Baked Five Spice Chicken Spring Rolls

You know that scene in Crazy Rich Asians where the whole family is sitting round the table making dumplings (incredibly slowly I might add…)? That scene is always brought up in my dumpling classes (they will come back soon, I promise!) or a lot of people ask me if that’s how my life was growing up. No, I was not a crazy, rich Asian living in Singapore. Cleveland, Ohio is very much the opposite of Singapore. We did make a lot of dumplings though! But the truth is, we actually made spring rolls together way more, like 10 times more frequently than we made dumplings.

We all have our roles in the spring roll making process. My mom preps the filling and cooks the spring rolls. My dad wraps at lighting speed. I assist in wrapped at about 1/8 of his speed, which is not an over exaggeration. And I think my brother might help pull apart the wrappers? Everyone else is just there to eat or might jump in for a quick wrapping lesson and then quickly bow out to go watch TV. Rolling is not easy. There are a few small tucks and pulls that make a huge difference in your final roll. If you don’t quite get them right they end of looking a little wonky. It’s always fun to keep track of the weird ones and make sure the maker get’s to eat their own funny spring roll!

My mom has been making her Chicken and Cabbage Spring Rolls for as long as I can remember. They are so crispy and amazing. Definitely in my top 5 foods in the world. She’ll fry up huge batches for every big family gathering or even if it’s just a normal day. She’ll just portion out spring rolls for each household, wrap in foil, and pass them out for reheating later. I think it was about 10 years ago that she started to bake her spring rolls. Just so that they were tad bit healthier and everyone can eat a few more rolls without guilt. And you know what? They are just as crispy and amazing baked!!!

I’m sharing her tips for baked springs below and my recipe for Five Spice Chicken Spring Rolls. When I made them I had to freeze a few of them so Reuben and I wouldn’t devour every single one. They are sooooooooo delicious! Chinese five spice can easily be overpowering but there is just the right amount in here. The chicken is well seasoned and really tender (thanks to a quickly cornstarch marinade), the carrots are sweet and light, and the glass noodles are bouncy and chewy! You’ll notice that the chicken is cooked in this filling, but the carrots are still raw. That’s because you want to make sure the chicken is all the way cooked through in the spring rolls and cooking them in advance gives them extra flavor and a little crisp. The carrots are grated, while allows them to cook really quickly in the spring roll. If you’re nervous about any moisture coming from the raw carrots, that’s why we have some glass noodles in the mix. They provide great texture and also soak up any excess moisture in the filling. Think of it as a spring roll water proofing layer (architecture reference?). They bake up so golden brown and crispy in the oven, thanks to a brushing of oil. You won’t be able to stop eating them!

Feel free to fry them if you like or bake the Chicken and Cabbage version! You do you.

How to Wrap Spring Rolls

Wrapping spring rolls look easy at first glance, but there is actually a lot of technique involved for an excellent roll. The main goal is to make consistent, neat, and tight spring rolls. My dad is a pro at this and all of his look just so perfect. Admittedly, I’m a little rusty with making spring rolls but after a few tries it all started to come back to me.

1. First, position the wrapper like a triangle.

2. Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the center or lower third of the wrapper. Spread the filling out into a line.

3. Fold the bottom tip of the wrapper over the filling.

4. Pull back with your finger tips to tighten around the filling.

5. Tuck in the left side into the end of the roll and fold over. Repeat with other side.

6. Roll up tightly, about 3/4 of way. Dab the remaining wrapper in the cornstarch and water mixture and continue to roll the spring roll until fully wrapper.

7. Repeat.

How to Bake Spring Rolls

Baking spring rolls is so easy! And you free up your hands while they are in the oven to either clean or work on something else in the kitchen.

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Arrange the spring rolls on a large baking sheet, you can lay down some foil if you want but not necessary. Brush the tops of the spring rolls with olive oil. You don’t need a ton, maybe 1 1/2 tablespoon per side. Flip the spring rolls over and brush the other side with more olive oil.

Bake until the rolls are lightly golden brown, about 25 minutes. Flip the rolls and bake for another 25 minutes. They should be crisp!

Let them cool for a few minutes or until they are at a safe temperature to eat hot. I always burn my mouth on the first one because I’m impatient.

Leftover spring rolls can be kept in the fridge and reheated in a toaster oven or air fryer. Sometimes I’ll eat them cold and they are still amazing! You can also freeze them for up to 3 months!

Baked Five Spice Chicken Spring Rolls

makes 14 to 15

materials:

1 lb chicken thighs, thinly sliced into strips
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chinese five spice
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp olive oil, more for cooking and brushing
2 bundles of thin glass noodles (also called cellophane or mung bean noodles)
2 large carrots, grated
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 green onions (both whites and greens), finely chopped
1/2 package (14-15) spring roll wrappers

For wrappers:

2 tablespoons cornstarch, for wrapping
1/4 cup water, for wrapping
olive oil or neutral oil, for baking

steps:

1. In a medium bowl, mix to combine chicken strips, salt, chinese five spice, white pepper, brown sugar, cornstarch, and oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate for 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat, until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, while stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer chicken to a sheet tray and allow to fully cool.

3. In a medium bowl submerge glass noodles in boiling water. Soak until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Cut the noodles a few times with a pair of kitchen shears. Add the noodles to sheet of chicken and allow to fully cool.

4. Add the grated carrots, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and green onion. Mix to evenly combine.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line large baking tray with parchment paper. In small bowl whisk to combine cornstarch and water.

6. Working with one wrapper at a time, positioned like a diamond (see images above). Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the middle of the wrapper (or closer to you). Fold the bottom tip of the wrapper over the filling, pull back with your finger tips to tighten around the filling, and tuck over the sides. Roll up tightly, about 3/4 of way. Dab the remaining wrapper in the cornstarch and water mixture and continue to roll the spring roll until fully wrapper. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

7. Arrange the spring rolls on a large baking sheet, spaced 1” apart. Lightly brush the surface of each spring roll with olive oil, flip over and brush the other side with oil. Bake for 25 minutes. Flip and baked for another 25 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Let the spring rolls cool for a few minutes before serving.