Turon
Saba banana rolled in brown sugar, wrapped in a thin lumpia wrapper and fried, then turned in caramel in the same oil until glassy. The merienda roll.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Turon is a banana spring roll. Slices of saba, the short, firm cooking banana, are rolled in brown sugar, wrapped in thin lumpia wrappers, often with a strip of ripe jackfruit, and fried. At the end a handful of sugar goes into the hot oil, melts, and coats the rolls in a thin, glassy caramel shell. Inside, the banana turns soft and sticky without going to mush, which is why dessert bananas are a poor swap; ripe plantain is the best stand-in abroad. Let them cool a few minutes before eating. Molten sugar is no joke.
What you'll need
5 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Plantain, saba bananas, or 3 ripe plantains (yellow with black spots), peeled6
- Spring roll wrappers, lumpia wrappers, thawed12 sheet
- Brown sugar, half for rolling, half for the caramel150 g
- Neutral oil, for frying500 ml
- Water, for sealing30 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Halve the saba lengthwise; if using plantains, cut each into four long strips. Spread half the brown sugar on a plate and roll each piece in it.
8 min
Step 2
Lay a wrapper on the board with a corner towards you. Put a banana piece across the lower third, fold the bottom corner over, fold in the sides and roll up tightly. Seal the last corner with a dab of water.
15 min
Tip: Keep the wrappers under a damp cloth while you work. They dry and crack in minutes.
Step 3
Heat the oil in a wok to 170°C, about 3 cm deep. Fry the rolls in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, turning, until golden and crisp, and set them aside.
12 min170°C
Step 4
Return the rolls to the oil, in two batches if they crowd, and scatter the remaining sugar into the oil around them. It melts within a minute; turn the rolls through it until coated in a glassy caramel, then lift them onto a rack.
4 min
Watch: Melted sugar in hot oil spits and burns badly. Stand back, use long tongs, and never add water.
Step 5
Cool them on the rack, not on paper, for 5 minutes before eating. Paper sticks to the caramel.
5 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 286 kcal
- Protein
- 1.9 g
- Carbs
- 37.5 g
- Fat
- 15.4 g
- Saturated fat
- 1.6 g
- Fibre
- 1.5 g
- Sugar
- 19.7 g
- Sodium
- 75 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Saba bananas → Ripe plantains
Use them when the skins are yellow with black spots. Green plantain is too starchy and not sweet enough.
Lumpia wrappers → Filo pastry, two sheets brushed with oil
Flakier and less chewy. It browns faster, so fry at 160°C.
Tips
- Add a strip of ripe jackfruit next to each banana for the classic version.
- Wipe out the wok while the caramel is still warm. Once it cools it sets like glass.
- Turon crisps up again in a hot oven or air fryer in about 5 minutes.
History & culture
Turon is merienda, the afternoon snack, sold from carts and stalls outside schools, offices and churches alongside banana cue, the same banana skewered and caramelised without a wrapper. It costs a few pesos and is eaten from a paper bag. At home it is what happens to a bunch of saba bought at the market.
Saba bananas grow all over the Philippines and have been cooked for as long as anyone remembers. The thin wheat wrapper is lumpia, from the Hokkien lunpia brought by Chinese settlers. Who first put the two together is not recorded; turon is the kind of street invention that belongs to everyone.
Traditional — Saba is a firm, slightly tart cooking banana that holds its shape when fried. Ripe plantain behaves in much the same way; soft dessert bananas collapse. Strips of ripe jackfruit, langka, are common in the roll, and tinned jackfruit in syrup, drained, works.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Turon take?
40 min all in — 20 min prep, 20 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 12 rolls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
8 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Chef's knife, Cutting board, Wok, Tongs.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.
How much brown sugar?
150 g (half for rolling, half for the caramel) of Brown sugar.
What can I use instead?
Saba bananas → Ripe plantains. Use them when the skins are yellow with black spots. Green plantain is too starchy and not sweet enough. Lumpia wrappers → Filo pastry, two sheets brushed with oil. Flakier and less chewy. It browns faster, so fry at 160°C.
What should I watch for?
Melted sugar in hot oil spits and burns badly. Stand back, use long tongs, and never add water.
Any tips from this recipe?
Add a strip of ripe jackfruit next to each banana for the classic version. Wipe out the wok while the caramel is still warm. Once it cools it sets like glass. Turon crisps up again in a hot oven or air fryer in about 5 minutes.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
Similar dishes
Lumpia
Filipino spring rolls — a vegetable or pork filling in a thin wrapper, fried, with a sweet-sour dip.
Medium
Pisang goreng
Indonesian banana fritters: ripe bananas in a thin rice-flour batter, fried until shattering and eaten hot.
Easy
Halo-halo
Shaved ice, evaporated milk, sweet beans and jellies — mix-mix, which is what the name says.
Easy
Jamaican Banana Fritters
Jamaican Banana Fritters from Jamaica.
Medium