With a ground pork and veggie filling in a thin wrapper that’s fried to crispy perfection, this Authentic Lumpia Recipe tastes like something straight from a 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.
What Is Lumpia?
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. As noted below, there are many different ways to prepare lumpia and the fillings vary as well.
- The filling. This is typically made with ground pork, vegetables, and a few seasonings, but the filling can be played with depending on your taste. Some people include carrots, while others add cabbage and water chestnuts. They can be made with just simple seasoning like salt and pepper, or with added soy sauce and sesame oil for a deeper flavor.
- Assembled with raw filling or cooked filling. The filling can be combined and placed in the lumpia wrapper raw, then fried, or the filling can be cooked in a skillet first and then rolled in the wrapper before frying.
- Rolling them up. Not all Filipino families roll their lumpia the same – we have 3 family friends who are Filipino – none related, or even know one another – and they all make their lumpia differently. Some roll them up like a burrito, tucking in the sides, while others roll them up like a long, skinny cigar. It’s all personal preference.
Why You’ll Love This Pork Lumpia Recipe
- Authentic. As noted above, this recipe was given to me by a Filipino family – so you know you’re getting the real deal!
- Easy-to-find ingredients. This recipe uses ingredients easily found at your local grocery store, like water chestnuts, carrots, and ground pork. If you can’t find lumpia wrappers, you can use egg roll wrappers.
- Fry, air fry, or bake. The traditional directions for this lumpia recipe include frying the rolls but I’ve also included directions for preparing them in the oven or air fryer as well. They all turn out great!
Ingredients Needed
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need for this authentic recipe.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for details and measurements.)
- Vegetable oil – For cooking the pork.
- Ground pork – The most traditional filling, though you can use other ground meat as well.
- Garlic & ginger – Fresh and minced, for aromatics and added flavor.
- Veggies – Onion, carrot, green cabbage, water chestnuts, and scallions add texture and flavor to the filling.
- Spices – You’ll need only salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Light soy sauce – For the classic umami flavor.
- Sesame oil – Another traditional ingredient in Filipino dishes.
- Lumpia wrappers – See note below.
- Oil – For frying. Note that I’ve included methods for baking and air frying as well.
- Sweet chili sauce – Lumpia is typically served with sweet chili sauce for dipping.
Lumpia Wrappers vs Egg Roll Wrappers
Lumpia wrappers are a bit thinner than egg roll wrappers and have a different shape, as lumpia are longer and thinner than most egg rolls. You can find the wrappers in most Asian grocery stores and in some bigger chain stores. But if egg roll wrappers are all you can find, they will work in this recipe.
How to Make Lumpia
Here’s a quick step-by-step of how to make lumpia.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions and don’t miss the video below.)
- Cook the pork. Cook the pork, breaking it into tiny crumbles, until no pink remains. Drain off any grease.
- Add the veggies. Add the garlic and ginger, cooking until fragrant, then stir in the veggies. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until tender, then add the seasonings, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Remove from heat and set aside until cool enough to touch.
- Assemble the lumpia. Set a wrapper on a clean surface with one corner towards you. Spoon 2 & 1/2 tablespoons of filling 1 & 1/2 inches from the bottom point, into a 4-5 inch long strip. Fold the bottom over the filling, fold in the edges, and continue rolling toward the top point until you have 2 inches of wrapper left. Moisten the remaining wrapper with water and finish rolling. Place on a plate, seam side down, and cover with plastic wrap while you repeat the process.
- Fry. Heat an inch of oil in a skillet until it reaches 350F. Fry 4 lumpia at a time, starting with the seam side down, for 1-2 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Enjoy. Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce.
Can I Make This In The Oven or Air Fryer?
Yes! This lumpia recipe works in both the oven and the air fryer, if you don’t want to fry them.
- 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 a bit while baking. If you skip oiling the inside, the rolls will end up a bit tough and chewy. Bake at 400F 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.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for preparing lumpia.
- Can I use egg roll wrappers? Yes, as noted above, you can use egg roll wrappers if needed. However, if using egg roll wrappers, cut them down to a rectangular size to help achieve the look of lumpia.
- Have a few extra wrappers available. Just in case one tears or you have extra filling.
- Maintain the oil temperature. It’s important to ensure that the oil reaches 350F and the temperature is maintained so that the lumpia get golden and crispy but don’t over-brown.
- 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.
Video: Homemade Lumpia
Serving Suggestions
Lumpia is typically served as an appetizer, with sweet chili sauce for dipping. You can also dip them in soy 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.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Uncooked lumpia: You can 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.
- Cooked lumpia: 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.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Lumpia
With a ground pork and veggie filling in a thin wrapper that's fried to crispy perfection, this Authentic Lumpia Recipe tastes like something straight from a Filipino restaurant. Enjoy with sweet chili sauce for dipping!
Servings: 30 lumpia
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger , peeled and minced
- 1 small onion , finely minced
- 1 medium carrot , finely minced
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
- 1/3 cup finely minced water chestnuts
- 2 scallions , minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 30 lumpia wrappers
- Oil , for frying
- Sweet chili sauce , for dipping
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- To assemble, set a wrapper on a clean work surface in a diamond shape with one of the corners toward you. Spoon 2 & 1/2 tablespoons of filling at the bottom of the wrapper, leaving about 1 & 1/2 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. (For visual help, you can refer to the photos in the article and/or watch the video.)
- Transfer to a plate, seam side down, and cover with plastic wrap to lock in some 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. (All storage information is included in the article.)
- Heat 1 inch vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until it reaches 350F (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 seam side down, not touching. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Transfer to paper towel-lined plates to drain.
- Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce!
Video
Notes
Authentic lumpia. As mentioned in the article, there are many different ways to prepare lumpia and the fillings vary as well. 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.
Have a few extra wrappers available. Just in case one tears or you have extra filling.
Using 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.
Oven or Air fryer. These lumpia can also be baked in the oven or air fried with pretty great results, if preferred. Instructions for both are included in the article.
Storage info. Details on storing leftovers or freezing lumpia is also included in the article.
Nutrition
Serving: 1lumpia | Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 352IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
This is so delicious recipe. Just take out the water chestnut for authenticity. I’m from the Philippines and we don’t have water chestnut there and we don’t use it in our. Great job!!!! Love it!!!!
It’s THE BEST ever…. Love having a meal that portrays another culture so well.