✔ Updated · wrapper, filling, texture + origin compared
Spring rolls and egg rolls look alike, but the wrapper, the filling and where they come from set them apart. Here is how to tell them apart on sight and by taste.
Egg rolls have a thick, chewy wheat wrapper made with egg that fries up bubbly and crunchy, and a hearty filling of cabbage and pork; they are a Chinese-American creation. Spring rolls have a thin, smooth wrapper of wheat or rice paper that fries shatteringly crisp or is served fresh, with a lighter filling, and they come from China and Southeast Asia.
- Wrapper: egg rolls use thick wheat-and-egg skins; spring rolls use thin wheat sheets or rice paper
- Texture: egg rolls are bubbly, chewy and crunchy; fried spring rolls are smooth, flaky and delicate
- Filling: egg rolls hold cabbage, carrot and pork; spring rolls hold lighter vegetables, glass noodles or shrimp
- Origin: egg rolls are Chinese-American; spring rolls date back centuries in China
Spring Roll vs Egg Roll at a Glance
| Egg roll | Spring roll | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Chinese-American restaurants in the US, popular from the 1930s | China (chun juan), eaten around the Spring Festival; many Asian versions |
| Wrapper | Thick wheat flour dough made with egg | Thin wheat flour sheets, or rice paper in Vietnamese styles |
| Appearance | Large, golden, bubbly and blistered | Slimmer, smooth, pale gold when fried; translucent when fresh |
| Texture | Chewy with a hearty crunch | Light, flaky, shattering crunch, or soft and chewy when fresh |
| Typical filling | Cabbage, carrot, celery, bean sprouts, pork or chicken | Cabbage, carrot, mushrooms, glass noodles, shrimp or pork |
| Cooking | Deep-fried (also baked or air-fried) | Deep-fried, or served fresh with no cooking |
| Size | About 5 to 6 inches long and thick | Smaller and slimmer |
| Dipping sauces | Sweet and sour, duck sauce, hot mustard, soy | Sweet chili, nuoc cham, peanut or hoisin sauce |
| Calories (approx.) | About 200 per restaurant egg roll | About 100 per small fried roll; fresh rolls less |
What Is an Egg Roll?
An egg roll is a deep-fried roll with a thick wheat-flour wrapper made with egg, which bubbles and blisters in hot oil into a chewy, crunchy shell. Inside is a savory, cooked filling, usually shredded cabbage, carrot and celery with roast pork, ground pork, chicken or shrimp.
Egg rolls are a Chinese-American creation, most often credited to New York restaurants in the 1930s, and are a staple of American takeout menus. Despite the name, there is usually no egg in the filling; the egg is in the dough.
What Is a Spring Roll?
A spring roll is a thin, rolled wrapper with a lighter filling. Chinese spring rolls (chun juan) are named for the Spring Festival, or Lunar New Year, when they are traditionally eaten. Their thin wheat wrappers fry up smooth, pale gold and very crisp.
Many countries have their own versions. Vietnamese chả giò are fried in rice paper, Filipino lumpia use thin wheat wrappers, and Thai po pia tod are fried with glass noodles. Fresh Vietnamese gỏi cuốn, often called summer rolls or fresh spring rolls, are not fried at all.
Main Differences Explained
Wrapper: this is the clearest difference. Egg roll skins are thicker and contain egg, so they puff and blister when fried. Spring roll wrappers are paper-thin flour-and-water sheets or rice paper, so they stay smooth and fry to a delicate, flaky crisp.
Filling: egg rolls are packed with a hearty, cooked cabbage-and-meat mixture. Spring rolls are usually lighter, often with mushrooms, bean sprouts, glass noodles or shrimp; fresh rolls use raw herbs, lettuce and cooked shrimp or pork.
Size and texture: egg rolls are bigger and chewier, almost a small meal. Spring rolls are slimmer, lighter and best eaten straight from the fryer.
Types of Spring Rolls
- Chinese spring rolls (chun juan): thin wheat wrappers, fried; pork, cabbage, mushrooms and bamboo shoots.
- Vietnamese fried rolls (chả giò or nem rán): rice paper wrappers fried crisp and bubbly; pork, shrimp, glass noodles and wood ear mushrooms.
- Vietnamese fresh rolls (gỏi cuốn): soft rice paper, not fried; shrimp, pork, rice noodles, lettuce and herbs with peanut sauce.
- Filipino lumpia: very thin wheat wrappers; lumpiang Shanghai is a slim fried roll with ground pork.
- Thai fried spring rolls (po pia tod): glass noodles, cabbage and carrot, served with sweet chili sauce.
Which Is Healthier?
Fresh spring rolls are the lightest choice, since they are not fried. Among fried rolls, a small spring roll has fewer calories than an egg roll simply because it is smaller and its thin wrapper absorbs less oil. Baking or air-frying either one cuts the fat. Sodium in sauces adds up quickly, so go easy on the dip.
When to Make Which
Make egg rolls when you want a hearty, takeout-style appetizer or snack that holds up well for a party. Make fried spring rolls for a light, crisp starter, and fresh rolls for a no-cook summer meal. Fry either one in oil at 350 to 375°F until deep golden, and cook any ground pork or chicken in the filling to a safe 160°F or 165°F first.
Can You Substitute One for the Other?
The fillings are interchangeable, but the wrappers are not quite. Egg roll wrappers make any filling heartier and chewier. Spring roll wrappers give a lighter, crisper roll but tear more easily, so fill them less and seal them well. Rice paper cannot replace wheat wrappers one to one, since it needs soaking and fries differently.
What to Serve With Them
Serve egg rolls or spring rolls with sweet and sour chicken, Panda Express-style chow mein or copycat fried rice, with hot mustard or soy dipping sauce on the side. More comparisons: wonton vs dumpling and chow mein vs lo mein.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are spring rolls and egg rolls the same thing?
No. Both are filled, rolled wrappers, but egg rolls have a thick, egg-based wheat wrapper that fries up bubbly and chewy, with a hearty cabbage-and-pork filling. Spring rolls have a thin wheat or rice paper wrapper that fries smooth and crisp, or is served fresh, with a lighter filling.
What is the difference between egg roll and spring roll wrappers?
Egg roll wrappers are thick, square sheets of wheat dough made with egg, so they blister and stay chewy when fried. Spring roll wrappers are paper-thin wheat sheets without egg, or rice paper, so they fry light and crisp. Rice paper wrappers are also used soft, without frying.
Are spring rolls healthier than egg rolls?
Usually. Fresh spring rolls are not fried, so they are the lightest. A small fried spring roll has roughly half the calories of a typical egg roll because it is smaller and its thin wrapper absorbs less oil. Baking or air-frying either one lowers the fat.
Why are they called egg rolls if there is no egg?
The egg is in the wrapper. Egg roll skins are made with wheat flour, water and egg, which gives them their thicker, bubbly texture when fried. Some early recipes also brushed the roll with egg to seal it. The filling itself usually contains no egg.
What is the difference between spring rolls and summer rolls?
Summer rolls are fresh Vietnamese rolls (gỏi cuốn) in soft rice paper, filled with shrimp, pork, rice noodles, lettuce and herbs, and they are not cooked. Spring rolls usually means fried rolls, although the name “fresh spring rolls” is often used for summer rolls too.
