If there’s one Filipino dish that always wins over a crowd, it’s lumpia. Even people who haven’t tried much Filipino food know and love these golden, crispy rolls. Whenever I introduce friends to Filipino cuisine, I start with lumpia. It’s always a fan favorite at parties, potlucks, and family gatherings.
Lumpia is the Filipino version of spring rolls or egg rolls, filled with a savory mix of meat and vegetables, wrapped tightly, and fried until crisp and golden. They can be made with pork, beef, chicken, or vegetables, making them versatile and customizable. One bite of these crunchy rolls, and you’ll see why they’re so addictive. You may end up eating the whole plate!
Lumpia is simple to make, budget-friendly, and easy to customize with your favorite proteins and vegetables. You can also make them in batches, freeze them, and fry only what you need for a quick treat anytime.
How to make lumpia
Lumpia is super quick and easy to make. You just mix together your filling and rolls it into your lumpia wrappers. Then fry until golden brown! That simple!
All you need is lumpia wrappers, a few finely chopped veggies, minimal seasoning, and your choice of protein. I like to make beef or chicken typically, but pork is a very popular and most traditional type to make. You can also just use veggies if you are looking for a vegetarian option.
Just mix everything up for the filling, fill the wrappers, roll tightly, and fry on easy side until the rolls are nice and crispy. Bring these to your next party, work potluck, or family holiday. They will be a hit at any occasion!
Filipino Lumpia
Ingredients
- 20 lumpia wrapper
- 1 lb ground meat (I used a ground chicken)
- 1 large finely shredded carrot
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- egg
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- cooking oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground meat, carrots, garlic, onion, egg, soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt and pepper.
- Place 1–2 tablespoons of filling on a lumpia wrapper and roll tightly, sealing the edge with a little water.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and fry lumpia on each side until golden brown and crispy.
- Drain on paper towels and serve with a sweet chili dipping sauce.
Notes
- If you can’t find lumpia wrappers at your local grocery or asian store, you can also use wonton wrappers.
- Avoid overfilling the wrappers to prevent tearing while rolling. You want it tightly wrapped so they don’t fall apart when frying.
- Make ahead and freeze before frying; fry directly from frozen for best results.