Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls are packed with bright, fresh flavours and served with an insanely addictive Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce that takes a minute to make. With a couple of cheeky tricks, step by step photos and an easy to follow video, you’ll be rolling perfect rice paper rolls like a pro in no time!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls – always a hit!!
If I took a platter of these to a gathering with my friends, I guarantee they’d be one of the first things to go. Everybody I know loves these. Even the hardest of hard-core carnivores munch these down as enthusiastically as they would a rack of ribs.
They truly are that good.
Vietnamese food is my idea of the ultimate “accidently healthy” food. Sure, there are a handful of deep fried recipes. But generally, most Vietnamese dishes are super fresh, full of bright flavours, loaded with herbs and salads, with just a bit of protein. Dressings and sauces are refreshingly light and devoid of oil, unlike basically every Western dressing!
I think that Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls are one of those things that people love but always assume are just too fiddly or too hard to make. To dispel of that myth, let me tell you – I am not into fiddly. That’s why you’ll never see fancy decorated cakes on my blog. I simply don’t have the patience or co-ordination for fiddly dishes – sweet or savoury.
I actually posted this recipe way back when I started my blog. A couple of years on, and my photos have somewhat improved but more importantly – VIDEO! I REALLY wanted to remake this with a video, it is so great to be able to demonstrate how to make these rolls.
Serving idea: DIY spread!
Lay out all the ingredients with a large bowl of water for dipping the rice paper in, then make everyone make their own. This DIY approach is a menu item on Vietnamese restaurants here in Sydney which is very popular, I always order it!
Tips to make Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls
In addition to the video, I have 2 little tips that can make your Vietnamese Rice Paper Roll Making Life so much easier:
Bundle up fly-away bits inside a piece of lettuce. I like making these with bean sprouts and vermicelli noodles (other filling suggestions in the recipe notes). Until you get your rolling technique down pat, bundle it up in lettuce before rolling it in the rice paper. This holds the “stuff” together which makes it so much easier to roll the rice paper and it will also prevent things like bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber etc from piercing the rice paper;
Use two rice paper sheets – again, this is a tip while you are an up-and-coming Rice Paper Roll Master. It is much easier to handle when rolling. The downside is that the ends are a touch chewy, because there’s triple / quadruple layers. But it’s not tough chewy, not in the least bit. It’s just chewy compared to how soft and fragile a single layer of rice paper is. It doesn’t deter me at all. My mother noticed it, but it didn’t stop her from hoeing down 4 of these in minutes. Never fails to amazes me that a woman of a certain age can consume so much so quickly. (PS She came over to be my hand model for the video, this was a tough one to shoot by myself!)
PS The reason the prawns and lettuce bundle are laid out in different positions on the rice paper is so there is only layer of rice paper on the prawns once rolled up – makes the prawns more visible. Ie Pretty rolls.
Peanut Dipping Sauce for Rice Paper Rolls
This peanut sauce is everything!! This is a Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce. The 2 key ingredients are peanut butter and hoisin sauce which is thinned out with either milk or water (I prefer milk for colour. With water, the sauce is darker). Plus vinegar for a bit of tang (really needs it), garlic (it ain’t Asian if there’s no garlic in it!) and a touch of chilli if you want (which I love).
It’s different to Thai / Malaysian / Chinese style peanut sauces and I think you and this Vietnamese Peanut Sauce are going to be very good friends. 🙂
So…..what do you think? 🙂 Have I convinced you to try your hand at becoming a Rice Paper Roll Master?? – Nagi xx
PS There are a bunch of other filling ideas in the recipe notes. I’ve kept this fairly classic.
PPS Even if they are wonky, they still taste incredible!!!
Get your Vietnamese fix!
Lemongrass Chicken – one of my favourite things to grill!
Vietnamese Caramel Pork – another iconic Vietnamese food! Also see the Chicken version.
Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls – the super quick version of the above
And some other ways with fresh prawns
5 Prawn Dipping Sauces for a giant bucket of fresh prawns
Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls (this recipe)
Fresh peeled prawns alongside a Corn Salad with Avocado for a quick summer meal
Browse all Prawn / Shrimp Recipes
Watch How To Make It
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls (Spring Rolls)
Ingredients
- 7 – 14 sheets of 22cm/8.5″ round rice paper (Note 1)
- 11 small cooked prawns/shrimp (about 12cm/5″ in length, unpeeled including the head)
- 50g / 1.5 oz dried vermicelli noodles
- 7 lettuce leaves – use a lettuce with soft leaves, like Oak or Butter Lettuce (Note 2)
- 14 mint leaves
- 1 cup bean sprouts
Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp peanut butter, preferably smooth (crunchy is ok too)
- 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar (or lime juice)
- 1/3 cup milk (any fat %) (or water)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp crushed chilli, samba oelak or other chilli paste, adjust to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Peanut Sauce: Combine the Peanut Dipping Sauce ingredients. Mix briefly (it won’t come together), then microwave for 30 seconds. Mix again until smooth. Set aside to cool. Adjust sour with vinegar, salt with salt and spiciness to taste. Thickness can be adjusted with milk or water once cooled.
- Place vermicelli noodles in a bowl and cover with warm water for 2 minutes, then drain (or follow packet instructions).
- Peel the prawns, slice in half lengthwise and devein (watch video).
- Remove the crunchy core of the lettuce leaves (watch video).
- Tip – LETTUCE BUNDLE (Note 4): Place some vermicelli noodles and bean sprouts in a lettuce leaf, then roll it up, finishing seam side down. Repeat.
- Fill a large bowl with warm water. The bowl doesn’t need to be large enough to fit the whole rice paper in one go.
- Place two rice papers together (if using 2). Note which side is the smooth side – this is supposed to be the outside of the spring roll. Submerge the rice papers into the water (both of them at the same time, together) for 2 seconds. If your bowl isn’t large enough to fit the whole rice paper in one go, that’s fine, just rotate it and count 2 seconds for each section you submerge into the water.
- Place both the rice papers (one on top of the other, they will stick together) on a board or the counter with the smooth side down.
- On the top part of the rice paper, place 3 prawns with a mint leaf in between, as per the photo below.
- Place the lettuce bundle with the seam side down onto the middle of the rice paper.
- Fold the left and right edges of the rice paper in, then starting from the bottom, roll up to cover the lettuce bundle. Then keep rolling firmly. The rice paper is sticky, it will seal itself.
- If you placed the ingredients on the rice paper as per the photo below, your rice paper rolls should look pretty with the prawn and mint leaves on the smooth side of the roll and the seam on the side or underside of the roll.
- Serve immediately with the peanut dipping sauce.
Recipe Notes:
* Julienned vegetables like carrots, cucumbers
* Alfalfa, watercress and other similar shaped vegetables
* Thinly sliced tofu
* Shredded chicken and other proteins
* Other herbs like coriander/cilantro, chives (this is classic Viet) 7. ORIGINAL PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE: As requested by a reader! The one provided in the recipe is more authentic and akin to what you get at Vietnamese restaurants here in Sydney. But here is the original one, FYI: ½ cup smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis, it’s thick like syrup)
2 small garlic cloves (or 1 large), minced
1 birds eye chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp lime juice
Water Mix together ingredients, using water to thin to a dippable consistency. 8. Nutrition per rice paper roll, no sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Originally posted in July 2014, updated with new words, an even better peanut dipping sauce, new photos and a video!
Life Of Dozer
“WHY is she setting fire to my food???!!!”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOZER!! I want to tell you that he had an extra special day….but honestly? It’s like every day is his birthday….
A million thanks for the video. I really struggle with my paper being to soft and sticky. I think I oversoak and seeing your quick turning technique is helpful. Is there a particular brand of rice paper you prefer? And do you find the dry papers can get stale if not used relatively quickly? Thank you!
Hi Melinda, if they’re too sticky it means you’re overlooking them. Try taking them out while they are still slightly hard, they will soften as you wrap 🙂 They last for months in an airtight container – N x
I am going to make this but wondering if I can use cabbage leaves and if yes, should I cook the cabbage leaves or maybe just blanch the cabbage leaves? Thoughts?
