In April, 2003, I posted a tuna lumpia (spring rolls) recipe using cooked fresh tuna. That recipe was updated (with better photos) in 2011.
Although I will always prefer fresh over canned, there are days when one has to survive on canned goods. At least, partially. Like when it’s been raining for over a week and the downpour precludes trips to the market or grocery. That’s what life has been these past several days. Rain, rain, rain. I love that it’s cool but food shopping can be a hassle. Canned tuna sounds more practical.
Canned tuna… what kind? We only buy chunks or solid in brine or water. If unavailable, we buy tuna chunks or solid in oil. Always unflavored. And we don’t buy tuna flakes because there is much less fish inside the can. If you ask if me if flavored canned tuna will work for this recipe, I’ll advise you to try it yourself and let us know how it turns out.
Here’s how to make spring rolls with canned tuna filling.
First, drain the tuna. Let every drop of liquid drip off. Wet filling means soggy fried spring rolls. So, before you do anything else, drain the tuna.
To add texture to the filling, I included potatoes and carrots. They were fried before they were mixed with the tuna. You can also boil or steam them.
Why precook? They won’t get cooked through if the only cooking they’ll get is after they have been stuffed inside the spring roll wrappers. The cooking time is too short. So, precook the potatoes and carrots.
When the potatoes and carrots have cooled, and the tuna has drained fully, mix together all the ingredients for the filling.
Then, wrap your spring rolls. Click here for a step-by-step guide.
Fry the spring rolls in batches until lightly browned and crisp.
Then enjoy your tasty tuna spring rolls with your favorite dipping sauce. I like sweet chili sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 can tuna chunks or solid in brine
- 1 medium potato
- 1 medium carrot
- 2 cups vegetable cooking oil for frying
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoom freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- 1 egg beaten
- 12 6-inch spring roll wrappers separated
Video
Instructions
- Open the can of tuna and drain off the liquid.
- Heat the cooking oil in a wok or frying pan. Cut the potato and carrot into 1/4-inch cubes. Fry the potato and carrot cubes until lightly crisp. Scoop out and drain on a stack of kitchen paper.
- In a bowl, put the drained tuna, potato, carrot, scallions, chili flakes, salt, pepper and half of the beaten egg. Mix.
- Place about a heaping tablespoonful of filling at the center of a wrapper and roll (see step-by-step guide on wrapping spring rolls), sealing the edges with the remaining half of the beaten egg.
- Reheat the oil until you see fine wisps of smoke above the surface. Fry the spring rolls until golden, in batches if necessary so as not to overcrowd the pan and make the temperature drop which will make your spring rolls greasy and soggy.
- Serve the spring rolls immediately. You may cut them into halves, if you wish. You can serve them with any dipping sauce that you like. I recommend sweet chili sauce.
If you cooked this dish (or made this drink) and you want to share your masterpiece, please use your own photos and write the cooking steps in your own words.
Hello and welcome! I'm a retired lawyer and columnist, wife for 28 years, mom of two, and a passionate cook. What is this blog about? Recipes for dishes 
Nasi Ayam Panggang (Roast Chicken Rice)
hi. just wondering if you can get away with canned tuna instead. im based in regional australia and fresh fish is dearly priced. thanks!
Hi thesa! Canned tuna will do just fine. Just remember to drain them well. :)
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Hello po… I use canned tuna po, ung spicy nila. It taste good nga po talaga. i’m going to try using fresh tuna. My mom uses galunggong most of the time, kaya lang tamad ako maghimay… hehe… Thanks po for this great recipe…
hi! what else did you add with tuna? thanks
that’s in the list of ingredients, irene.
when i make lumpiang shanghai i always put kinchay. it makes a lot of differeence in taste. i think adding kinchay here would be great too, esp to mask the fishy taste.
i got caught by your website from my father.please tell me where to get the ingredients for this recipe.im at lost.thanks
owwwww i got it.please disregard my comments.tnx ms connie
hi connie!!! this is really a healthful recipe because it uses tuna that’s really rich in omega fatty acids.one time,i planned on making rellenong bangus.after sauteing d bangus meat and d other recados,i thought of just making it into another version of spring rolls.
d result?? sarap siyempre!!! i got tired of stuffing d filling and sewing d bangus skin,eh!!hahaha
for d dips,i made two- made sweet n sour sauce and a sweet n spicy vinegar dip.
but i will try this recipe,connie…thanks!!!!!
connie, we use mackerel instead of canned tuna?
The flesh might be too soft but you can try.
Hi Ms. Connie,
Nawala yata yung print button. Or maybe the error is with my pc. Try ko muna ang ibang entry..
Hi Ms. Connie,
Sorry, I found it already! :) I was used in seeing it at the top of the entry, nasa baba na pala :)
Pls. disregard my previous comment na lang Ms. Connie, thanks!!
Hi Ms. Connie,
Can I omit the chili flakes and use spicy canned tuna instead?
Thanks :)
You can try and let us know how it turns out. :)
Ok Ms. Connie,I will.
Thanks.. :)
Ms Connie….what would make a great combination with the tuna lumpia? Thanks!
A great soup.
Thanks. Now I don’t have to buy those expensive Tuna Lumpia.
Connie, mix it with potato? Why potato? How bout sweet potato/yam uncooked carrot, spring onion then fry?
Because potato tastes neutral. Tuna has a delicate flavor that I wanted preserved.
salamat po.
Hi Connie,
Yong Salmon ba is different from Tuna? .. sensya na di kasi ako sure eh.. am planning to make this for my son´s b-day tom.
Thanks.
Connie,this was my first time to cook tuna rolls. Yes, I just used whatever’s in the pantry and fridge.
Roasted bellpepper from a jar,green onions and egg.Next time I’ll add tofu.Very goooood!
Thanks.
Go glad you liked it. :D
Thank you so much Ma’am Connie for your recipe. Dito po ako sa moscow ngaun and e2 kakatapos lang kumain ng mga employer ko and they like it very much. They said in Russian “otchin kusna” very tasty in english and they ask me to cook it much often na po hahaha. I used the recipe of your shanghai wrapper too kaso medyo kinulang dahil i made some mistakes sa paglagay sa pot but I made around 12 sheets of that mixture in the end hehehe. I used parsley instead of onion, okay lang naman po un diba? More power po sa inyo at ingat po.
Parsley — yes! You might want to try cilantro next time. :)
hello madam! I’m a student and currently having a project of cost&benefit analysis. Yung napili ko po is establishing a business on making of tuna lumpia. Pupwede po bang directly fresh tuna ang gamitin instead of canned? Hindi po ba maiiba ang lasa?
Hello, Alexandria.
Since cost & benefit analysis ang project mo, di ba mas tama na IKAW MISMO ang sumubok na gamitin both canned and fresh para malaman mo ang difference nila as lumpia filling?