How To Reheat Spring Rolls – I Test 5 Methods [Pics]

The problem with reheating spring rolls is that it’s hard to re-create that ‘just-fried’ texture.

To solve this problem, I’ve experimented with several different reheating methods to find one that produces a crispy outer shell and a flavorsome, moist inside.

Hint: the oven was my favorite method.

A note on my experiment

I ordered several portions of spring rolls from my local Chinese takeaway and (with great willpower) popped them in the fridge overnight.

The next day, I tested five different reheating methods to see which one resulted in the freshest spring rolls.

The methods that I tried were:

• In a skillet (a close second to the oven)
• In the oven/toaster oven (my favorite method)
• In the microwave (not recommended)
• In the air fryer (good if you have an air fryer)
• Deep frying (very crispy, but a bit greasy)

The oven produced the best result. The spring roll wrapper was crispy, and the filling was heated evenly.

The skillet method came in a close second.

Avoid the microwave. It’s quick, but the results are less than desirable.

Reheating spring rolls in a skillet

Drizzle a tablespoon of oil into a skillet and heat it over medium heat (use less oil if the spring rolls are already oily). Arrange the spring rolls in the hot skillet and fry them on one side for 60 seconds, or until the wrapper starts to crisp. Rotate the spring rolls until all the sides are crispy. 

Avoid using too much oil, or you’ll end up with greasy, unappetizing spring rolls. 

How to reheat spring rolls in a skillet:

1. Add a tablespoon of oil to a skillet (unless the spring rolls are already pretty oily, then you can skip this step)
2. Heat the skillet over medium heat until the oil is hot.
3. Arrange the spring rolls in the pan, spacing them evenly.
4. Cook one side for one minute, letting the wrapper get crisp.
5. Using kitchen tongs, turn the spring rolls to the other side and heat for 30 seconds.
6. Repeat for all sides of the spring roll.
7. Let the spring rolls rest for 30 seconds before serving.

Make sure that you are heating the pan over medium heat. If the pan is too hot, you will burn the outside of your spring rolls without warming the inside.

For the best results, use a non-stick pan and kitchen tongs. 

You risk burning your fingers if you try to turn the spring rolls with your hands.

My verdict

I thought that this was a good way to reheat spring rolls.

The spring rolls had a crunchy exterior, close to the texture of a freshly fried spring roll.

But it’s a bit more hands-on than other methods because you need to turn the spring rolls. 

Reheating spring rolls in the oven/toaster oven

Arrange your spring rolls on a wire rack and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Heat the spring rolls for 5 to 10 minutes until the outer layer is crispy. If you don’t have a wire rack, use a preheated baking tray and rotate the spring rolls halfway through. 

Let the spring rolls cool slightly before serving.

How to reheat spring rolls in the oven/toaster oven:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Spread the spring rolls out on a wire rack or preheated baking tray.
3. Heat for 5 to 10 minutes, rotating the spring rolls halfway through if you’ve used a baking tray.
4. Remove the spring rolls from the oven when they’ve crisped up to your liking. If the spring rolls are hot but not crisp, consider turning in the broiler for 30-60 seconds.

Top tip: if your spring rolls are on the larger side, microwave them for 10 seconds before putting them in the oven.  

This gives the filling a head start, so you don’t have to heat the spring rolls for so long they dry out.

A wire rack is the best tool for the job because it allows equal distribution of heat. As a result, your spring rolls will have a crispier wrapper.

The broiler can help crisp the spring rolls at the end, but avoid using it too early because otherwise, the outside of the spring roll can burn.

My verdict

The oven was my favorite method.

It’s hassle-free, you get a nice crunch on the spring rolls (although they’re not as crisp as some other methods), there’s no extra oil involved, and you can heat lots of spring rolls at once.

Reheating spring rolls in the microwave

Arrange the spring rolls on a microwave-safe plate lined with a paper towel. Heat the spring rolls in 15-second intervals until they’re done to your liking. Allow the spring rolls to rest for 60 seconds before serving them. The longer you microwave the spring rolls for, the soggier they will become.

How to reheat spring rolls in the microwave:

1. Line a microwave-safe plate with a paper towel.
2. Arrange the spring rolls on the plate so that they do not touch.
3. Heat in 15-second intervals.
4. Once warm, remove and let sit for at least 60 seconds before serving.

Avoid this method if you are reheating spring rolls that have seafood as the protein. Seafood like shrimp will become tough and rubbery in the microwave.

I reheat my spring rolls until they are warm rather than piping hot because this helps conserve some texture. 

By the time they’re hot, the spring rolls wrappers will be soggy and mushy.

My verdict

The microwave was my least favorite method.

The wrapper becomes soft and chewy, losing all of its crunch. At worst, the spring rolls can feel wet.

You’ll get hot spring rolls, but they won’t be nice.

Reheating spring rolls in an air fryer

To reheat spring rolls in an air fryer, heat the air fryer to 350°F (180°C) and arrange the spring rolls in the basket so they’re not touching. Heat the spring rolls for 2 to 5 minutes. Watch to see when the skin gets crispy and starts to brown.

