Crispy fried Filipino banana spring rolls drizzled with a browned herb butter caramel sauce.
Turon is a beloved Filipino street snack: ripe saba banana and often a strip of jackfruit, rolled in a thin lumpia wrapper and fried until the wrapper turns deeply golden and shatteringly crisp, with caramelized brown sugar clinging to the surface. This version finishes the fried rolls with a drizzle of browned butter caramel infused with fresh herbs like thyme, an unconventional but genuinely tasty modern touch against turon's usual straightforward sweetness. The technique for great turon is coating the banana in brown sugar before rolling, so the sugar caramelizes directly against the wrapper during frying rather than just sitting inside -- this is what creates turon's signature sticky, crackling shell. Rolling tightly and sealing the wrapper edges with a little water or cornstarch slurry keeps the banana from bursting out mid-fry. Served hot, ideally within minutes of frying while the shell is still audibly crisp, turon is a favorite Filipino merienda, sold from carts and eaten as a not-too-sweet dessert or afternoon snack.
Serves 6
Roll each banana half in brown sugar until well coated on all sides.
Place a banana half at one edge of a wrapper, fold the sides in, and roll tightly, sealing the final edge with a little water.
Heat oil in a wide pan over medium heat until shimmering, about 175°C (350°F).
Fry the rolls in batches, turning occasionally, 3-4 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Drain on a wire rack.
In a small pan, melt butter with thyme sprigs over medium heat until it turns golden and smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Remove thyme, stir in brown sugar and cream, simmer 2 minutes until glossy.
Drizzle the warm herb butter caramel over the hot turon and serve immediately.
Coat the bananas generously with brown sugar before rolling -- this is what caramelizes into the signature crisp shell during frying.
Seal the wrapper edges well with water or the banana will leak sugar and burst during frying.
Watch the browned butter closely -- it goes from nutty to burnt quickly once it starts to color.
Add a strip of ripe jackfruit alongside the banana inside the wrapper, the classic addition.
Skip the herb butter caramel for traditional plain turon, which is just as satisfying.
Serve with vanilla ice cream for a more dessert-forward presentation.
Best eaten immediately while crisp. Turon doesn't reheat well since the sugar shell softens, but can be refrigerated for a day and briefly re-fried or air-fried to recrisp.
Turon is a classic Filipino street food, its name and format likely influenced by Spanish and Chinese frying and rolling traditions, using saba bananas that are a staple crop across the Philippines.
Firm, ripe plantains are the closest substitute in texture and starch content.
Yes, brush with oil and air-fry at 190°C (375°F) for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway, though the shell will be slightly less crisp than deep-frying.
The oil was likely too hot -- keep it around 175°C (350°F) so the sugar has time to caramelize without scorching.
Per serving (257g / 9.1 oz) · 6 servings total
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