Air Fryer Rice Paper Spring Rolls (Gluten-Free)
Everyone loves these crispy homemade Air Fryer Spring Rolls made from scratch. This vegan and vegetarian recipe is a satisfying appetizer. Rice paper wrappers make these gluten-free, too.
These light and crispy air fryer spring rolls make a delicious snack or appetizer. Rice paper wrappers get stuffed with shredded veggies for a healthier version of an egg roll – no deep frying required!
You can easily customize these spring rolls and make them into a light lunch. Add cooked shrimp or ground pork for filling protein, or add more veggies like bean sprouts, green onions, or mushrooms.
I can’t think of a more delicious way to get your veggies than a veggie spring roll. Dip in sweet chili sauce for an extra kick of sweet flavor. You won’t be able to stop at just one of these hand-held rolls.
Air Fryer Spring Roll Benefits
- Use rice paper wrappers or wheat-based spring roll pastry for this recipe (for gluten-free diets, be sure to read the packages to make sure you find gluten-free wrappers). The spring roll pastry will be crispier but the rice paper wrappers will be lighter. Both are delicious.
- These vegetable spring rolls are perfect for a healthy snack or appetizer. They taste like healthy egg rolls!
- Customize the filling with additional veggies, tofu, or minced shrimp or pork.
- Air frying is a healthier alternative to deep-frying the spring rolls.
Key Ingredients
- Toasted sesame oil – Toasted sesame oil has a deep and nutty flavor for a serious flavor boost. You can find sesame oil in the international foods aisle or next to the other oils. It comes in a small bottle because a little of its strong flavor goes a long way!
- Garlic – Minced garlic has a sweet and nutty flavor once cooked. You can purchase it pre-minced for one less step. Find it in a small jar near the fresh garlic.
- Cabbage – Red or green cabbage both work great. You can also use Napa cabbage. If you don’t like chopping cabbage, you can buy pre-chopped or shredded cabbage.
- Carrots – You can grate the carrots in a food processor with a grater attachment or on a handheld mandolin. Just be careful to watch your fingers. Or, save time and buy pre-shedded carrots.
- Ginger – Dried or grated ginger both work, but fresh ginger will have a sharp bite to it. Only use it if you love fresh ginger!
- Salt – Don’t forget to season! Salt is what takes good food and makes it amazing. Unsalted food tastes flat.
- Rice paper wrappers – For a lighter and gluten-free take, I’ve used rice paper wrappers. You can find these in the international food aisle of most local grocery stores. If you would rather use wheat-based wrappers, use spring roll pastry wrappers or egg roll wrappers.
- Hot water – Water rehydrates the wrappers and makes them pliable.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Steps
Step One
In a medium-sized skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic, cabbage, carrots, ginger, and sea salt then sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step Two
Turn off the heat and set the vegetable aside to cool.
Step Three
Prepare your rice wrappers one at a time. If using wheat-based wrappers ignore this step.
Dip the rice paper wraps into the hot water until pliable – about 20 seconds.
Step Four
Lay the wet wrapper on a flat work surface. The wrapper will be sticky so it’s best to place it onto parchment paper.
Transfer two tablespoons of the vegetable mixture into the center of the wrapper. Wrap them one at a time.
Carefully but snugly fold in each of the ends then wrap the center over itself like a little burrito. Repeat this process with the remaining wrappers until they’re all filled.
Lay them inside your air fryer basket in a single layer. Don’t let them overlap. Spray the tops of the rolls with cooking spray. Set the temperature to 390 degrees for a cooking time of 5 minutes. Carefully turn the spring rolls over and spray them again.
Set the timer to 5 more minutes or until the outside of the rolls have become crispy. Serve warm or at room temperature with sweet chili sauce or your favorite dipping sauce!
The recipe card below is printable.
I hope your whole family agrees that this easy recipe is better than any you can find at a Chinese restaurant. These crispy spring rolls are a great way to get your veggies. Serve them as a delicious appetizer or main dish.
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
- You can use fresh ginger instead of dried ginger, if you prefer. Use a 1-inch piece of peeled ginger and grate it using a micro plane or a cheese grater.
- If you aren’t on a gluten-free diet, you can use wheat spring roll wrappers instead of rice paper sheets.
- If you don’t have toasted sesame oil, you can use olive oil or avocado oil instead. You can also add a splash of tamari, coconut aminos, or soy sauce for extra flavor.
- If you are on a gluten-free diet, be sure to buy a brand of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce that is gluten-free.