How to reheat spring rolls in an air fryer:

1. Heat the air fryer to 350°F (180°C).
2. Arrange spring rolls in the air fryer basket. Try to space them as far apart as possible.
3. Heat for 2 to 5 minutes.

There’s no need to add extra oil to the air fryer because the spring rolls will already have enough residual oil in their wrappers.

Don’t overload the air fryer with spring rolls.

Too many spring rolls will impede airflow and mean the wrappers don’t crisp as well.

My verdict

The air fryer is a great option.

It’s quick, easy, and mess-free.

The results are pretty similar to the oven, but the spring rolls get a bit crispier. 

Reheating spring rolls by deep-frying

Fill a deep pan with oil and heat it to 350°F (180°C). Slowly lower your spring rolls into the hot oil and fry them for around 30-45 seconds. You want to see the wrapper start to crisp up. Remove the spring rolls from the fryer and drain them on a paper towel. The paper towel will soak up excess oil. 

You can also shallow fry the spring rolls in 1-2 inches of oil, but you will need to flip them halfway through.  

How to reheat spring rolls by deep-frying:

1. Heat a pot full of oil.
2. Let the oil reach 350°F (180°C).
3. Lower 1-2 spring rolls at a time into the hot oil and heat for 30 to 45 seconds.
4. Check to see that the spring rolls have browned on the outside.
5. Remove the spring rolls from the oil and let them rest on a paper towel for 60 seconds.

Temperature is everything here. 

If your oil is too hot, you will end up with burned spring rolls. If it is too cold, the oil will just soak into the wrapper.

If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use the wooden spoon trick to check if your oil is ready (but this method is not 100% accurate). 

If you dip a wooden spoon into the oil and bubbles immediately form around it, you are ready to fry.

Be sure not to overcrowd the pot, or the oil temperature will drop.

My verdict

This method produced the crispest spring rolls, but I can’t recommend it because of the greasy feel it gave the spring rolls.

The spring rolls have already been cooked in oil once, so adding more leaves them overly oily.

How to store spring rolls

To store spring rolls, let them cool to room temperature and then place them in an airtight container lined with paper towel. To minimize touching in the container, separate layers of spring rolls with extra paper towel or parchment paper. Spring rolls will last 3-4 days in the fridge. 

It’s important to let the spring rolls cool to room temperature; otherwise, the heat from your spring rolls will create condensation in your container.

The paper towel will soak up a small amount of excess moisture but won’t protect against lots of condensation. 

Can you freeze spring rolls?

You can freeze spring rolls in their cooked or raw state. Freezing raw spring rolls gives you the best results because cooked ones can lose their crunch. Spring rolls will last up to 3 months in the freezer. They’ll be safe to eat beyond that, but their quality can start to deteriorate.

How to freeze spring rolls

1. Allow your spring rolls too cool to room temperature (to prevent ice crystals forming).
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Place the spring rolls on the sheet, making sure that none of them touch.
4. Place in the freezer until the spring rolls are frozen solid (this is known as flash freezing).
5. Transfer the frozen spring rolls to a freezer bag, making sure to remove as much air as possible.

These steps will work for both cooked and raw spring rolls.

Flash freezing the spring rolls means that they won’t stick together in the freezer bag. 

Removing the air from the freezer bag protects the spring rolls against freezer burn.

You can use your hands to squeeze the air out, but it’s much more efficient to dunk the freezer bag in some water.

The pressure from the water forces the air out, and you can seal the bag.

If you have a vacuum sealer – even better!

How to reheat frozen spring rolls

Reheat your spring rolls straight from frozen in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Then place the spring rolls on a wire rack (or preheated baking tray) and heat them for 15-20 minutes. You can also use the microwave or a deep fryer.

Don’t thaw the spring rolls before heating them because they’ll become soggy.

The BEST Way To Reheat Spring Rolls

The problem with reheating spring rolls is that it’s hard to re-create that ‘just-fried’ texture.

To solve this problem, I’ve experimented with several different reheating methods to find one that produces a crispy outer shell and a flavorsome, moist inside.

Hint: the oven was my favorite method.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: how to reheat spring rolls, spring rolls

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 154kcal

Ingredients

• 1 portion spring rolls

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Spread the spring rolls out on a wire rack or preheated baking tray.
• Heat for 5 to 10 minutes, rotating the spring rolls halfway through if you’ve used a baking tray.
• Remove the spring rolls from the oven when they’ve crisped up to your liking. If the spring rolls are hot but not crisp, consider turning in the broiler for 30-60 seconds.

Notes

Top tip: if your spring rolls are on the larger side, microwave them for 10 seconds before putting them in the oven.  

This gives the filling a head start, so you don’t have to heat the spring rolls for so long they dry out.

A wire rack is the best tool for the job because it allows for equal distribution of heat. As a result, your spring rolls will have a crispier wrapper.

The broiler can help crisp the spring rolls at the end, but avoid using it too early because otherwise, the outside of the spring roll can burn.

Nutrition

Serving: 100g | Calories: 154kcal