Hi Kerry, you definitely could, however they wont stick like rice paper will. If you want to use cabbage, I would blanch quickly for 30 seconds in simmering water, drain and cool, then use as the wrap. N x
I made these today for lunch. First two were ugly and fell apart but by the third I had it right. Had them with sweet chilli sauce. Delicious!
I picked up raw shrimp, so should I season them or cook them in butter and cool before making or do I just cook them without adding anything?
Hi Kelly, you can simply boil them for a couple of minutes to cook them 🙂 N x
I come back to this recipe time and again for your beautiful step by step instructions! I have made these spring rolls many times and they are a hit every time! I can’t thank you enough!
Fantastici!!!
P.s. Thank you for the lovely recipe books. Are you going to print them and sell them? I think they look beautiful. So nicely photographed and laid out. Easy to read and very eye-catching. All your recipes I’ve tried have such great depth of flavor in them. This is really top notch food. Can’t thank you enough. My taste buds were tired but you’ve livened them up again. 🙂
Hi Meg, I do have a recipe book on the cards 🙂 N x
please let me know when you print a recipe book that we can buy! Love your recipes and they always make a hit…..thank you!
You’ve done it again Nagi!! I put these together and I thought, hmm, slightly fiddly but once I got the hang of it, it was good. I did use the two rice papers and I sort of overlapped them to give me a wee bit more rolling room.
And to be honest, they didn’t look super exciting. But oh well… then… I tried one. Wow… The balance in these if spot on. I would put in another couple of mint leaves, cos I like the taste, but yummmm.. 🙂 thank you!!
And I made the restaurant peanut dipping sauce… heaven…. 🙂 Thank you for another outstanding recipe. And I love the piccies of Dozer. HIs birthday ‘cake’ looks excellent. 🙂
I made the peanut sauce with “peabutter” rather than peanut butter. It was still very yummy.
I’m intrigued Lynne! N x
Can you use canned bean sprouts?
Hi Jennifer – you can as long as they are well drained (and pat dry) N x
Thank you Nagi for the response! Take care and stay healthy.
The dipping sauce really is the bomb! So delicious and really makes these rolls. I also love how you roll the noodles and beans in the lettuce! Clever!!
I would fry it up first, mostly because i don’t love the taste of raw tofu. It might also be yummy with a sweet tofu.
We are vegetarians. If we use tofu in the spring rolls, do you cook it first or just cut it in strips raw?
I would try it up first, mostly because i don’t love the taste of raw tofu. It might also be yummy with a sweet tofu.
Great recipe! The peanut sauce is so easy and tastes great.
Hi Nagi,
Can you please tell me how to prevent this happening… I have made Vietnamese Rice paper rolls in the past for my kids birthdays and placed them on platters and refrigerated overnight . The only issue is that they stick horribly to each other and rip apart when people take them. I try not to leave the rice paper in the water long at all . Spray of oil?
Hi Leanne, I find a spray of oil does wonders here and will prevent them sticking to each other – you wont need much, just a light spray N x
Thanks Nagi!
I love your recipes !! Every single recipe has worked for me and they are always sooo tasty❤️
I made these with my girls last night for dinner … they are 10 and nearly 12. We had an assembly line going, and using your tips for assembly and rolling, we had beautiful looking rolls ready in no time. The video was really helpful. Thank you so much! This will become a staple. So fresh and delicious!
I love Vietnamese spring/summer/salad rolls SOOOOO much! I personally never had trouble with ingredients behaving, or with the rice paper tearing or getting holes. My main problem is not eating them as soon as they’re rolled! It takes forever to get a plateful for parties or get-togethers.
You can make in advance! Just make sure you cover them well so they don’t dry out – N x
Thanks for all the helpful tips. I recently started making spring rolls and struggle with rolling and holes in my rice paper. I also needed a good peanut sauce recipe. I’m tired of paying a high price for pre made.
I’m really interested in making this recipe, however, I am allergic to shrimp…
Substitute with tofu, pork, chicken – any other protein will be fine Michelle!
You are a culinary genius Nagi.
Made these. Super delish.
Respect ✊
WOOT!!!
Do you use vermicelli noodles that are special/different or just Italian boxed vermicelli?