Dynamite Lumpia
In these Filipino-style jalapeño poppers, jalapeños are stuffed with pork and cheese, wrapped in a lumpia wrapper, then fried until crisp.
Makes25 lumpia
Prep1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook25 minutes
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Dinamita, or Dynamite Lumpia, is a street dish I discovered while traveling in the Philippines. It’s a form of lumpia made with long green chilies known as siling haba that are stuffed with an aromatic ground pork filling and cheese. The chile is wrapped in a lumpia wrapper, then fried until crispy. It’s reminiscent of a jalapeño popper but with a light, crispy shell and a deeply savory filling. It was love at first bite.
Since I returned from my trip, I adapted this concept to a dish I can make in the United States. If you have access to siling haba, I encourage you to try that chile. But here, I use a jalapeño because of the lumpia’s similarity to a jalapeño popper and how easy they are to find.
Lumpia Wrappers vs. Egg Rolls Wrappers
There’s an important distinction between Chinese-style egg roll wrappers and lumpia wrappers. Lumpia spring roll wrappers are thin and crepe-like, and turn light, crispy, and shatter when fried. Egg roll wrappers are thicker, and, when fried, turn more crunchy than light and crisp, with pock marks all over the exterior.
You can find lumpia wrappers at most Filipino markets in the freezer section. If not, just ask! If you can only find Chinese-style egg roll wrappers, you can definitely use those as a substitute — but it won’t be “true” lumpia without the crisp crepe-like wrapper.
How to Make Dynamite Lumpia
Step 1: Make the filling and slice the cheese: Finely chop aromatics like onions and garlic (or start with garlic and onion powder) and add it to ground pork. Season with salt to bring out all those flavors. Thinly slice edam cheese into .75×2-inch slices.
Step 2: Cut the jalapeños: The first rule of cutting and de-seeding 25 jalapeños is WEAR GLOVES. Trust me, it’s quite unpleasant until the next day if you don’t. When you cut the pepper, try to keep the stem top intact. It will act like a little handle when you eat it later. Make a partial cut crosswise, right under the stem. Then, cut down from the stem to the tip of the pepper. Carefully remove the seeds and white ribs.
Step 3: Stuff and wrap the jalapeños: Stuff the peppers with the pork filling and a small piece of cheese. Wrap each one with a lumpia wrapper, folding down one end to reveal the stem top.
Step 4: Fry the Dinamita: Bring oil to 330°F to 350°F degrees. Cooking at this temperature range ensures you get a fully cooked pork center with beautiful deep golden, crisp exterior. If you fry at a higher temperature, you run the risk of an undercooked center. Be sure to check the internal temperature of the dinamita by sticking a probe in the pork filling. If it reads 145°F, you’re ready!
Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Remember, they’re hot! Enjoy as is, or dip in spicy banana sauce or your favorite soy dipping sauce.
Dynamite Lumpia Recipe
In these Filipino-style jalapeño poppers, jalapeños are stuffed with pork and cheese, wrapped in a lumpia wrapper, then fried until crisp.
Prep time 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes
Makes 25 lumpia
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 (11 to -12- ounce) package
frozen lumpia or spring roll wrappers (not egg roll wrappers)
- 4 ounces
edam, cheddar, or Gouda cheese
- 1/2
small yellow onion (about 4 ounces, scant 1/4 cup)
- 2 cloves
garlic
- 1
large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces
ground pork
- 25
small or medium jalapeño peppers
- 2 cups
vegetable oil, for shallow-frying, plus more as needed
Instructions
Thaw 1 package frozen frozen lumpia or spring roll wrappers in the refrigerator until you can separate the sheets, about 3 hours.
Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut 4 ounces edam cheese into 1/8-inch -thick slices. Cut the slices into 25 (about .75x2-inch) pieces.
Very finely chop 1/2 small yellow onion (about 1/4 cup). Very finely chop 2 garlic cloves. Place both in a medium bowl. Separate the yolk and white from 1 large egg; add the yolk to the bowl of onion and the white to a small bowl.
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl of onion and mix to combine. Add 8 ounces ground pork and mix with your hands until very well-combined.
Wearing gloves if possible, prepare 25 jalapeños for stuffing one at a time: Make a crosswise cut on one side just below the stem, cutting about halfway through. Starting at the center of the crosswise cut, cut lengthwise from top to bottom, only cutting through the top half. Open up the pepper and cut away the seeds at the base of the stem. Remove the seeds and white ribs and discard.
Stuff each pepper: Take 2 teaspoons of the filling and roll it in your hands into a log that fits inside a jalapeño, then stuff it into the pepper. Stuff 1 piece of the cheese into the pepper.
Remove the wrappers from the package and place on a work surface or plate. Cover with a damp paper towel to keep from drying out. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Place one wrapper on the work surface in a diamond shape (keep the remaining wrappers covered with the towel). Fold the right corner to the center and make a crease. Place a stuffed pepper horizontally on the folded part, positioning the stem so it is outside the wrapper. Fold the left corner over the pepper, pulling it taut and creasing the folds and adjusting to the size of the pepper as needed.
Fold the bottom of the wrapper up and over the pepper, pulling it taut. Continue to roll the pepper snuggly up toward the top corner, stopping when you are about 2 inches away from the top. Dip a finger into the egg white and use it to dampen the last unfolded part, then finish rolling all the way up (the egg white will help “glue” the wrapper” together). Place on the baking sheet and repeat wrapping the remaining peppers.
Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat until 350ºF. (If you don’t have a thermometer, gently dip one end of a lumpia in the oil: If it sizzles up right away, the oil is ready.) Meanwhile, line a second baking sheet with a rack and top the rack with a paper towel.
Frying in batches of 6 or 7, add the dynamite lumpia to the hot oil and fry until deep golden-brown on the bottoms, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, reducing the heat as needed if it’s cooking too quickly. Flip and fry until deep golden-brown on the second side (or the center registers 145ºF on an instant-read thermometer), 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more. Add more oil to the pan between batches if needed.
Transfer to the paper towels. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The lumpia can be assembled up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, or frozen solid and then stored in a ziptop bag for up to 2 months. Fry frozen lumpia directly from frozen.