Traditional Filipino Lumpia Recipe

Did you know you can make restaurant-worthy lumpia in your own home? This lumpia recipe produces perfectly crispy and absolutely irresistible spring rolls every time.

What Is Lumpia?

Lumpia are fried spring rolls that are found in Filipino and Indonesian cuisines. The rolls traditionally feature a thin pastry skin (a.k.a. a lumpia wrapper) and are often stuffed with a savory mixture of ground pork and vegetables.

How to Make Lumpia

You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below but here's a brief overview of what you can expect:

1. Make the filling: Cook the pork until crumbly and set aside. Drain most (but not all) of the grease. Cook the onion and garlic in the remaining grease. Return the pork to the pan and stir in the veggies, cilantro, and seasonings. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Assemble the lumpia: Place three tablespoons of the filling on the wrapper and follow the instructions to roll and seal the lumpia. Repeat until all the rolls are assembled.
3. Fry the lumpia: Heat oil in a skillet. Fry the lumpia three to four rolls at a time. Turn until all sides are brown. Drain on a paper towel.

How to Serve Lumpia

Lumpia is often served with a sweet chili dipping sauce (this 5-ingredient Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce is an excellent choice). If you're sensitive to heat, you could try with a classic Sweet and Sour Sauce.

Make it a meal by pairing your lumpia with Garlic Fried Rice or serving it as an appetizer for a traditional Filipino main dish, such as Caldereta.

How to Store Lumpia

Allow the rolls to cool, then transfer the leftovers to an airtight or wrap them tightly in foil. Store the lumpia in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Can You Freeze Lumpia?

Yes, but it's best to freeze the lumpia before you fry it.

To freeze un-fried lumpia: Arrange the cooled rolls on a baking sheet, then cover with storage wrap. Freeze for a few hours or up to overnight. When the lumpia are frozen solid, transfer the rolls to a zip-top freezer bag (don't forget to squeeze out the excess air) or another freezer-safe . Wrap in foil for added protection. Lumpia can be frozen for up to three months. There's no need to thaw just go ahead and fry the lumpia from frozen.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

• "I had wanted to make these for a long time, but I thought that they would be really hard to make," says misspiggy067. "Boy, was I wrong. They are really easy and they taste wonderful!! My family loves them."
• "I am Filipino and have tasted many different Lumpia recipes...this was a great one," raves Baker. "I found you have to be very careful with the temperature of the oil, definitely keep it at medium. If the oil is too hot, the outside cooks too quickly and the inner wrapper doesn't get crispy."
• "I almost wish I didn't know how easy and cheap it is to make these in my own kitchen," shesinparties. "Now I find myself standing in my kitchen in the morning wondering how lumpia would go with my coffee. Seriously, these things are so easy and awesome."

Ingredients

This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly.

Original recipe (1X) yields 15 servings

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground pork
• cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• cup minced carrots
• cup chopped green onions
• cup thinly sliced green cabbage
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (Optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 30 lumpia wrappers
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or as needed

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add pork; cook and stir until crumbly and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pork from the pan and set aside. Drain grease from the pan, leaving just a thin coating.
3. Add onion and garlic to the pan; cook and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
4. Stir in cooked pork, carrots, green onions, cabbage, and cilantro. Season with pepper, salt, garlic powder, and soy sauce. Remove from the heat, and set aside until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
5. To assemble lumpia: Place 3 heaping tablespoons of filling diagonally near one corner of a lumpia wrapper, leaving a 1 inch space at both ends.
6. Fold the side along the length of the filling over the filling, tuck in both ends, and roll neatly and tightly to close. Moisten the other side of the wrapper with water to seal the edge. Transfer to a plate and cover with plastic wrap to retain moisture. Repeat to assemble remaining lumpia.
7. Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
8. Slide 3 to 4 lumpia into the hot oil, making sure the seams are facing down. Fry, turning occasionally, until all sides are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat to fry remaining lumpia.
9. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

From the Editor

For thinner lumpia, use 60 lumpia wrappers, and half the amount of filling per wrapper (or 1 tablespoons filling each).

We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount may vary depending on cook time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• Calories: 168
• Total Fat: 11g (13% DV)
• Saturated Fat: 3g (15% DV)
• Cholesterol: 23mg (8% DV)
• Sodium: 288mg (13% DV)
• Total Carbohydrate: 11g (4% DV)
• Dietary Fiber: 1g (3% DV)
• Total Sugars: 1g
• Protein: 7g (14% DV)
• Vitamin C: 3mg (3% DV)
• Calcium: 20mg (2% DV)
• Iron: 1mg (6% DV)
• Potassium: 142mg (3% DV)

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.