To reheat spring rolls in an air fryer, set the temperature to 370°F (188°C) and heat them for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The circulating hot air re-crisps the wrapper without steaming it the way a microwave does. You get something close to fresh-fried — not identical, but genuinely good.
Safety First: Air fryer baskets and the spring rolls inside get extremely hot — we’re talking surfaces that can cause serious burns in under a second. Always use silicone-tipped tongs (not your fingers) to flip and remove spring rolls, and never reach into the basket while it’s running. Let the basket cool for at least 5 minutes before washing. Keep the air fryer at least 6 inches from cabinets and walls to avoid a heat buildup fire risk.
Quick Facts: Reheating Spring Rolls in an Air Fryer
- Best temperature: 370°F (188°C) for leftover cooked spring rolls
- Time: 3–4 minutes for refrigerated; 6–8 minutes for frozen (no thawing needed)
- Always flip once at the halfway mark — one side will scorch otherwise
- Skip the oil spray on already-fried rolls; add a light spritz only if the wrapper looks dry or papery before reheating
- Don’t stack or overlap — single layer only, or they’ll steam each other and turn soft
I’ve reheated a lot of spring rolls. Probably too many, honestly. And for years I defaulted to the oven — 375°F, 10 minutes, fine but never great. Then I started testing air fryers for this site and realized the difference is almost embarrassing. The air fryer takes a quarter of the time and produces a noticeably crispier result. There’s a few things that trip people up though, so let me walk through exactly what I do.
Why the Air Fryer Works Better Than Your Other Options
A microwave is the enemy of a spring roll wrapper. It heats food by exciting water molecules, which turns that crispy fried shell into something limp and chewy within about 45 seconds. I know people do it — I’ve done it, in desperate moments — but it’s genuinely bad and you should stop.
A conventional oven works but it’s slow. You’re waiting 8–10 minutes minimum, and you still don’t get the same aggressive crunch because the heat is more diffuse. The air fryer concentrates that hot air right around the food, which is why it re-creates that just-fried texture so well. It’s the same principle as deep frying: hot moving air pulls moisture off the surface fast.
A toaster oven with a convection setting is actually a reasonable middle ground if you don’t have a standalone air fryer — I’ve written more about reheating food in a toaster oven if you want to compare your options. But the dedicated air fryer still wins for this specific task.
The Exact Method I Use (Refrigerated Leftover Spring Rolls)
These are the spring rolls that have been sitting in a takeout container in your fridge overnight. They’re already limp. Don’t panic.
Step 1: Preheat the Air Fryer
Preheat to 370°F for 3 minutes. I know a lot of people skip this step. Don’t. When you put cold food into a cold basket and then start heating, the spring roll warms through gradually — which means the inside gets hot before the outside has a chance to crisp up. You end up with a cooked filling and a wrapper that’s still slightly soft. Preheating fixes this completely.
Step 2: Arrange in a Single Layer
Single layer. No exceptions. If your air fryer is small and you’ve got six spring rolls to reheat, do two batches. Stacking them traps steam between the rolls and you’ll undo every advantage the air fryer has. A perforated parchment liner can help with cleanup without blocking airflow, but it’s not required.
Step 3: Heat at 370°F for 3–4 Minutes, Flipping Once
Flip at the 2-minute mark. The side that was face-down gets direct contact with the basket, so it crisps faster. Without flipping, you’ll have one side that’s almost too dark and one side that’s still not quite there. After flipping, another 1–2 minutes does it. Check at 3 minutes total — if they look golden and feel firm when you press them lightly with the tongs, they’re done.
I don’t spray oil on already-fried leftover spring rolls. There’s enough residual oil in the wrapper from when they were originally cooked. Adding more just makes them greasy. The exception: if the wrapper looks really dry and almost chalky before you put them in, a very light spritz of neutral oil helps. But this is rare.
How to Reheat Frozen Spring Rolls in the Air Fryer
Frozen spring rolls — whether store-bought or ones you made ahead and froze — are a slightly different situation. The good news: you don’t need to thaw them first. Going straight from freezer to air fryer is fine.
Set the air fryer to 380°F (slightly higher than for refrigerated rolls, because you’re working against a frozen core). Cook for 6–8 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Check at 6 minutes. If the wrapper is crispy and golden and the inside feels hot when you bite into a test roll, you’re done. If there’s still a cold or icy center, add another 2 minutes.
Thick, dense spring rolls — some Vietnamese chả giò varieties are packed pretty firmly — might need the full 8 minutes or even a touch more. Thinner, more delicate Shanghai-style rolls are usually done in 6. It’s worth knowing which type you have before you start.
