Chicken Lumpia Recipe Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chicken (or turkey) – Use 93-96% lean. Do not use more than 96% lean in order to maintain moisture when cooking.
• 3/4 cup carrots – Peeled and finely grated. Use a food processor to save time or grate into very small pieces.
• 3 medium cloves garlic – very finely minced
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce – low sodium allows you to taste and adjust salt as you go. Remember, the typical dip for lumpia such as sawsawan and sweet chili sauce is already salt forward, so use low sodium soy sauce.
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce – You can also use vegan oyster sauce.
• 1/2 cup water chestnuts – Very finely chopped or use a food processor to save time. These add moistness to the filling, texture, and balanced flavor.
• 2 pinches Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder – This is so much better than chopped onions because onions have tons of moisture…so onion powder allows lots of flavor and crispy lumpia without moisture.
• Lumpia wrappers – Be sure you like your choice of lumpia wrappers. They should be very thin and fry easily to golden brown. Not all lumpia/spring roll wrappers are the same and depending on the brand some fry up better than others. I like choices that specify “Filipino lumpia” as these tend to be nicely thin. Go to a Filipino or Chinese grocery for the best selections.
• Cornstarch and water mixture (for sealing) – 1:1 ratio of cold water and cornstarch will seal the rolls.
• High heat tolerant oil (such as canola oil) – For frying. You cannot make chicken lumpia without the right oil and use clean, new oil.

For side dips try sweet chili sauce and follow this sawsawan recipe. It is the perfect accompaniment.

Instructions

How to make chicken lumpia recipe is easy when you have some time and follow all the steps. The result is the best lumpia that is crispy and real fan favorite. I suggest not “winging” this recipe as following the directions will help achieve stunning, crisp, and perfect lumpia.

Prepare the Filling:

• In a small bowl, mix the low sodium soy sauce and the oyster sauce.
• In a mixing bowl combine the ground chicken, grated carrot, minced garlic, minced water chestnuts, black pepper, and onion powder. Pour in the mixture of the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Mix gently and fold well to ensure all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Do NOT over mix or press hard on the ingredients.

Wrap the Lumpia:

• Have a clean board or surface to wrap the lumpia. Place the filling in front of you with a small spoon. Have a brush and small bowl with the cornstarch and water mixture.
• Lay a lumpia wrapper down on the clean surface.
• Place a spoonful of the chicken filling BELOW the center of the wrapper. Use your fingers to shape it like a hot dog across, with the diameter about an inch and a half.
• Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper over the filling, and roll again.
• Then fold in the sides. Then roll it up tightly into a cigar shape.
• Seal the last part of the wrapper before finishing the rolling, with a cornstarch and water mixture to prevent it from opening during frying.

Freeze the Lumpia:

Frozen lumpia, straight from the freezer, results in very crispy wrapper and that has that signature lumpia crunch.

After rolling, you can either stick the rolled up lumpias in a freezer for 20 minutes, or freeze them overnight, before frying.

When freezing the lumpia, be sure they are spaced apart on a tray. Use parchment, wax paper, or plastic wrap to separate layers of lumpia and cover. If you do not do this, the wrappers will stick together.

When you are ready to fry the lumpia, remove from the freezer and go straight to frying.

NEVER thaw lumpia before frying. It will not be crispy.

Fry the Lumpia:

• Heat the high heat tolerant oil in a frying pan or pot over medium-high heat to 365 F. Use a candy thermometer to control the oil temperature or use the wooden spoon trick. If the wooden spoon is bubbling, the oil is ready.
• Use enough oil that it will submerge the lumpia rolls, at least 3″ deep.
• Controlling the oil temp, once the frozen lumpia is in the oil is KEY. So adjust the flame higher and lower to keep the oil between 350 F and 365 F when frying. NEVER crowd the lumpia or else the oil temperature will drop significantly.
• Carefully add the frozen, wrapped lumpia to the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Do not move.
• Fry the lumpia in batches until they are golden brown and crispy on all sides, turning only one time towards the end for even cooking.
• You will hear very intense bubbling of the oil when the lumpia is beginning to reach the ideal cooked temperature and the chicken filling inside is cooking.
• The lumpia’s sound of frying will go down and the lumpias will be floating when they are ready to be removed. Be sure to remove them from the oil right away, draining the oil as you pull them out.
• Remove the lumpia from the oil using tongs and place on a well elevated wire cooling rack. Use a paper towel to blot oil. Do NOT place them down on a plate or napkins and stack the lumpia. The lumpia rolls need to air out so the wrapper becomes very crispy. Serve and enjoy.
• If you are not consuming the lumpia right away, be sure to leave them on the wire rack till they are more cooled before putting them on a serving platter.