How To Roll Lumpia

Master how to roll lumpia with this simple 5-step guide! From prepping the wrappers to sealing the deal, we'll walk you through each step, ensuring your lumpia are crispy, delicious, and never burst open.

While it might look tricky to make those perfect cigar looking lumpia rolls, it's actually very easy. Number one trick? Don't overfill!

What You'll Need

Lumpia, those crispy Filipino spring rolls filled with savory goodness, are delightful, but their true beauty lies in the perfect roll.

• Lumpia wrappers (store-bought or homemade)
• A bowl of water for sealing
• Filling of your choice (meat, vegetables, or vegetarian)

The Rolling Steps:

Impress your family and friends with your newfound skills and enjoy the satisfaction of making homemade, traditional lumpia!

1. Prep your workspace: Lay out a clean, dry surface with your filling, wrappers, water bowl, and a small amount of oil nearby.
2. Lay out the wrapper: Place a wrapper on your work surface.
3. Spoon in the filling: Add a tablespoon (adjust based on wrapper size) of filling near the base of the bottom of the round wrapper. Don't overfill!
4. First Fold: Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper up over the filling, creating a snug enclosure.
5. Side Folds: Fold the left and right sides of the wrapper inwards, encasing the filling further.
6. The Roll: Gently but firmly, begin rolling the wrapper upwards, tucking in the filling as you go. Aim for a tight, even roll.
7. Seal it tight: Dip your finger in the water and moisten the exposed edge of the wrapper. Press to seal, ensuring no gaps for leaks.
8. Shape and repeat: Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Bonus Tips

With these instructions and a little practice, you'll be rolling beautiful lumpia that are not only delicious but look like a pro made then.

• Use warm wrappers: They'll be more pliable and easier to roll without cracking.
• Make sure to use the right type of wrapper: Lumpia Wrappers vs Egg Roll Wrappers
• Don't overfill: Excess filling can burst the wrapper during frying.
• Tight roll, happy roll: A snug roll ensures even cooking and prevents filling from spilling out.
• Is Lumpia Gluten Free? No, not unless you use gluten free wrappers, gluten free sauces, etc. Which is still pretty easy to do.
• Practice makes perfect: Don't be discouraged if your first few rolls aren't flawless. Keep practicing, and you'll be a lumpia rolling pro in no time!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Traditional Filipino Pork Lumpia

This recipe for savory Filipino pork lumpia will have everyone smacking their lips in delight. These tasty morsels can be served as individual snacks or arranged on a platter and served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.

Prep Time35 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Asian, Filipino

Servings: 30 lumpia

Calories: 139kcal

Author: Kelly Bloom

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Equipment

• 1 Presto Electric Skillet

Ingredients

• ½ cup vegetable oil for shallow pan frying lumpia rolls
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil for sauteing filling
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 cup carrot , grated
• ½ cup onion , chopped
• ½ cup green scallions , chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 30 Lumpia wrappers

US Customary - Metric

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Heat a large skillet with the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add ground pork, break up and cook until no longer pink.
  2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 lb ground pork
• Add the carrot, onions, scallions, minced garlic, salt, pepper. Add soy sauce. Stir well and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
  1 cup carrot, ½ cup onion, ½ cup green scallions, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt
• Lay out a lumpia wrapper on a flat board. Have a small bowl of water nearby for sealing the wrapper. Place two rounded teaspoons of meat & vegetable mixture on the lumpia wrapper. Center placement, but about 2" from bottom edge of wrapper.
  30 Lumpia wrappers
• Lift the bottom edge of the lumpia wrapper up and over the vegetable filling, rolling twice as you do so.
• Dip your fingers in the water and dampen the left and right sides of the lumpia wrapper. Take the left side of the wrapper and pull toward the center, sealing the damp wrapper against the roll. Repeat with the right side of the wrapper.
• Use fingers dipped in the water, dampen the remaining exposed upper portion of the wrapper. Now gently roll with just enough tightness to create a little tension. roll the wrapper up like a mini cigar. Use water to dampen any loose edges so they all lay smoothly.
• Repeat until all 30 lumpia wrappers are filled. Let sit for a few minutes so all sealing water is absorbed.
• While lumpia rolls are sitting, heat a few tablespoons of the remaining oil in a large skillet or electric skillet. Lay out lumpia in the hot oil, shallow frying and turning until golden brown on all sides, adding more of the remaining oil as needed. Work in small batches. Remove fried lumpia and lay on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
  ½ cup vegetable oil
• Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

• Drain excess liquid from the skillet of meat & vegetable mixture.
• Don't overfill your lumpia rolls, as that will tear the wrapper. You really only use 2 rounded teaspoons of filling. Lumpia rolls are about 4-6" long and about ¾" in diameter. They are smaller than spring rolls.

Nutrition

Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 733IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg