Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls
Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls are crispy rice paper rolls filled with savory pork and shrimp, double-fried for maximum crunch and served with nuoc cham.
Ingredients
For the spring rolls
- 1 ounces glass noodles
- 5 tablespoons fresh wood ear mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 pound ground pork
- 6 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined, finely chopped
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and julienned
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 4 tablespoons shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 extra-large egg
- 16 sheets rice paper
- 1½ cups water
- 4 drops rice vinegar, or a tiny pinch of sugar
- 3 cups cooking oil, high-smoking-point oil, for frying
For the nuoc cham dipping sauce
- ½ cup hot water
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon finger hot pepper, sliced
Instructions
- To prepare the glass noodles, in a bowl, soak glass noodles in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and cut into 1½-inch lengths.
- To make the nuoc cham, in a bowl, dissolve sugar in hot water. Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and chili. Set aside.
- To make the filling, in a large bowl, combine ground pork, shrimp, glass noodles, wood ear mushrooms, carrot, bean sprouts, shallot, garlic, salt, black pepper, fish sauce, and egg. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined.
- To wrap, in a bowl, combine water with rice vinegar (or a tiny pinch of sugar). Lightly brush both sides of each rice paper sheet until just pliable. Place about 2½ tablespoons filling near the bottom edge, fold bottom over filling, fold in sides, and roll tightly to seal.
- To fry, in a pan over high heat, heat cooking oil to 325°F (163°C). Fry in batches for about 5 minutes, turning as needed, until lightly golden and internal temperature reaches 160–165°F. During the first minute, keep rolls separated to prevent sticking. Remove and drain.
- To double fry, raise oil temperature to 350°F (177°C). Fry for 1–2 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Drain again before serving.
- Serve hot with nuoc cham.
Video
Notes
• Soak glass noodles fully: Make sure noodles are softened before cutting so they blend evenly into the filling and don’t poke through the wrapper.
• Don’t over-soak rice paper: Lightly brush until just pliable. Oversoaking makes it sticky, fragile, and more likely to splatter during frying.
• Roll firmly but gently: A snug roll prevents air pockets, which helps the spring rolls fry evenly and stay sealed.
• Keep rolls separated at first: During the first minute of frying, avoid letting them touch — the wrappers are still soft and can stick together.
• Double fry for crispiness: The first fry cooks the filling; the second fry creates that golden, crackly shell. Don’t skip it.
• Check internal temperature: The filling should reach 160–165°F to ensure the pork is fully cooked.
• Freeze properly: Place uncooked rolls in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray so they don’t touch. If they feel sticky, lightly dust with cornstarch before freezing to prevent sticking. Once solid, transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Fry straight from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes.
• Air-fry option: Lightly brush or spray rolls with cooking oil. Air fry at 360°F (182°C) for 16–18 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Add 3–5 extra minutes if cooking from frozen. Texture will be slightly lighter than deep-fried but still crisp.
• Protein swap: Ground chicken or turkey can replace pork. You can also omit shrimp — just adjust seasoning slightly to maintain balance.