Chicken Spring Rolls (Super Flavorful + Crispy!)

Filled with juicy, flavorful chicken and crunchy veggies, these Chicken Spring Rolls are everything you want from a spring roll - extra crispy yet somehow light, non-greasy and fresh. Flavor-wise, these lean on Indo-Chinese, so they're more umami and spicy than your average Spring Rolls. Even if you’ve never made a Spring Roll, this easy-to-follow recipe + video tutorial will have you confidently rolling pastry.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast (cut into 3” chunks)
• 1 3/4 cups water (3/4 cup for Instant Pot)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp crushed/finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp crushed/finely chopped ginger
• 1 tsp crumbled chicken bouillon stock cube (such as maggi or knorr)
• 1 12-oz package spring roll pastry sheets
• 1/4 cup neutral oil (such as avocado oil, plus more for frying)
• 3-4 cups green cabbage (thinly sliced/shredded into 1-2” long strips)
• 2 large carrots (peeled and shredded into 1” pieces (I use my food processor's shredder attachment))
• 2 green onions (scallions) (finely chopped)
• 1 1/2-2 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp Desi-style chili garlic sauce (sub 1/2 tbsp Asian-style chili garlic, 1/2 tbsp ketchup)
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp chicken powder (bouillon cube, crumbled to a powder OR 1 tsp (4g) MSG (Ajinomoto) - Note 4)
• 1 small egg (not essential for binding but adds flavor/crunch - Note 5)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Take the spring roll pastry out of the freezer and allow it to come to room temperature.
2. 2--- Boil the Chicken ---
3. 3Method 1 - Pressure cook/Instant Pot Method: Combine the chicken, measured water, salt, garlic, ginger, and bouillon powder in an Instant Pot. Cover and select Pressure – High. Set time for 15 minutes. Allow to NPR for at least 5 minutes, then manually release. Take out ¼ cup of the stock, reserving the remaining for other use.
4. 4Method 2 – Stovetop Boiling Method: Combine the chicken, measured water, salt, garlic, ginger, and bouillon powder in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, removing any scum that rises to the surface. Cover with the lid ajar, and allow to boil until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Turn off the heat when there’s about ¼ cup of liquid left (this will help keep the chicken moist). If the water evaporates too quickly, top with water until it cooks through.
5. 5--- Shred the chicken: ---
6. 6Transfer the boiled chicken with about ¼ cup of its juices to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on to low-medium speed and process the chicken for 1 ½ minutes, until shredded and stringy and no large chunks remain. (You don’t want super finely shredded, crumbly chicken.) (Yields 3 cups/~300g chicken.) Alternatively, finely shred the chicken with 2 forks.
7. 7--- Prepare the filling: ---
8. 8Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat. Add cabbage, carrots, and green onions and sauté until slightly softened but still crunchy, 2-3 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, followed by the seasoning (red chili flakes, ground black pepper, white pepper, salt, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and chicken powder/msg, if using) and mix for 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust, adding salt to taste, chili flakes or black pepper for heat, soy sauce for more umami flavor, and chili garlic sauce for tangy sweetness. (Keep in mind the flavors will mellow out in the rolls.) Turn off the heat and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. You can also pop in the fridge to cool quicker.
9. 9--- Assemble the egg rolls: ---
10. 10Whisk together the ingredients for the egg binder in a small bowl. Place it near your work surface.
11. 11Lay one square pastry sheet on your work surface in a diamond shape (May use 2 sheets for extra crisp - Note 3). Keep the remaining pastry sheets covered to prevent them from drying out. Place about 3 tbsp (25-30g) of the chicken about 2" above the bottom corner of the pastry. Shape this into a log/rectangle, similar to the shape of the final egg roll. Lift the bottom corner over the filling, tucking it snugly to create a tight roll. Continue rolling upward until you get halfway across the pastry sheet (see photo).
12. 12Fold the left and right corners inward toward the center, so the filling is encased in a compact 4-5" horizontal log. It’ll look like an open envelope. Brush the top all over lightly with the egg wash to help it stick, then finish rolling upward, pressing gently to seal the edge securely. (Try to ensure tight and even rolling, which will help make neater egg rolls.) Tip: Start heating up your oil while you finish rolling.
13. 13Cover loosely with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying while you finish assembling the rest. If you find you’re running out of filling while you have leftover pastry sheets, stack two pastry sheets together for extra crispy rolls. (If using 2 pastry sheets, brush egg wash on the loose bottom sheet as well.)
14. 14--- Fry the egg rolls: ---
15. 15Pour oil into a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan so that it's about 1.5-2”/4-5 cm deep. It should be deep enough so that the rolls don't stick to the bottom. Heat the oil to med-high heat (360-380°F/180°-190°C), and adjust heat level as needed to maintain this heat. (If the temperature is too high (>390°F) = exterior cooks unevenly and/or burns; If the temperature is too low (<300°F), the egg rolls become brittle and oily.) Fry the egg rolls in batches (I fry 5 at a time) for 5-6 minutes, turning often, until they are crisp and golden. Keep rotating to prevent one side from cooking too much.
16. 16Using tongs or a spider strainer, remove the egg rolls from the oil and let them drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve hot with chutney of choice.