- You can double this recipe, but you may need to bake the spring rolls in two batches, depending on how big your air fryer is.
- Want to add more protein? Add cubed tofu or cooked pork or shrimp to the mix.
- Some air fryers need to be preheated. Be sure to read the manufacturer’s guide for your specific air fryer model to determine if it needs to be preheated.
Recipe FAQs
If you use rice paper wrappers, it’s best to enjoy them fresh! If you use wheat-based wrappers, you can freeze them uncooked or cooked. Reheat in the air fryer at 390 degrees until brown and crispy. For best results, use them within 2 months of freezing.
Do not overlap the spring rolls in the air fryer. Be sure each spring roll has a bit of space so the hot air can circulate around it. This also prevents them from sticking together.
More Healthy Air Fryer Recipes You Might Like
- Air Fryer Apple Crisp
- Air Fryer Bananas
- Air Fryer Corn Dogs
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Kale Chips
- Air Fryer Frozen Stir-Fry Vegetables
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes
Or, check out my entire index of gluten-free air fryer recipes.
Don’t Miss These Air Fryer Resources!
Air Fryer Rice Paper Spring Rolls (Gluten-Free)
Everyone loves these crispy homemade Air Fryer Spring Rolls. This vegan and vegetarian recipe is a satisfying appetizer. Rice paper wrappers make these gluten-free, too.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 medium red or green cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 4 carrots, grated or julienned
- 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 6–8 rice paper wrappers
- 2 cups hot water (to prepare the rice paper wrappers)
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (optional, for dipping)
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic, cabbage, carrots, ginger, and sea salt, and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the vegetables start to soften.
- Turn off the heat and place the skillet aside to let the vegetables cool slightly.
- Prepare your rice paper wrappers one at a time. You’ll need a wide-mouthed bowl filled with hot water. Dip a rice paper wrapper in the hot water for about 20-30 seconds, or until it becomes pliable.
- Lay the rice paper wrapper on a flat surface. As the wet wrappers tend to stick to everything, you may need to lay a piece of parchment paper on your surface. Use a spoon to transfer about 2 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture into the center of each rice paper wrapper, working one at a time.
- Then, fold each wrapper into a burrito shape. First, fold in each of the ends, and then wrap the center over itself. Repeat with the remaining wrappers until you’ve used up all of the vegetable filling.
- Lay the filled spring rolls inside of your air fryer basket in a single layer. Try not to let the spring rolls touch each other or overlap. Spray the tops of the spring rolls lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Set the temperature to 390°F for 5 minutes. Then, open the air fryer basket, turn the spring rolls over, and spray them again with the cooking spray.
- Set the timer to 5 more minutes, or until the outside of the spring rolls have turned crispy.
- Serve warm, or at room temperature, with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- You can use fresh ginger instead of dried ginger, if you prefer. Use a 1-inch piece of peeled ginger and grate it using a micro plane or a cheese grater.
- If you aren’t on a gluten-free diet, you can use wheat spring roll wrappers instead of rice paper wrappers.
- If you don’t have toasted sesame oil, you can use olive oil or avocado oil instead.
- If you are on a gluten-free diet, be sure to buy a brand of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce that is gluten-free.
- You can double this recipe, but you may need to bake the spring rolls in two batches, depending on how big your air fryer is.
- Some air fryers need to be preheated. Be sure to read the manufacturer’s guide for your specific air fryer model to determine if it needs to be preheated.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Air fryer
- Cuisine: Asian-inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 spring roll
- Calories: 93
- Sugar: 3.2 g
- Sodium: 353.9 mg
- Fat: 2.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.5 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 0.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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Good recipe except for one thing: It seems that no-one outside of Asia (not even Gordon Ramsay) knows that rice paper should not be soaked for 15-20 seconds, until as soft as it will get. It should be treated in the manner of cooking steak…in which the meat is removed from the grill early, because it keeps cooking for a few minutes even off the grill.
Problem is that after 15-20 seconds the rice paper is almost impossible to lay out flat without it sticking together. It’s comparable to trying to roll wet tissu
In Vietnam, there is virtually no soaking time at all…the rice paper is dipped in hot water, the water is allowed to drip off and it is laid out flat, filled and then rolled. Try it: You’ll see that even that 1-2 second dip is adequate and by the time the ingredients are laid out, the wrapper will have softened enough to roll tightly without cracking but will still have a little body making it easier to roll…and will continue to soften completely within another minute, before it is eaten.
Mmmmmm, love these yummy spring rolls!