Dynamite Lumpia

Dynamite lumpia is a flavor-packed springroll appetizer that’s perfect for any party or get-together!

I’ll admit, I’ve never actually heard of dynamite lumpia until very recently during one of my Tita’s get-together celebrations. She had this whole tray full of this stuff mixed in with the standard lumpiang shanghai.

At first I thought its name was derived from the flavor-bomb that it gives when you bite into it. It’s meaty, slightly spicy, but with a mellow flavor thanks to the melted cheese on the inside.

But looking more closely, it clearly did look like an actual dynamite stick, with the pepper’s stems appearing as the dynamite’s wick!

What is Dynamite Lumpia?

Dynamite lumpia is a variant of the traditional Filipino lumpia, mainly through its addition of green chilis and cheese.

The chilis are essentially hollowed out, stuffed with the lumpia filling and cheese, and wrapped with spring roll wrappers before being deep-fried until golden and crispy.

Traditionally, the chilis used in the Philippines for dynamite lumpia is known as “siling haba”, which are light green, skinny, chilies. Living in the west, finding these are a tad more difficult, so I found that serranos and/or jalapenos made perfect substitutes.

And don’t worry, even though we’re using whole chilies for this recipe, the spice level itself is fairly mild.

We hollow out the green chili itself, removing the pith and seeds (where most of the spice and capsaicin are concentrated). The addition of cheese also helps to mellow out the overall spice of the chilis.

That being said, you can always bump up the spice by keeping some of the pith and seeds intact!

Ingredients (and substitutions!)

Green chilies: Any green chili of your choice should work for this recipe, ideally ones that are longer and skinnier in shape so that they’re able to be wrapped completely with the lumpia wrappers. Traditionally, siling haba is used in the Philippines. You can typically find these in some Asian or Filipino groceries, which are long, and pale green in color.

• Substitutions: Either serranos or jalapenos work great as well.

Cheese: The go-to cheese for any Filipino recipe includes quick-melt cheeses such as Eden or even Velveeta.

• Substitutions: Other cheeses you can use include mozzarella or cheddar.

Spring roll wrapper: You can purchase spring roll wrappers in almost all Asian groceries, mainly in the freezer section. This will give our lumpia that crispy texture and golden look when fried.

Be sure you don’t accidentally purchase egg roll wrappers, which are typically thicker in comparison. I mean, you could technically use it, but I find that it’s much too heavy for a dish like this (which is meant to be a light, finger food snack!)

Ground pork: A classic in any lumpia recipe, ground protein will make the spring roll meaty and filling.

• Substitutions: Any ground protein, such as ground chicken, beef, or turkey could work. For more vegan and vegetarian-friendly options, you can substitute with tofu or other plant-based meat alternatives.

Onion, celery, carrot, garlic: These are the foundational veggies and aromatics typically used in most lumpia. If you can, throw these into a blender or food processor to make mincing them a breeze.

Fish sauce: This will bump up those umami and savory notes of the lumpia.

• Substitutions: You can use equal parts of soy sauce as a replacement. Otherwise, you can also omit this ingredient if you prefer.

Instructions

Prepare the filling:

In a food processor, combine together the onions, garlic, carrot, and celery. Pulse until finely minced.

Add the minced veggies to a bowl. Combine with the ground pork, garlic powder, onion powder, cornstarch, salt, fish sauce, and black pepper. Mix until evenly combined.

Prepare the dynamite lumpia:

Cut a slit through the centre of the chili. Using a spoon, carefully scrape out the pith and seeds until hollowed. Repeat with all remaining chilies.

Fill each chili with the lumpia filling and place a slice of cheese in the middle.

To roll the lumpia, fold one corner of the wrapper inwards and place the stuffed pepper in the centre with the stem sticking out. Fold the bottom corner to the center to cover the pepper. Then roll the entire pepper, tightly enclosing it with the wrapper, and sealing it with the cornstarch-water mixture.

Fry for 5-7 minutes or until the lumpia is golden and crispy and the inside is cooked all the way through. Let cool slightly. Serve with sweet chili sauce, if desired. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

Avoid overfilling: It’s tempting to stuff the peppers with as much meat and cheese as possible (I did this too many times), but resist the urge as it can cause the whole lumpia to unravel when frying.

Avoid overcrowding: Frying too many lumpia at once cause drop the overall temperature of your oil. This can result with undercooked and soggy spring rolls.

Serve this Pinoy-style: Dynamite lumpia is normally considered as a snack, served fresh as a street-food item or as a pulutan (finger food).

To enjoy this Pinoy/Filipino-style, serve it as a snack or appetizer paired with an ice-cold glass of beer (or other beverage of your choice). You can also dip this with some sweet chili sauce, ketchup, or sawsawan (Filipino dipping sauce).

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I store this?

These are very freezer-friendly. Simply arrange the uncooked lumpia in a single layer inside a Ziplock bag or Tupperware. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

To reheat, simply fry the lumpia from frozen (no need to defrost!)

I wouldn’t recommend storing these in the refrigerator as the wrappers have a tendency to dry and crack when chilled over long periods.

Can I air-fry these?

While I haven’t personally tried this, some readers pointed out that they’ve had success in air frying the Dynamite Lumpia at 360 F for around 15-20 minutes. Be sure to flip the lumpia halfway and line them in a single layer to prevent sticking.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might love some of these Filipino classics:

• Pancit Bihon (Filipino Rice Noodles)
• Bistek (Filipino Beef Steak)
• Chicken Adobo
• Tortang Talong (Filipino Eggplant Omelet)