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….
Bill says
Making these for the first time this evening. Do you think coconut milk would be an acceptable substitute for milk?
Nagi says
Gosh yes!
Lindsay says
You changed the peanut sauce and my heart is breaking. Do you have a link to the old one? I miss it.
Nagi says
REALLY?? I improved it 🙂 But I’ll find it and add the old one in the notes!
Miss says
dip your fingers in water when working this the rice paper. it will be much easier to work the rolls. also, i didn’t have mint so i used flat leaf parsley instead. these were awesome!
Oonagh says
Hi, Brit based in USA. I’ve been making these for years, shown how to by local Khemara restaurant near Boston I was teaching a vegetarian cooking class on Saturday using a different brand of wrappers than usual. Tapioca starch was the first ingredient, followed by rice flour – other brand is normally rice starch first.
Have you had this happen to you – rehydrated wrapper stuck to itself like glue, had to throw away as couldn’t flatten to fill, rolled up, couldn’t bite through cleanly, had to pull apart with teeth. Stuck to chopping board and wouldn’t release, only lifted off ceramic plate to fill and roll. Students were happy with taste as hadn’t eaten the other brand I used or any spring rolls, but I found folds were too thick and couldn’t stop saying sorry. But most of them came back to make second and third one even after filling vegetarian meal – note I am definitely a carnivore, but love my veg. Filled with herb garlicky cashew cheese, brown rice vermicelli style noodles, cues, shredded carrot, fresh mint and lemon basil leaves and cilantro for choice. No soft lettuce yet. Maesri spring roll and sweet chili dipping sauces. I am realistic about how much cooking people actually want to do. BTW, I made these on local ABC TV station in New Hampshire, but went American. peanut butter mixed with noodles and salsa (instead of satay sauce), sliced ham on top of wrapper and rolled. I’ve also done smoked salmon and asparagus.
Nagi says
Hi Oonagh! Yes the rice paper sticks to itself once rehydrated so it’s important to follow the steps per the recipe 🙂 I find the trick is to dip VERY quickly so that way there is enough time to handle it and put on the work surface and it doesn’t get too sticky. 🙂
Marie LeRoux says
It seems like when I go to the Asian market here there are a bunch of different sizes of vermicelli noodle. I never know which one to grab, any tips on picking the right one?
Nagi says
Hi Marie! Any white one (not cellophane clear ones – they are bean) will be fine as long as it’s nice and thin! I use one called Wai Wai – red and clear packet, and sometimes the pack comes with small bundles inside it, super easy for dividing up!
missyD says
Great tips! Thank you! When making a bunch fresh as in your video, when you stack them on top of each other, how do you prevent them from sticking? When I make a bunch for myself, I do the cling wrap method, but if I’m serving a bunch… not sure how to stack and present well without the cling wrap or wet paper towels… any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Nagi says
Hi Missy! I find they are a bit sticky but not too sticky when stacked on top for serving 🙂 Just “air them” for a bit before stacking?
Debora Cadene says
Is the rice paper soaked in hot or cold water, or only just dipped to be wet?? I think i’ve tried t hem before and found them to be a bit slimy?? Mabey I did something wrong?
Nagi says
Hi Deborah! Definitely DO NOT soak them! Watch the video, you just dip it in to wet it, when it comes out of the water it will still be holding it’s shape. After you have laid it down, the water soaks into the rice paper making it soft so you can roll it 🙂
Debora Cadene says
Thank you for such a quick reply. I will definetely try them again.
M. List says
Is there anything I can substitute for the peanut butter?
Nagi says
Tahini! Reduce the amount 🙂 Or use the dipping sauce in my Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken!
Sylvia says
Nagi, I tried these from a restaurant here in Oregon and I loved it so much, I researched recipes. I found yours on my FB feed and this looks simpler to do! I am so looking forward to trying this one out… Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Nagi says
Hope you do Sylvia!!! N xx
Teresa says
Nagi, these tasted wonderful! And that sauce is to die for — even if mine was a little thick, I forgot to add the water/milk. And my roll were…..yes….a little wonky but tasted great! I’ll get more practice at making pretty spring rolls. Thanks for a great recipe
Nagi says
WHOOOT! So happy you tried and enjoyed this Teresa!! PS And see? Wonky rolls still super tasty!! N xx
Ron says
Happy belated Birthday Dozer!
Nagi – Those Rice Paper Rolls look sooooo good. As soon as I can find rice paper we’ll be trying these.
I think Dozer is a very well mannered dog. Our Chloe dog would be drooling while waiting to blow the candles out.
Nagi says
Oh he was drooling. Of course he was!!!
Christopher Keller says
Excellent tip, about “rolling the ‘stuff that can poke through’ in a lettuce leaf”, kiddo. 🙂
That’s just brilliant! Now I can make rolls that don’t have a carrot or bean sprout poking out
through the bang tranh.
And, these are right on time for the summer months! Thanks so much for reminding me to make these,
they’re always a hit at parties I bring them to share with guests. Have a great one, Nagi!
Nagi says
Same here! They are always the first to go! 🙂 N xx
Anna says
looks delicious, is there an alternative sauce you would recommend to use? if wanting to go peanut free.
Nagi says
Sub with tahini! Just use half the amount though 🙂 Or Nuoc Cham! Search for Vietnamese Noodle Bowls on my site 🙂
Penny Hanuszak says
Oooh I’m going to have to try these. What a wonderful tutorial and photos and the tips like wrapping in lettuce first, are so great. My husband and I love these and buy them locally but I’ve always wanted to try to make them myself. Now I think I will. Thanks for inspiring.
Nagi says
I hope you do try it Penny!!! They really are so amazingly delicious! N xx
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert says
Aww happy birthday Dozer! What a beautiful pup – it’s the face – he has a great expression. Love the rolls and can’t wait to try them!!!
Nagi says
He has a CONFUSED expression!!! Ha ha ha!!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Happy Birthday, Dozer!
I’ve had quite a few Vietnamese rice paper rolls but I don’t think I’ve dipped any in peanut sauce. I’m eager to try your sauce.
Nagi says
No birthday wishes needed. EVERY day is his birthday 😜
Victoria Reitberger says
Hi Nagi,
I forgot to comment your Tandoori was excellent another appalused.
May I have your recipe book please and how do I get them?
thanks Nagi
Tschüsss
Frau Reitberger
Nagi says
Oooh glad you enjoyed that one! Are you on my email list? If so, there are links to download them in every email I send out 🙂 N xx
Kelly says
Happy Birthday Dozer!!! 🎉
Nagi says
Called out your birthday wishes to him and he didn’t acknowledge at all. NO appreciation for the efforts we go to – like candles and birthday hats!! 😖
Sherry B says
Best of puppy birthday wishes, Dozer! Thank your mommy for another delicious recipe.
Nagi says
He was the most unappreciative birthday pup ever. No appreciation for candles or hat!!
Angelina @ Baked Ambrosia says
YUM!! Light, healthy, and delicious! Thank you for the recipe
Nagi says
YES it IS!!!! N xx