Savoury Crispy Thai Prawn and Pork Spring Rolls: The Best!

Golden, crunchy, and packed with flavour. These homemade Thai spring rolls, filled with juicy prawns and savoury pork, are a guaranteed party favourite.

These Crispy Thai Prawn and Pork Spring Rolls deliver everything you love about Thai street food: crunchy golden wrappers, juicy prawn-and-pork filling, and bold aromatics that hit the moment you take a bite. They’re surprisingly easy to make at home, fry up in just a few minutes, and are the kind of starter that guests devour without hesitation. Whether you’re entertaining or treating yourself, these spring rolls are guaranteed to steal the show.

Crispy prawn spring rolls with visible herb-filled rice paper and shrimp tails, arranged on parchment on a wooden board, served with a sweet chilli dipping sauce, fresh coriander, lime wedges and sliced red chilli on a white timber background, with a small bowl of black peppercorns on the side.

These Crispy Thai Prawn and Pork Spring Rolls were supposed to be a simple “little starter” the first time I served them — but they vanished before I’d even put the last batch on the plate. There’s something about that golden crunch and the juicy prawn-and-pork filling that makes people hover in the kitchen, waiting for the next roll to come out of the oil. From family dinners to drinks with friends, these have become one of my most-requested bites to bring out. They’re simple, they’re impressive, and they deliver every single time.

Why You’ll Love These Spring Rolls

Restaurant-Quality at Home: That perfect golden crunch and juicy, flavour-packed filling is something you can absolutely achieve in your own kitchen.
The Ultimate Flavour Combo: The prawns stay plump and sweet, while the savoury pork mince, pounded with garlic, coriander root, and pepper, creates an incredibly fragrant and authentic Thai base.
Perfect for Entertaining: You can assemble the rolls ahead of time and fry them just as guests arrive, filling your home with an irresistible aroma and delivering hot, crispy results.
Surprisingly Simple Technique: While they look impressive, the steps are straightforward—butterfly the prawns, make a simple paste, roll, and fry. No special skills required.
Crowd-Pleasing Guarantee: These are the kind of finger food that disappears in minutes. They’re a guaranteed hit at parties, family gatherings, or as a special weekend treat.

Tips for Making the Perfect Spring Rolls

A few key techniques will ensure your spring rolls are crispy, juicy, and don’t fall apart in the fryer.

Choose the Right Wrappers: I recommend the spring roll wrappers from the freezer section at Coles. Thaw them slowly in the fridge to prevent condensation, which makes them sticky and prone to tearing.
Butterfly the Prawns Properly: Make a deep cut down the back of each prawn without cutting all the way through. This “butterflying” helps them cook evenly, absorb more marinade, and makes them easier to roll.
Pound the Aromatic Paste: Don’t skip pounding the coriander roots, garlic, peppercorns, and salt into a rough paste. This releases maximum flavour into the pork mince and is the soul of the filling.
Roll Tightly & Seal Well: Spread the pork filling thinly and roll the wrapper tightly around the prawn. Ensure the final flap is securely sealed with the ‘flour’ glue to prevent oil from seeping in.
Maintain the Correct Oil Temperature: Heat your oil to 180°C (350°F). Use a thermometer or test with a bread cube, it should turn golden in 15 seconds. Frying at the right temperature ensures a crisp exterior without greasiness.
Keep Them Crisp After Frying: Drain fried rolls briefly on paper towel, then transfer them to a wire rack. This allows air to circulate underneath, preventing steam from making the bottoms soft.

How to Make Crispy Thai Prawn and Pork Spring Rolls

prawns in a grey bowl with fish and oyster sauce bottles in background

hand lowering a prawn spring roll into a wok of hot oil

Serving Suggestions

These spring rolls are a star appetiser, but they shine brightest as part of a Thai-inspired feast. Serve them with the provided tangy sweet-sour dipping sauce, classic sweet chilli sauce, or a simple soy and chilli mix. For a fuller spread, pair them with a fresh Thai Chicken Larb Salad, Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers, or a bowl of jasmine rice to balance the richness. They’re perfect for sharing—just place a platter in the centre of the table and let everyone dig in.Storage

For Best Results: Enjoy spring rolls immediately after frying for maximum crispness.

Fridge: Cool leftovers completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating: To restore crunch, reheat in an air fryer or oven at 180°C until hot and crisp. Avoid the microwave, as it will make them soggy.

Freeze (Uncooked): You can freeze the assembled, uncooked spring rolls. Place them on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Fry directly from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the cooking time.

close up of crunchy Thai pork and prawn spring rolls

FAQ’s

Can I bake these spring rolls instead of frying?

