From street food stalls to family gatherings, traditional pork lumpia are a classic. These Filipino spring rolls, are filled with minced pork and veggies. Dip into sweet and sour sauce, for traditional flavor.
These tasty morsels can be served as individual snacks or arranged on a platter and served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.
For more Filipino dishes see recipe for Adobo Chicken Livers, Fresh Vegetable Lumpia, Banana Turons, and Ube Leche Flan.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Rice wrappers wrapped around a pork and veggie medley, fried golden and crispy. Dip them into sweet and sour sauce for a satisfying Filipino bite for lunch, dinner, or as appetizers.
Simple, delicious, perfect for any occasion you love them because they're:
- Crispy and golden: The thin rice wrappers fry up beautifully, creating a satisfyingly crispy exterior that gives way to a tender and juicy filling.
- Versatile: Lumpia can be enjoyed as an appetizer, snack, or even a light meal. They're also great for making ahead and freezing for later.
- Dipping delight: Lumpia are perfect for dipping in a variety of sauces, from sweet and sour to spicy sriracha.
Follow our step-by-step guide for making pork lumpia using simple ingredients that you can find in your local grocery store.
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Ingredients For Traditional Lumpia
- Ground pork
- Onion - Minced fine.
- Garlic - Minced.
- Carrot - Grated or diced small.
- Green onion - Sliced thinly.
- Salt
- Black pepper - Finely ground.
- Soy sauce - Light or regular.
- Lumpia wrappers - Sold in freezer section of Asian grocery stores.
- Vegetable oil
How To Make Lumpia
This is my favorite brand of lumpia wrapper. Visit an Asian food market near where you live. They should have them in the freezer case.
I like how they're easy to separate, as they have a plastic sheet between each wrapper. There are 30 in each package.
Prepare The Filling
- Grate the carrots, mince the garlic, and finely chop up the onion and scallions.
- Brown the pork, breaking it up. Season with salt & pepper.
- Add the grated, minced, and chopped vegetables. Cook until tender.
Prepare to Roll The Lumpia
- Finish cooking the pork & vegetable mixture. Separate a few lumpia wrappers, and prepare to roll.
- Add the soy sauce and adjust salt & pepper if needed.
- Spoon a very small amount of meat mixture onto a lumpia wrapper.
Shallow Fry The Lumpia
- Roll the wrapper twice. Moisten wrapper sides with water, fold over, and roll up the rest of the way. Seal edges with damp fingers.
- Let the lumpia rest a few minutes so all water is absorbed. Heat oil in a shallow skillet or electric skillet.
Tips For Success
- Don't overfill your lumpia rolls, as that will tear the wrapper.
- Drain excess liquid from the skillet of meat & vegetable mixture.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can substitute the pork for ground beef, chicken, or turkey.
- Use whatever vegetables you have available, but onion and carrot are the most traditional.
- Thin rice noodles such as mei fun can be added for a lighter texture.
Serving Suggestions
Prepare lumpia as an appetizer, or as a main course. Serve with hot rice, fried rice, Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, and a big green salad.
A platter of Lumpia makes a stunning appearance on a brunch or buffet table also.
Storage Options
- Cool completely, store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze cooled lumpia on a baking sheet, then transfer to freezer bags for crispy cravings up to 3 months.
- Reheat lumpia in a pan with a touch of oil for a satisfying sizzle, or bake them in a preheated oven for a healthier, hands-free option.
Related Recipes
Equipment
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- Skillet for preparing vegetable mix
- Electric Skillet or regular skillet for shallow frying
- A 12" x 12" electric skillet is awesome for making lumpia.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but ground pork is a little softer than ground beef. If you don't want to use pork, a best substitute is either ground chicken or ground turkey.
They can, freeze before frying. Defrost in the refrigerator, and then shallow fry according to the recipe.
More Delish Ideas
Traditional Filipino Pork Lumpia
Equipment
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
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.
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