Temperature and Timing Comparison Table
Here’s a quick reference that pulls together the different scenarios. I tested these in a 5.8-quart basket-style air fryer; if you’ve got a smaller unit, your times might run slightly shorter because the heating element is closer to the food.
| Spring Roll Type | Starting Condition | Temperature | Time | Flip? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fried (takeout/leftover) | Refrigerated | 370°F (188°C) | 3–4 min | Yes, at 2 min |
| Fried (takeout/leftover) | Room temperature | 350°F (175°C) | 2–3 min | Yes, at 1.5 min |
| Frozen store-bought | Frozen (no thaw) | 380°F (193°C) | 6–8 min | Yes, at 3–4 min |
| Homemade (uncooked, frozen) | Frozen (no thaw) | 375°F (190°C) | 10–12 min | Yes, at 5–6 min |
| Fresh rolls (rice paper, unfried) | Refrigerated | Do not air fry | N/A | N/A |
That last row is important. Fresh Vietnamese-style spring rolls wrapped in rice paper are not meant to be heated at all — the rice paper turns hard and almost glass-like when exposed to dry heat. Eat those cold or at room temperature. Air frying them is a mistake I made exactly once.
The Things That Actually Go Wrong (And How to Fix Them)
They Came Out Soggy
Almost always caused by skipping the preheat or overcrowding the basket. Try again with a preheated air fryer and fewer rolls. If they’re soggy coming out of the fridge because they absorbed sauce or condensation, pat them dry with a paper towel before reheating — that surface moisture is what’s killing your crunch.
The Wrapper Burned but the Inside Is Still Cold
Temperature too high. Drop it to 350°F and go longer. This happens most often with thick, densely packed spring rolls — the outside cooks much faster than the filling has time to warm through. Lower and slower is better for big rolls. For very large spring rolls (some egg roll varieties are quite chunky), I’d go 350°F for 5–6 minutes rather than cranking the heat.
The Edge Case Nobody Mentions: Sauce-Dipped Spring Rolls
If you dipped your spring rolls in sweet chili sauce or hoisin before storing them — maybe they were part of a platter and got sauced up — don’t air fry them. The sugar in those sauces caramelizes and burns almost immediately at high heat. Wipe the sauce off first, or just eat them cold. This is the edge case I’ve never seen another article address, and it has ruined more than a few of my lunches.
They’re Sticking to the Basket
A brief spritz of cooking spray on the basket before placing the rolls usually solves this. Alternatively, a reusable silicone air fryer liner is worth having if you cook sticky foods regularly. Just make sure any liner you use has holes or perforations — a solid mat blocks airflow and defeats the purpose.
My Honest Take After Testing This Repeatedly
The first time I tried this, I used 400°F because I’d seen that recommended somewhere and thought hotter must mean crispier. The outside went slightly too dark in about 90 seconds and I spent the next minute nervously checking whether the inside was hot enough. It was fine, but the wrapper was a little overdone — almost brittle rather than crispy. 370°F is the sweet spot. Not too aggressive, still fast.
Also: the dipping sauce matters more than people give it credit for. A good spring roll reheated in the air fryer with proper sweet chili sauce on the side is legitimately satisfying. Don’t skip the sauce in an attempt to eat healthy. That’s not what we’re here for.
If you’re doing this regularly and want to think about equipment more broadly, I’d point you toward our roundup of the best mini toaster ovens — some of them have air fry modes that handle this kind of task just as well as a standalone unit. Serious Eats also has a solid breakdown of how to reheat fried foods that’s worth a read if you’re reheating more than just spring rolls.
The Short Version
Preheat to 370°F. Single layer. Flip once at the halfway mark. Three to four minutes for fridge-cold leftovers, six to eight for frozen. Don’t crowd the basket. Don’t add oil unless the wrapper looks genuinely dry. Skip the microwave entirely — it’s not worth it. That’s really it. The air fryer makes this almost foolproof as long as you don’t rush it or overfill the basket, which are the two mistakes that account for about 90% of bad results.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long to reheat spring rolls in air fryer?
Refrigerated leftover spring rolls take 3–4 minutes at 370°F, flipping once halfway through. Frozen spring rolls need 6–8 minutes at 380°F from frozen, also with a flip at the midpoint. These times assume a preheated air fryer and a single layer of rolls in the basket — add a minute or two if your machine runs cool.
What temperature to reheat spring rolls in air fryer?
370°F (188°C) is the right temperature for refrigerated cooked spring rolls. For frozen ones, bump it up slightly to 380°F (193°C) to compensate for the frozen core. Going higher than 400°F risks burning the wrapper before the filling has warmed through, especially with thicker rolls.
Can you reheat frozen spring rolls in an air fryer without thawing?
Yes — go straight from freezer to air fryer. Thawing first actually makes the wrapper wetter and less likely to crisp up properly. Set the temperature to 380°F and cook for 6–8 minutes, flipping halfway. Check the center before serving; a dense filling may need an extra minute or two.
Why are my reheated spring rolls soggy in the air fryer?
The most common causes are skipping the preheat, overcrowding the basket so the rolls steam each other, or surface moisture on the wrapper before cooking. Pat the rolls dry with a paper towel if they look wet, preheat the air fryer for at least 3 minutes, and arrange them in a single layer with space between each roll.
Can you reheat spring rolls in a toaster oven instead of an air fryer?
A toaster oven with a convection setting works reasonably well — set it to 375°F and heat for 8–10 minutes on a wire rack. The result isn’t quite as crispy as an air fryer because the airflow is less intense, but it’s far better than a microwave. A plain (non-convection) toaster oven takes longer and produces a softer wrapper overall.
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Written by
Emma founded Toastera to turn vague appliance advice into clear, researched, safety-first guidance on toasters and toaster ovens.
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