Buffalo Jackfruit Vegan Air Fryer Spring Rolls
Are you a fan of buffalo dip? Well this recipe is basically a vegan version of buffalo dip, in a crispy, crunchy shell. To keep things a little healthier, we used the air fryer here. It’s air fryer spring rolls! Filled with vegan cream cheese and jackfruit in buffalo sauce, these vegan spring rolls are spicy, creamy, indulgent, and crisp. Perfect finger food for parties, game days, or any time you need a little great vegan junk food in your life.
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The Amazingness of Appetizers
Let’s face it- the best part of a meal is the appetizer. Or maybe the dessert, depending on if you’re more of a sweet or savory person. But why are appetizers so great? Let’s explore that! They’re more likely to be fried (or air fried) than a main course (which is always tastier), and usually have bolder, punchier flavors. You’re not tied down like you are with a main course- a few bites of this, or a couple nibbles of that doesn’t require the same level of commitment. In social settings, appetizers are also often finger foods that you can eat while you mingle, whereas a main course requires you to sit and use a knife and fork- obviously not as fun. But I think the biggest reason of all is novelty. The first bite of an appetizer is amazing, and so is the second, and the third, and soon it’s gone. And while the first, second, and third bite of your entrée might also be amazing, by the time your plate is cleared your last bite was just like the one before it. Novelty lost. Any other theories as to why appetizers are so amazing?
Looking for Great Vegan Appetizers? Try one of these!
- Garlic Scape Sweet Potato Pakoras or Fritters (Vegan)
- Sesame Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Vegan BLT Bites- Vegan Party-Friendly Snack
- Giant Buffalo Beans- White Beans in Buffalo Sauce
- Vegan Easter (or any occasion!) Deviled Potatoes
- Vegan Air Fried Cream Cheese Wontons
Looking for Jackfruit Recipes? Try one of these!
- Spicy Jackfruit and Black Bean Stew with Bananas
- Vegan Brown Rice Congee with Jackfruit and Mushrooms
- Vegan Tuna Salad (Made with Jackfruit, not Chickpeas!)
How to Make Vegan Air Fryer Spring Rolls
Before you get started, make sure your spring roll wrappers are defrosted if you bought them frozen! There’s nothing as annoying as being all ready to cook and than having to wait for your wrappers to defrost!
Make the jackfruit filling first. Drain the water from your jackfruit, and rinse it off to get rid of any of that canned flavor. You’re going to sauté it for roughly 3-4 minutes, which will help it to soften. During that time, use your spatula or a wooden spoon to break up the larger chunks so that it fits in the spring roll well. If you like, you can melt your butter and combine with hot sauce in a separate container, but there’s really no need. Just throw it all in the pan with the jackfruit right at the end of your cook time, and stir to melt all the butter and coat the jackfruit.
Rolling spring rolls is easy, once you get the hang of it. Start it off right by making sure your wrapper is oriented like a diamond towards you. In the bottom spread some of your vegan cream cheese, in the rough shape of a spring roll. Top it with some of your jackfruit, and then roll the bottom over to close the filling in. Take the sides and fold them in too, so the filling is now completely surrounded. Roll the spring roll up, and once you get to the end brush the corner with a little water to help it seal. If you’re looking for a visual aid here, you can check out this recipe from RecipeTin Eats – it does contain meat, but Nagi shares photos and a video that make the how-to of rolling spring rolls very clear.
The final step before eating is to air fry- if you don’t have an air fryer yet, you can get one here. Set your air fryer to 350 degrees F, and let it heat up to temperature. When it’s ready, spray the basket with your non-stick spray and add the spring rolls. Make sure they are not touching and have plenty of space so they can get nice and crispy. My air fryer only fits three at a time, but depending on the basket size yours might fit more or less. Cook for 7 minutes, flip them over and cook for another 7 minutes. Serve them warm. Because of the buffalo sauce and cream cheese inside, they really don’t call for any dipping sauce, so just serve as is!
Buffalo Air Fryer Spring Roll Ingredients
This recipe only uses five ingredients, most of which you can find at most grocery stores- let’s go through them quickly. In addition to these five ingredients, you will need an air fryer, and a can of non-stick spray is also quite helpful for getting a crispy skin.
- Spring Roll Wrappers are a very important ingredient here- they literally hold the recipe together! Make sure you are getting spring roll wrappers, and not rice roll wrappers or egg roll wrappers. Look for these in the refrigerated section of your grocery store (often by the tofu), or in the frozen section. For best results, get square wrappers. Most brands are made of flour, water, and salt, but make sure to read the ingredients as some contain dairy products.
- Vegan Cream Cheese while vegan cream cheese used to be a specialty item, it’s gotten to be fairly main stream. We used homemade vegan cream cheese in ours, but brands like Tofutti, Kite Hill, and Daiya are available at many mainstream supermarkets.
- Vegan Butter is used to make the jackfruit filling richer. You can use any brand of vegan butter, or look for a brand of margarine that doesn’t contain dairy. You can even substitute with coconut oil, if you prefer.
- Hot Sauce the classic option for hot sauce is Frank’s Red Hot. Unlike many other hot sauces, it works well for buffalo sauce because it’s not too hot, meaning you can eat a lot more of it. If you want to venture out and try a different hot sauce, look for one that’s vinegar-based and not too spicy.
- Canned Jackfruit can be found at many different grocery stores, probably in the international foods aisle. Stores like Trader Joe’s will have it as well. It doesn’t have a lot of flavor on it’s own, but it’s a great option to get a flaky, meat-like texture. Make sure you get green jackfruit (also called unripe jackfruit) in water or brine. Ripe jackfruit, often canned in syrup, is sweet and will not work in this recipe.
Buffalo Jackfruit Vegan Air Fryer Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- 20 oz. can of green jackfruit in water
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ¼ cup hot sauce (Franks Red Hot or similar- vinegar based, not too hot)
- 8-10 vegan spring roll wrappers, defrosted (not rice paper wrappers!)
- 1/3 cup vegan cream cheese, room temperature
Instructions
- Drain the jackfruit and rinse under cool water. In a large skillet, sauté the jackfruit for a few minutes, using your spatula to break up the large chunks. Add the vegan butter and the hot sauce. Stir, until the vegan butter is all melted and the jackfruit is all coated in the sauce. Turn off the heat.
- Roll your spring rolls. Place a wrapper on a diagonal to you, so it looks like a diamond not a square. About a quarter of the way up, spread ½ tbsp. of vegan cream cheese about 4-5 inches wide, stopping short of the edges. Add 2-3 tbsp. of the buffalo jackfruit filling across the cream cheese. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, and then fold the sides in so it looks sort of like an envelope. Roll the spring roll away from you, and when you get to the end use a little bit of water to wet the last corner so the spring roll seals nicely. Repeat until you are out of jackfruit.
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Once hot, spray the air fryer basket with a little oil. Add the spring rolls, doing in batches to insure they’re not touching in the basket. Give the spring rolls a spray with your oil, and fry for 7 minutes. Flip the spring roll, and fry for another 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining spring rolls. Serve warm, and enjoy!
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