How to Make Authentic Filipino Lumpia (Filipino Egg Rolls)

Recipe ingredients

Ground meat - The best lumpia recipes call for a mix of ground or chopped meats. I find the combination of ground beef and ground pork to be the most delicious.

Onions and garlic - Use yellow or white onions, diced finely. The recipe calls for 5 cloves of garlic, minced, but you can adjust this amount to your personal taste preference.

Soy sauce - (not pictured) this adds some liquid and deep flavor to the meat as it cooks.

Chicken broth - (not pictured) this adds flavor and moisture to the filling ingredients as they cook.

Potatoes - Peel and dice potatoes into very small cubes, about the same size as the carrots. This helps them cook evenly.

Carrots - Peel and chop the carrots into very small cubes, about the same size as the potatoes.

Green beans - You're going to slice the green beans on the bias, creating diagonal cuts.

Cabbage - I use green cabbage, chopped very finely. But you can use green or purple cabbage, or a combination of both.

Celery - Dice the celery into very small pieces, just a little bigger than the finely diced onions.

Seasoning - Johnny's Seasoning Salt is a MUST for our family's lumpia recipe. I buy the ginormous 42-ounce container at Costco.

Lumpia wrappers - It's important to use lumpia wrappers like the one pictured above. This kind is great because they have separating sheets between each wrapper, making it easier to separate without breaking. Lumpia wrappers break easily, so handle gently with care!

If you can't find the exact Lumpia wrappers like this, then these spring roll wrappers are a good substitute. These particular wrappers are super thin, just like lumpia wrappers. Do not try to use traditional egg roll wrappers - they are usually too thick for lumpia.

How do you make lumpia from scratch?

I've got a step-by-step cooking guide to making Filipino lumpia from scratch. Be sure to read through these steps before you start cooking, then print out the recipe card below with full ingredient measurements and instructions.

Make the filling

You start by chopping the vegetables: garlic, onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, green beens, cabbage.

Once all of the veggies are chopped and prepped, add vegetable oil or olive oil to a large stockpot or large skillet and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and onions and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, just until the onions and garlic are soft and translucent.

Once the garlic and onions are translucent, add the ground beef, ground pork, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and sauté until the beef is browned.

Drain the excess oil from the pan, add chicken broth and bring to boil. Add the potatoes and carrots, Johnny's Seasoning Salt, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Then, add the green beans, cabbage, and celery and simmer for another 5 minutes. The vegetables should be slightly crisp.

Drain excess fats and liquid mixture, which you could do by pouring the pot over a strainer in the sink.

Or, you could use my mom's method and use a large slotted spoon to scoop out the solids into a separate large bowl, and then draining the remaining liquid in the pot.

Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature.

Assemble the lumpia

Now it's time to assemble these beautiful Filipino spring rolls.

Separate individual sheets of Lumpia wrappers very carefully, so as not to tear them.  Do not allow them to dry out and become brittle, or you will be dealing with sad broken wrappers.

Place 1 heaping tablespoonful of the filling diagonally near one corner of the wrapper, leaving a 1.5 inch edge of space at both ends. If you find that the lumpia can use more filling, go ahead and add more to each lumpia. Just be careful not to overfill the lumpia. Too much filling can cause the wrappers to tear before or during frying.

Fold the corner along the length of the filling over the filling, tuck in both ends so that it almost looks like an envelope, and roll neatly and tight. Moisten the other side of the wrapper with water to seal the edge.

The egg rolls can be fried immediately or frozen for later use (see Frying Tips below).

If frying them immediately, cover them with plastic wrap or a moist towel to keep the wrappers from drying out while you are frying the rest.

Cooking tips to make the best lumpia

• For the best lumpia, use the specific Lumpia Wrappers pictured above in the post. Or, use these specific spring roll wrappers. These spring roll wrappers are thinner and are part of what make these egg rolls AWESOME. You could try other spring roll wrappers, but make sure they are thin enough.
  
• You can keep the lumpia wrappers moist and pliable during assembly by storing them in a plastic bag, or under moist towel.
  
• Make sure you chop all of the vegetables up the same size so they cook evenly.
  
• Be sure to wrap the lumpia wrappers tightly around the filling. If you roll them too loosely, they won't cook the same way.

What to serve with lumpia

We love eating lumpia with everything. It really goes with almost every kind of Asian-inspired meal imaginable! Most of the time, my family enjoys it simply with some rice and an easy cucumber salad.

If you want to serve an authentic Filipino meal, you can serve lumpia shanghai rolls as a side dish to go with Filipino Adobo Chicken, Filipino Pancit Bihon, or Filipino Fried Rice. And don't forget the Filipino Macaroni Salad!

Lumpia would also be an excellent side dish to easy, unfussy Homemade Ramen Noodles.

As far as dipping sauces go, we always enjoy lumpia with sweet chili sauce. You can make your own Sweet Chili Sauce, or enjoy lumpia with my favorite store-bought sweet chili sauce.