first one sometimes can be intimidating, so it’s only amazing things from here on out!
I made these for dinner they were awesome put extra vegetables in and put bacon and chicken in. Making more on the future!
YUM to the bacon and chicken! Great additions. 🙂
Hi Sarah,
I just have a question? The texture of the wraps after airfrying was crisp almost like a cracker. I did spray as you recommended. Being new to an air fryer and one missing oil frying is this what to expect. I did like the recipe substituted ground Turkey, and added a little rice vermicelli noodles. Thanks Susan
Susan, did the texture seem thick? Could you have accidentally used 2 wrappers instead of one? Those suckers really get stuck together sometimes!