Cambodian egg rolls are crisp fried rolls filled with seasoned pork, taro, glass noodles, and vegetables, usually served with a bright fish-sauce dipping sauce and fresh herbs. This version uses wheat spring-roll wrappers for a blistered, crunchy shell and a savory filling that stays moist without becoming soggy. Cambodian home cooks make them in different ways, so the vegetables and seasonings can vary from family to family.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) ground pork, preferably not extra-lean
- 1 ounce (28 g) dried glass noodles, also called bean-thread or mung-bean noodles
- ¼ ounce (7 g) dried wood-ear mushrooms
- 1 cup (120 g) peeled, finely grated taro
- 1 cup (110 g) finely grated carrot
- ½ cup (75 g) finely chopped shallot
- 1 large egg (about 50 g), lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground black pepper
- 18 wheat spring-roll wrappers, about 14 inches (35 cm) square or round (approximately 360 g total; thawed if frozen)
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water, for sealing
- 5 to 6 cups (1.2 to 1.4 L) neutral frying oil, such as canola or peanut oil, or enough to reach a depth of 2 inches (5 cm)
For the dipping sauce:
- ¼ cup (60 ml) warm water
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- 1 small garlic clove (about 3 g), finely minced
- 1 small red chili (about 5 g), thinly sliced, or ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) red-pepper flakes
- ¼ cup (25 g) finely shredded carrot, optional
Instructions
- Soak the noodles and mushrooms. Put the glass noodles and dried wood-ear mushrooms in separate heatproof bowls. Cover each with hot water and soak for 15 minutes, or until pliable. Drain well. Snip the noodles into short lengths, about 2 inches (5 cm), with kitchen scissors. Trim any tough centers from the mushrooms and finely chop them. Set both aside.
- Prepare the vegetables and dipping sauce. Peel and finely grate the taro, and grate the carrot. Finely chop the shallot. For the sauce, stir the warm water and sugar together until the sugar dissolves, then mix in the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, chili, and optional carrot. Set it aside while you fill and roll; the flavor will round out as it sits. Keep raw filling ingredients and utensils separate from the ready-to-eat sauce.
- Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the pork, noodles, mushrooms, taro, carrot, shallot, egg, fish sauce, oyster sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix with clean hands or a sturdy spoon just until evenly combined. Avoid packing or kneading the mixture for a long time; overworking can make the pork filling dense. The mixture should hold together when lightly squeezed, not release a pool of liquid. If the grated vegetables look especially wet, blot them with a clean towel before mixing.
- Set up the wrappers. Place one wrapper on a clean work surface with a corner facing you if it is square. Keep the remaining wrappers covered with a barely damp, clean kitchen towel so their edges do not dry and crack. Put a small dish of cornstarch slurry nearby. Spoon about 3 tablespoons (45 g) of filling in a compact log across the lower third of the wrapper, leaving about 1½ inches (4 cm) clear on either side.
- Roll and seal. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling and tuck it snugly underneath. Fold the left and right sides toward the middle, keeping the edges straight, then roll away from you to make a firm cylinder. Brush the final corner lightly with cornstarch slurry and press it down to seal. Do not overfill: a tight but not stretched wrapper is less likely to split in the oil. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, placing finished rolls seam-side down on a tray. This wrapping stage takes about 30 minutes for 18 rolls.
- Heat the oil. Pour the oil into a heavy pot or deep Dutch oven, filling it no more than halfway. Heat over medium to medium-high until it reaches 350°F (177°C), checking with a clip-on or instant-read thermometer. If you do not have a thermometer, a small piece of wrapper should bubble steadily when added, but a thermometer gives more reliable control. Set a wire rack over a rimmed tray for draining. Keep children and pets away from the hot oil, and do not leave the pot unattended.
- Fry in batches. Carefully lower 5 or 6 rolls into the oil, seam-side down, without crowding the pot. Fry for about 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until the wrappers are an even deep golden brown. The oil should bubble actively but not smoke; reduce the heat if the wrappers darken before the filling cooks. Remove the rolls with a spider or tongs and drain them on the rack. Repeat with the remaining rolls, allowing the oil to return to 350°F (177°C) between batches.
- Check the filling and serve. Check the center of a large roll by carefully inserting a food thermometer through one end into the pork filling. Ground pork must reach the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). If it has not, return the roll to the oil and cook a little longer, then check again. Let the rolls drain for a few minutes so the shells crisp, and serve hot with the dipping sauce.
Tips
- Keep the filling fairly dry. Grated taro and carrot add moisture, but excess liquid can soften the wrapper or cause splattering. Drain soaked mushrooms and noodles thoroughly, and blot vegetables if they are dripping wet. Cut the noodles short enough to mix evenly; long strands can make rolling awkward.
- Protect the wrappers from drying out. Cover the stack and work with one wrapper at a time. If a wrapper has become brittle, it may split as you roll it. Thaw frozen wrappers in the refrigerator according to their package directions rather than trying to separate them while frozen.
- Control the oil temperature and batch size. Adding too many cold rolls at once lowers the oil temperature, making the wrappers greasy. Fry in small batches and let the oil recover before adding more. If the outside browns very quickly, turn down the heat and allow the filling time to reach its safe temperature.
- Choose substitutions with the texture in mind. Fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped, can replace wood-ear mushrooms, though they give a softer, more savory filling rather than the wood ear’s slight crunch. If taro is unavailable, use finely grated jicama for a crisp, mild bite; it will be less starchy and a little juicier, so blot it well. Fish sauce is central to the seasoning; soy sauce can replace it in a pinch, but the filling will taste less briny and distinctly different.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the egg rolls as soon as they have drained, while the shells are crisp and the centers are hot. Put the dipping sauce in small bowls so each person can dip without softening the whole batch. A plate of lettuce leaves, mint, cilantro, and Thai basil gives diners a fresh way to wrap each roll before dipping. Sliced cucumber, pickled carrot and daikon, or a simple crunchy cabbage salad also make useful accompaniments.