You can, but they won’t be as crisp. For baking, brush generously with oil and bake at 200°C on a wire rack until golden. An air fryer is a better alternative for a crisp result with less oil.

What can I use instead of coriander root?

If you can’t find coriander with roots, use the lower, thick stems of the bunch, as they have a similar flavour. In a pinch, add an extra garlic clove and a teaspoon of ground coriander to the paste.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes! Assemble the rolls completely, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 6 hours before frying. This makes entertaining stress-free.

My wrappers are tearing. What am I doing wrong?

The wrappers are likely too warm or damp. Ensure they are thawed in the fridge, not at room temperature, and keep them covered with a barely damp cloth while working to prevent drying, which also makes them brittle. I use Coles Mai Hong Frozen Spring Roll wrappers. They are the best!

I hope these Crispy Thai Prawn and Pork Spring Rolls become your new go-to party starter. If you give them a try, I’d love to hear how they turned out—leave a comment below and let me know what you served them with!

More Appetisers You May Love:

Thai Prawn & Pork Spring Rolls

Crispy Thai Prawn and Pork Spring Rolls are the perfect Thai-style appetiser — juicy prawns, savoury pork mince and fragrant aromatics wrapped tightly and fried until golden. Easy to prep ahead, impressive to serve and guaranteed to vanish fast, they’re the ultimate crowd-pleasing finger food.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:10

Marinating:15

Total Time:45

Course: Appetiser, Entree, Finger Food

Cuisine: South East Asian, Thai

Keyword: Fried appetisers, pork mince recipes, prawn and pork spring rolls, prawn recipes, Thai appetiser, Thai finger food, Thai spring rolls

Servings: 16

Author: Kate Brodhurst

Equipment

Mortar & pestle or small food processor

Ingredients

16 large whole green banana prawns
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2-3 large coriander roots, with some stem, roughly chopped
3-4 cloves cloves garlic
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
½ teaspoon salt
250g pork mince (use regular, not lean)
8 frozen spring roll wrappers, thawed (See Notes)
16 large coriander leaves (left whole)

SPRING ROLL GLUE

1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon water

DIPPING SAUCE (OPTIONAL)

½ cup caster sugar (or white sugar)
¼ cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon finely diced cucumber
2 teaspoons each very finely diced carrot and red onion
1 birds eye chilli, finely sliced (deseeded for less heat, if desired)

Instructions

PREPARE THE PRAWNS

Peel and devein the prawns, leaving the tails intact.
Using a small sharp knife, make a cut down the middle (lengthways) to butterfly the prawns, being careful not to cut all the way through. You want to open up the meat to allow the marinade to flavour evenly. Place into a bowl.
Add the oyster sauce and fish sauce to the prawn meat and massage in with your fingertips to coat evenly. Cover and chill whilst preparing the pork filling.

PORK FILLING

Place coriander roots, garlic, peppercorns and salt into a motor and pestle and pound until you have a roughly smooth paste. (Alternately use a small food processor or chopper).
Add the pork mince and using a spoon, stir very well to combine. You are looking for a slightly sticky mixture. Cover and chill for at least 10 minutes for the flavours to infuse.

MAKE THE FLOUR GLUE

Place flour into a small bowl and add water. Using a small spoon, mix to a reasonably thick paste. Set aside.

ROLLING THE SPRING ROLLS

Leaving the wrappers together in a their stack, place onto a flat cutting surface. Using a sharp knife, slice the wrappers in half, from one corner to the other, on the diagonal to make triangle shaped wrappers. Set aside and cover with a slightly damp clean towel or cloth.
Working with one triangle wrapper at a time, place onto a clean surface. Using a flat bladed knife (such as a butter knife), spread a tablespoon of the pork mince filling over one half of the wrapper. (Doesn't have to be perfect, just roughly spread out thinly – see images above in post). Place one prawn towards the bottom then fold the bottom wrapper over the prawn, roll up once then tuck the pointed side in and keep rolling tightly until there is about 5cm of wrapper left. Place one whole coriander leaf onto the wrapper and spread some glue over the end 2-3cm of the wrapper. Finally, continue to roll up to seal completely. Set aside and repeat with remaining wrappers, prawns and coriander leaves. Cover and chill until ready to fry.

DEEP FRY THE SPRING ROLLS

Pour enough oil into a wok or saucepan to come one-third up the sides. Heat over a medium-high heat until oil reaches 180°C (when oil is ready, a cube of bread turns golden in 15 secs). Cook the spring rolls, in batches, for 3-4 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and prawns are cooked through. Drain on paper towel quickly then transfer to a wire rack. Serve hot with the Dipping Sauce if desired or any sauce of choice.