Here's an easy recipe for the ultimate air fryer frozen egg rolls. The combination of the flaky crispy egg roll wrapper and the soft savory center can be pretty addicting. When the craving hits for some hot & crispy egg rolls, they are just minutes away when air frying them. Once you air fry frozen egg rolls, you will never cook them any other way.
If you love egg rolls but prefer to eat a bit healthier and lighter, then air frying is the perfect cooking solution. No deep frying, heavy oils, or greasy exteriors.
This recipe was inspired by my love for air-frying potstickers. Just like frozen potstickers, frozen egg rolls are heavenly when cooked in the air fryer. I recommend serving these as an appetizer or snack any time of day. Or pair them with Teriyaki Brussels Sprouts & make it a meal.
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Ingredients
This one-ingredient recipe couldn't be easier. All you need to make frozen egg rolls in the air fryer are the egg rolls. This works with your favorite store-bought premade egg rolls. Try this recipe using any of these popular brands: Trader Joe's, Pagoda, PF Chang's, Chung's, Minh at Costco, Safeway Select, Whole Foods 365, or Good Value at WalMart.
It also works for those you make homemade and freeze to enjoy later. So if you made a large batch of pork, chicken, tofu, or vegetable egg rolls, freeze them. Having leftover frozen homemade egg rolls is a treat when air fried.
- Frozen Egg Rolls
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Air Fry Frozen Egg Rolls
Before placing the egg rolls in the air fryer, preheat your machine first. Set it to 375° & the timer to 12 minutes. I use a toaster oven/air fryer combination, the Breville Smart Oven. I love it, especially for our large family & small kitchen.
When the air fryer is preheated, add the egg rolls to the tray or basket in a single layer. Spread them out so the heat can circulate around all sides.
Make sure the egg rolls are not stacked or touching. Do not overcrowd the air fryer tray or basket.
I cooked 6 egg rolls but can get up to 12 in my air fryer without overcrowding it. You can cook as few or as many as can fit in your air fryer at once & still be in a single layer. The cook time and temperature will be the same.
If using a basket-type air fryer, you may need to flip the egg rolls after 6 minutes. I did not need to do this with my tray-style model.
When the timer is done, the egg rolls are ready. They should be hot in the center with an internal temperature of 165°. The corners and edges will be medium golden brown and crispy.
Using tongs, remove the egg rolls from the air fryer. Place them on a plate to cool for a minute before cutting or biting into them. CAUTION: contents will be HOT!
Hint: If you want a crispier egg roll, you can cook it for an additional few minutes. I recommend turning the temperature up to 400° and cooking the egg rolls for 2 more minutes on each side. This will give you dark brown crunchy edges and a crispier all-over texture.
Top Tips
All of these great tips are shared in the recipe. But these are so good and important they are worth mentioning again so you don't miss them.
- No spray or other oils needed - frozen egg rolls typically all have oils in their ingredients.
- Preheat the oven so the egg roll timing is just right.
- Do not thaw the egg rolls before cooking.
- Do not stack or overcrowd the air fryer basket/tray. Keep egg rolls in a single layer so they cook evenly and all sides get crispy.
- For extra crispy egg rolls, cook a few additional minutes at a higher temperature. Once they are cooked & centers are done the high heat will crisp the outside.
Dips & Sauce to Serve with Egg Rolls
I admit that egg rolls are pretty fantastic but I do love a good dipping sauce with them. I prefer something a bit sweet & spicy to pair with the savoriness of egg rolls. Here are some of my favorite dips & sauce to serve with egg rolls.
- Sweet & Sour Sauce
- Thai Chili Garlic Sauce
- Sweet, Spicy, & Sticky Pineapple Dipping Sauce
- Mayo & Sriracha combo
- Creamy Sesame Dipping Sauce
- Gyoza/Potsticker dipping Sauce
- Soy or Teriyaki Sauce
Equipment
If you want to air fry egg rolls or other frozen foods, you will need an air fryer - either a tray or basket style will suffice. You can cook frozen egg rolls with either one and never have to turn on the oven or use oil. If you are considering buying an air fryer or upgrading yours, here are the models & accessories I recommend. Plus dipping sauces & accessories that make air frying easy for cooking and cleaning.
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Storage
If you have leftovers, store the egg rolls in the refrigerator to enjoy later. Place them in a Ziploc bag and seal them. Store egg rolls in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating egg rolls in the air fryer is so easy. Preheat the air fryer to 350° and air fry for 5 minutes.
I do not recommend refreezing egg rolls. Once frozen egg rolls have been cooked, it is best to enjoy them in the first 3 days.
FAQ
It is not recommended to thaw or defrost the egg rolls before cooking. Thawed egg rolls will fall apart or get soggy which is not ideal nor safe if left at room temperature. It is best to cook them frozen in the air fryer. Cooking egg rolls straight from the freezer is what makes this a quick & easy recipe.
If you want to have the crispiest egg rolls ever, cooking them at two different temperatures is the way to go. Begin by following the directions in the recipe card below.
Once the egg rolls are done, turn up the temperature to 400° and cook for an additional 2 minutes on each side. The high heat will air fry the egg roll wrappers until brown & crunchy.
Air-frying frozen spring rolls or lumpia is very similar to this egg roll recipe. Since spring rolls and lumpia are typically smaller than egg rolls, the cooking time will be shorter. I cooked lumpia in the air fryer and set it to 375° & cooked them for 8 minutes. Times will vary based on the size of your frozen items.
Other Air Fryer Appetizers & Snacks
Here on the blog, you can find more of the best appetizers & snacks that can be air fried. Try these easy recipes the next time you want a small bite that is hot and ready to eat quickly.
Air Fryer Frozen Egg Rolls
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 6 frozen egg rolls
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°. If you have a cooking timer or setting on your model, set it for 12 minutes.
- When the air fryer is preheated, add the egg rolls to the tray or basket in a single layer. Spread them out so the heat can circulate around all sides. I cooked 6 egg rolls but you can cook as few or as many as can fit in your air fryer at once. Make sure the egg rolls are not stacked or touching. Do not overcrowd the air fryer tray or basket.
- If using a basket-style air fryer, you may need to flip them after 6 minutes of cooking. I find that in the tray style I use, no flipping is needed when cooking egg rolls.
- When the timer is done, the egg rolls are ready. They should be hot in the center with an internal temperature of 165°. The corners and edges will be medium golden brown and crispy.
- Using tongs, remove the egg rolls from the air fryer. Place them on a plate to cool for a minute before cutting or biting into them. CAUTION: contents will be HOT!
- Serve with optional dipping sauces & enjoy.
Notes
Food safety
Here are some reminders about proper food handling and kitchen safety. When cooking anything with meat or air frying, please follow these food safety tips, tricks, & rules.
- Cook to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), especially for egg rolls that contain meat.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat or foods.
- Wash hands after touching raw food.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use tongs & oven mitts when working with an air fryer - internal & external surfaces can get hot.
Janet says
I am at an AirB&B that has an air fryer so I had to use it. I do not own one so want to test drive it on something easy like frozen egg rolls. I am sold. So good and now my husband rolls his eyes when I say that we are getting one as soon as we get home.
Angela says
Great news! I hope you enjoyed your vacation. For a great air fryer, check out my article - https://theshortordercook.com/best-air-fryer-for-a-family-of-4/
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party - have a great week!