When I tasted lumpia in a Filipino restaurant, I knew I had to make my own one day. Filled with ground pork and veggies and fried to crispy perfection, this Authentic Lumpia Recipe tastes just like something straight from my favorite Filipino restaurant. Enjoy with sweet chili sauce for dipping!

An Authentic Lumpia Recipe

If you’ve ever wondered how to make perfectly seasoned, crispy lumpia like you find at the local Filipino restaurant, you’re in for a treat today!

This particular lumpia recipe is legit and authentic, graciously given to me by the mother of my daughter’s best friend (who’s Filipino), with the addition of some vegetables and seasonings, mentioned below.

Lumpia is a popular Filipino dish, similar to a spring roll or egg roll. They’re longer and thinner than egg rolls, though the wrapper is very similar. There are many different ways to prepare lumpia, and the fillings and the seasonings vary as well.

And since we’re diving into Southeast Asian favorites, you might also love our Filipino pancit recipe!

Helpful Tips

• Have a few extra wrappers available. Just in case one tears or if you have extra filling.
• Use egg roll wrappers. You can use egg roll wrappers if you can’t find lumpia wrappers. However, consider trimming them down to a rectangular size to help achieve the look of lumpia.
• Don’t crowd the pan. I recommend frying just 4 lumpia at a time so that they don’t touch in the pan. You want each side to end up a nice golden color.

How to Make Lumpia Step by Step

Cook the pork: Heat the vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the ground pork and cook, breaking it up into tiny crumbles, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Drain off any grease. Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds.

Add the veggies: Stir in the onion, carrots, cabbage, water chestnuts, and scallions. Sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Then season with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Remove from the heat, and set aside for several minutes until cool enough to handle before assembling the lumpia.

Assemble: Set a wrapper on a clean work surface in a diamond shape with one of the corners toward you. Spoon 2½ tablespoons of filling at the bottom of the wrapper, leaving about 1½ inches of space from the bottom point.

Shape the filling into a 4 to 5-inch-long strip. Fold the bottom point over the filling, then fold in the edges to create an envelope shape. Continue rolling the wrapper neatly and tightly toward the top point until you have about 2 inches of wrapper left.

With clean fingers, moisten the remaining 2 inches of wrapper with water and finish rolling to seal the edge.

Transfer to a plate, seam side down, and cover with plastic wrap to lock in moisture. Repeat until all the filling and wrappers are used.

At this point, you can freeze the rolled lumpia, if desired. Or proceed with cooking them.

Cook: Heat 1 inch vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until it reaches 350°F, try to maintain this temperature, so the lumpia get golden but also don’t over-brown. Gently place about 4 lumpia at a time in the hot oil, starting with the seam side down, not touching. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden brown.

Blot: Transfer to paper towel-lined plates to drain.

Serve: Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce and enjoy.

Variations

• Bake in the oven: Spray a thin layer of oil on the wrapper before wrapping, and spray more oil once they are wrapped—this ensures they get crispy and puff up while baking. If you skip oiling the inside, the rolls will end up tough and chewy. Bake at 400°F for 8 minutes, flip, and bake the other side for another 6 to 8 minutes, or until crispy.

• In the air fryer: Spray both sides of the lumpia with a generous amount of nonstick spray or oil. Place in the air fryer basket in a single layer without overlapping. Air fry at 390 degrees for 5 minutes, flip, and air fry for another 4 to 5 minutes or until crispy.

How to Store

Store assembled and uncooked lumpia in a large freezer-safe Ziploc bag with parchment paper in between layers. Squeeze out as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen according to the written instructions, tacking on an extra minute or two.

You can also store any leftover cooked lumpia, tightly wrapped or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer until warmed through. The leftovers will be slightly chewy but still crispy.

What to Serve With Lumpia

Lumpia is typically served as an appetizer, with sweet chili sauce for dipping. You can also dip them in soy sauce. Or, for a slightly different dipping experience, dip them in this savory peanut sauce or homemade teriyaki sauce.

I recommend serving these pork lumpia immediately after you’re done frying the batch, to take full advantage of the light and crispy wrapper.

More Asian-Inspired Recipes

• Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
• Fresh Spring Rolls
• Easy Wonton Soup
• Chinese Dumplings