Orange baked chicken tossed with shredded vegetables then wrapped and fried in a spring roll, makes for a different kind of comfort food. Paired with a sweet & sour fresh cranberry sauce, these spring rolls will leave you wanting more!
I admit these spring rolls are not quick, though they are surprisingly easy - after your first attempt.
It does not take long to get the hang of it, and wrapping them up is not as difficult as you may think. My only advice is to be careful when it comes to frying. That oil has to be hot. Otherwise, these rolls will fall apart the moment they hit the oil.
I served them with egg drop soup for New Year's Eve and had every intention of sharing them with you all...well, here we are three weeks later. It has been a busy month - a good way to kick off the New Year. I am so happy to finally be sharing these with you.
Enjoy!
Spring Rolls w/ Sweet & Sour Cranberries
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
For Spring Rolls:
- 10 spring rolls wraps
- 2 tablespoons oil, plus oil for frying
- Juice of 1 orange, divided
- Salt & pepper for taste
- 2 chicken quarters
- 2 cups brown rice
- 1 cup scallions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 1 cup mushrooms, diced
- 1/4 head cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh chili paste
For Sweet & Sour Cranberries:
- 2 strips orange rind
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh chili paste
- 1/4 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Spring Rolls:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a medium cast iron skillet, place chicken quarters. Drizzle with juice of 1/2 an orange, 2 tablespoons canola oil and salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden and the juices in the pan are sizzling. Remove and let cool slightly in the pan. Shred the meat from the bones and set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook scallions, garlic and ginger with a little oil. Add the celery, mushrooms, cabbage and bean sprouts. Leave over medium heat until the mushrooms and cabbage have cooked down.
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy, teriyaki, sesame oil, chili paste, and juice of remaining orange half.
- Add the parsley, shredded chicken and rice to the sauteed vegetables. Add the soy and orange mixture. Toss and set aside on low heat.
- In a small cast iron skillet, heat about 3/4 cup of cooking oil.
- Fill a pie plate with water and dip one spring roll into the plate for a few seconds until softened. Transfer to a damp kitchen cloth and place a little more than a tablespoon of filling an inch away from the bottom of the wrapper. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up and over the filling, towards the center. Fold the sides in and finish rolling.
- Make sure your oil is very hot, otherwise your spring rolls will stick to the pan and will fall apart. Leave the rolls to fry until the edges are golden and crispy, gently roll them over and cook the other side until golden as well. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.
For Sweet & Sour Cranberries:
- In a medium saucepan, cook down the cranberries with water and 1/2 cup white sugar.
- Once all the cranberries have popped open and the mixture is sticky and thick, remove from the heat. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Mix in brown sugar, soy, teriyaki, chili paste, sriracha, salt and pepper. Serve with your spring rolls.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
kellie @ The Suburban Soapbox says
Such a great idea, I love all the flavor packed into those crispy spring rolls!
cristina says
Catherine - love all the tasty ingredients in these spring rolls and the sweet-n-sour cranberries are downright marketable. Fantastic side and/or finger foods!
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
Dear Catherine - these are such a wonderful appetizer! Those crunchy veggie-packed spring rolls with that sweet and sour cranberry compote of sorts is just the perfect pairing! I have a question - I'm a wuss when it comes to hot oil frying so you think these could be baked too?
Maria says
I love the creative cranberry dip!
Marye says
I love spring rolls and that sweet and sour cranberry sauce looks amazing!
Mary @ StrawmarySmith says
Very true about the oil being hot! These look great! 🙂
Abigail says
I often make spring rolls but have never tried a cranberry sauce with it! What a delicious idea and may have to try it next time! Pinned, too. 🙂