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Pork, shrimp, and vegetables are folded into a paper-thin lumpia wrapper and then fried to crisp golden perfection in this traditional recipe for Filipino Lumpia.
Over 20 years ago, I tasted lumpia for the first time. I fell in love with them at first bite.
Filipino Lumpia
Unfortunately, I lost touch with the friend who introduced them to me, courtesy of her mama’s cooking. I remembered them a few years ago and realized that I might be able to make them at home.
Then I ran into a problem. Where would I find the recipe? I looked online and didn’t find anything that sounded quite right. The lumpia that I remembered was not your average eggroll.
There wasn’t cabbage or an abundance of vegetables in them. I simply remembered that there were a lot of different flavors packed into a very thin wrapper.
I mentioned my lumpia craving to a friend, (thanks, Sandra!) who told me to look for one of her friends on Facebook. I did that and proceeded to message back and forth with her friend, Irene, who was happy to chat about lumpia recipes for a bit to make sure I had it right.
The lumpia turned out fabulously and my middle son immediately requested them for his birthday meal the following year. We like to serve lumpia with this Simple Asian-inspired Rice and bowls of Egg Drop Soup.
In my house, a birthday request is the very highest of food compliments. Everyone in the family devoured these and my youngest actually cried when they were gone. There wasn’t a single one left or we probably would have eaten more.
Over the years, I’ve made traditional lumpia, Baked Filipino Lumpia, and when I’m short on time, this easy recipe for a Filipino Lumpia Skillet is always a hit!
(Once you’ve tried the lumpia skillet, you’ll want to try the original Egg Roll Skillet and the Sausage Egg Roll in a Bowl for more fun variations.)
If you love all the flavors of traditional lumpia and egg roll recipes, but just don’t have the time to roll them each time you’re craving them, the skillet recipes are sure to thrill you!
Dipping Sauces for Filipino Lumpia
We like to use a couple of different sweet and sour hot sauces for dipping. My husband enjoys the heat of Lingham’s Sweet & Spicy Hot Sauce and my younger boys and I prefer the sweetness of Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce.
My oldest son mixes the two and declared that perfect. My friend Irene also mentioned that she likes Frank’s Sweet Chili Sauce, however, I didn’t see that one at my store.
Lumpia Recipe
The first time I made these, I misunderstood the original directions and I cooked and crumbled the ground pork prior to mixing it with the other ingredients.
It was supposed to be mixed together in the style of meatloaf with all the other ingredients and then fried and cooked that way. I loved the way mine turned out, so I have chosen to share that particular method.
I’ve also made them as originally intended with raw meat and they’re delicious that way. I simply find it simpler (with less concern to whether they’re cooked through) to make them the way the recipe is written above.
If you decide to make them with the more traditional method, be certain the meat is fully cooked in the oil. Irene recommends just a teaspoon or so of the mix in each lumpia and the cooking them 5-6 minutes or until golden brown.
Where To Buy Lumpia Wrappers
I am fortunate to live within a couple of miles of an Oriental supermarket. It is huge! I had never been there before and it was an awesome experience to just wander the aisles.
It was an entire superstore of the most exotic Oriental foods. I can hardly wait to try another new recipe! Luckily, I was able to find authentic Filipino lumpia wrappers. (There was an entire freezer section of nothing but different wrapping papers!)
Honestly, the special wrappers did make a big difference. The ones that I wrapped using basic spring roll wrappers were delicious, but the ones in the paper-thin lumpia wrappers were phenomenal.
Kitchen Tip: I use this bowl, this pan, and these tongs to make this recipe.
If you’re craving more eggroll style recipes, check out these Italian Eggrolls, Chicken Cordon Bleu Eggrolls, Macaroni and Cheese Eggrolls, Southwestern Eggrolls, and don’t miss these Breakfast Eggrolls with Sausage Gravy!
{originally published 1/17/12 – recipes notes and photos updated 3/10/22}
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