For a fuller meal, serve two or three rolls per person with steamed jasmine rice or rice noodles, herbs, and extra sauce. If serving a crowd, keep cooked rolls on a wire rack in a 200°F (93°C) oven while later batches fry; avoid stacking them, since trapped steam softens the wrappers. The rack helps hot air circulate underneath. Do not keep them warm for an extended period, and check that the rolls remain hot before serving.
Variations
There is no single fixed filling for Cambodian egg rolls. Some home versions use more vegetables, different aromatics, or a combination of pork and seafood. For a shrimp-and-pork filling, replace ½ pound (227 g) of the pork with finely chopped raw shrimp. Keep the mixture chilled while assembling and cook the filling through; shrimp should reach 145°F (63°C), while the ground pork in the same roll needs to reach 160°F (71°C). A thermometer check in more than one roll can help confirm the batch is cooked safely.
For a pork-free option, use 1 pound (454 g) ground chicken or turkey and cook the filling to 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS safe minimum for poultry. Poultry can be leaner than pork, so finely chopped mushrooms or a tablespoon (15 ml) of neutral oil in the filling can help keep it from seeming dry. You can also add finely shredded cabbage, but keep the total vegetable amount close to the recipe’s quantity and squeeze out excess moisture so the wrappers stay intact.
For a different wrapper texture, rice-paper sheets can be used if you are familiar with handling them. Dip each sheet briefly in warm water just until flexible, then roll and fry carefully; rice paper is thinner and can blister or tear more easily than wheat wrappers. It produces a different shell, so do not expect the same crisp, flaky finish. If you need a gluten-free meal, check every sauce and wrapper label, since wheat wrappers and some oyster sauces contain wheat.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate cooked egg rolls within 2 hours of cooking. Store them in a shallow airtight container, with paper towel underneath to absorb condensation, for 3 to 4 days. They will lose some crispness in the refrigerator, but reheating on a rack can restore much of the crunch. Do not leave cooked rolls at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when the room or outdoor temperature is above 90°F (32°C).
To reheat, arrange the rolls in a single layer on a wire rack over a baking tray and heat in a 375°F (190°C) oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until hot throughout and crisp. An air fryer at 350°F (177°C) usually takes about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the rolls; check early to prevent over-browning. Leftovers should reach 165°F (74°C) when checked with a food thermometer. Avoid reheating in a microwave if crispness matters, because it tends to make the wrapper soft. Freeze fully cooled rolls in a sealed freezer-safe container for up to 2 months for best quality, then reheat from frozen in the oven or air fryer until steaming hot and 165°F (74°C) inside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Cambodian egg rolls ahead?
Yes. You can mix the filling and assemble the rolls a few hours ahead, then cover and refrigerate them until frying. Arrange them in a single layer so they do not stick together, and keep them chilled rather than leaving raw pork at room temperature. For the crispiest shell, fry shortly before serving. If the wrapper surface looks damp after refrigeration, gently blot it before frying and check that the oil returns to 350°F (177°C).
Can I bake these instead of deep-frying?
You can bake them, but the texture will be less blistered and crisp than a fried egg roll. Brush or spray the wrappers lightly with oil, arrange the rolls seam-side down with space between them, and bake at 425°F (220°C), turning once, until golden and cooked through. Timing varies with wrapper thickness and oven, so use color as a guide and check the pork filling with a thermometer; it must reach 160°F (71°C). Avoid relying on a particular baking time as a substitute for that temperature check.
Why did my egg rolls split while frying?
Common causes include overfilling, a loose seal, dry wrappers, or a filling that is too wet. Keep the wrapper covered while working, use only a thin brush of cornstarch slurry at the final corner, and make sure the seam is pressed closed. Also avoid packing the pot tightly: collisions can open a seam, and a sudden drop in oil temperature can make a wrapper absorb more oil and weaken.
What are glass noodles, and can I use another noodle?
Glass noodles are thin, translucent noodles commonly made from mung-bean starch. They are sold dried in Asian grocery stores and in many supermarkets. Rice vermicelli can stand in if needed, though it is usually more opaque and has a softer, less springy bite. Cook or soak it according to its package directions, drain it very well, and cut it into short lengths before adding it to the filling.
Can I freeze the rolls before frying?
Yes. Arrange uncooked rolls seam-side down on a parchment-lined tray and freeze until firm, then transfer them to a sealed freezer-safe bag or container. Fry from frozen in small batches, adding time as needed and keeping the oil near 350°F (177°C). The wrappers can brown before a frozen center is hot, so check the pork filling with a thermometer and continue cooking until it reaches 160°F (71°C). Do not thaw them on the counter.
What can I use instead of fish sauce?
Soy sauce is a workable substitute in both the filling and dipping sauce, but it changes the flavor: the result is less fishy and briny, with a more familiar soy-sauce savoriness. Use the same amount to start, then taste the dipping sauce and adjust the lime and sugar to balance it. For a gluten-free version, choose a certified gluten-free soy sauce and confirm that the wrappers and other sauces are also suitable.
Related
- Cambodian Stir-Fry Recipe with Lemongrass and Basil
- Cambodian Curry Soup: A Fragrant Chicken and Coconut Recipe
- Cambodian Num Krok Recipe: Crisp Coconut Rice Cakes
More recipes to cook
Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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