Duck Spring Rolls

My crispy Duck Spring Rolls are made with thin, crisp pastry wrapped around a delicious filling of roast Peking duck, shredded veggies, and hoisin sauce. They are much better than the greasy, mostly-pastry spring rolls you sometimes get with a Chinese takeaway.

They work well as a starter, but I also like putting them out when friends come round, alongside Honey Sesame Chicken and dipping sauces.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Duck Spring Rolls
• Recipe Tips From the Chef
• What to Serve with Duck Spring Rolls
• Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
• Storage and Reheating
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Crispy Duck Spring Rolls

You can prepare the rolls ahead and freeze them before frying, so they are ready when you have people over or are putting together a few bits for dinner. I used to make these in a hotel kitchen, where we rolled thousands for big functions. I used to make these in a hotel kitchen, where we rolled thousands for big functions. This is the same recipe, simply scaled down to make at home.

You can make these Crispy Duck Spring Rolls in advance, freeze them, and use them when needed.

Why This Recipe Works?

• The filling is simple and lets the roast duck stand out. You get pieces of duck in every roll instead of a soft mixture that disappears inside the pastry.

• Cucumber and spring onions add texture to the rich duck, while hoisin sauce brings everything together.

• The small spring roll wrappers turn crisp quickly in the oil and make neat little rolls that are easy to pick up and dip.

• You can make the whole batch ahead, freeze the uncooked rolls, and fry them straight from the freezer.

• They are an absolute crowd-pleaser. I made thousands of these Crispy Duck Rolls when I was a professional chef and they have always been a hit.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Roast Peking duck - I use pre-cooked Gressingham Aromatic Roast Peking Duck. Cook it following the packet instructions, then shred the meat once it is cool enough to handle. Leftover roast duck also works well.

• Spring roll wrappers - Use thin square wheat wrappers. I use 5½ x 5½ inch, or 14 x 14 cm, wrappers, which make small party sized spring rolls.

• Spring onions - Use both the white and green parts. Slice them thinly so they mix through the duck easily.

• Cucumbers - You will need 3 mini cucumbers or 1 ½ large cucumbers for this recipe. Peel and julienne the cucumbers using a Thai peeler, or a sharp knife.

• Hoisin sauce - It is a thick and fragrant sauce common in Chinese cooking as a glaze for meat, an addition to stir fry, or as a dipping sauce.  

Choosing the Right Spring Roll Wrappers

Use thin Chinese wheat spring roll wrappers for this recipe. They are usually sold frozen in large supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.

Do not use rice paper wrappers. They are made for fresh Vietnamese rolls and will not fry into thin, crisp pastry.

Egg roll wrappers are thicker and give you a heavier, more bubbled shell. They are fine for a larger American style egg roll, but they are not right for these small duck spring rolls.

Defrost the wrappers in their unopened packet overnight in the refrigerator, or leave the packet at room temperature for around 30 minutes. Once you open it, cover the wrappers with a clean damp kitchen towel. They dry out quickly and can crack while you are rolling.

How to Make Duck Spring Rolls

Prepare the Duck Mixture

Cook the roast Peking duck following the packet instructions. Once it has cooled slightly, shred the meat into small pieces and place it in a large bowl. Peel the cucumbers and cut them into fine matchsticks. You can use a Thai peeler or a sharp knife.

Add the cucumber, sliced spring onions, hoisin sauce, salt, and black pepper to the bowl with the shredded duck. Mix everything together until the duck is coated in the hoisin sauce and the cucumber and spring onions are spread through the mixture.

Fill and Roll the Spring Rolls

Take the spring roll wrappers out of their packet and cover them with a damp kitchen towel. Peel off one wrapper at a time so the rest stay soft and easy to fold. Place one wrapper on a board with a corner facing you, so it looks like a diamond. Add around 1½ tablespoons of the duck mixture near the bottom corner. Leave a small gap at both sides.

Fold the bottom corner over the filling and roll once. Fold both sides in towards the middle. Continue rolling until the filling is fully covered and you have a neat cigar shape.

Mix the flour and water in a small bowl. Brush a little of the mixture onto the final corner of the wrapper and press it down firmly to seal. Place the finished spring roll on a tray and cover it with a damp towel while you make the rest. You should have around 45 to 50 mini spring rolls.

Fry the Duck Spring Rolls

Pour enough sunflower or vegetable oil into a deep saucepan, wok, or deep skillet to come 2 to 3 inches, or 5 to 8 cm, up the sides.

Heat the oil to 325°F, or 160°C. Add the spring rolls in a single layer, then lower the heat to medium low.

Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning them as needed, until golden and crisp all over. Do not overcrowd the pan. Adding too many rolls at once lowers the oil temperature and can leave the pastry greasy.

Transfer the cooked spring rolls to a wire rack or a paper towel lined plate while you fry the next batch.

Recipe Tips From the Chef

• Have the duck filling completely ready before you open the spring roll wrappers. This keeps the rolling process quick and gives the wrappers less time to dry out.

• Keep the stack of wrappers under a clean damp kitchen towel while you work. The towel should be damp, not soaking wet, as too much moisture can make the wrappers sticky.

• Cut the cucumber into fine matchsticks. Larger pieces make the rolls bulky and can tear through the thin pastry as you roll.

• Avoid overstuffing the spring rolls, and make sure to wrap them tightly. 

• Use the flour paste on the final corner to hold the pastry together better and help stop the rolls from opening while frying.

• Fry one spring roll first before you cook a full batch. This lets you check that the oil is hot enough and gives you time to adjust the heat if the pastry is browning too quickly.

• Fry the rolls in small batches and let the oil return to temperature between batches. This keeps the pastry crisp rather than oily.

• Drain the cooked spring rolls on a wire rack when possible. The hot air can circulate around them while you fry the rest, so the bottoms do not soften.

What to Serve with Duck Spring Rolls

Hoisin sauce is the classic choice for serving these duck spring rolls. It picks up the flavors already in the filling without covering the duck.

For something with a little heat, serve them with Thai Style Tomato Chili Jam. You can also serve them with hoisin sauce, plum sauce, or sweet chili sauce.

I often add Spicy Thai Mango Salad when serving the spring rolls as a starter. The mango, lime, and chili give the plate some freshness alongside the fried pastry.

For drinks or a party table, add a couple of other small dishes such as Thai Fish Cakes, Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, or Paçanga Böreği.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

Roll the spring rolls when you have time, then arrange them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Leave a little space between them so they do not freeze together.

Freeze the rolls until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Fry the spring rolls straight from frozen. They need a little longer than freshly rolled spring rolls, so cook them until the pastry is golden and the filling is hot in the middle.

I freeze the rolls before frying instead of freezing cooked leftovers. The pastry comes out much crisper when you cook it fresh.

For an air fryer method, see my Crispy Air Fryer Duck Spring Rolls recipe on My Best Air Fryer Recipes. It uses the same roast Pekin duck, cucumber, spring onion, and hoisin sauce filling.

Storage and Reheating

Crispy duck spring rolls are best eaten soon after frying, while the pastry is still hot and crisp.

Keep cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheat them in hot oil for a few minutes until crisp and steaming hot all the way through. You can also reheat them in an air fryer or hot oven until the pastry is crisp again and the filling is fully heated through.

Do not microwave the spring rolls, as the pastry will soften.

For longer storage, freeze the uncooked spring rolls instead of cooked leftovers.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more delicious party food/finger food recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making these crispy and delicious Crispy Duck Spring Rolls as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