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If you are looking for an authentic, crowd-pleasing Vietnamese dish, these Crispy Fried Spring Rolls (Chả Giò) are guaranteed to impress.
First, let’s clear up a common mix-up: there is a big difference between fresh rolls (summer rolls/salad rolls) and fried spring rolls! In Vietnam, these golden, deep-fried beauties are also known as Imperial rolls, and they are an absolute staple at any gathering. I love making these so much that I usually prepare a massive batch of 300 to 400 at a time to keep in the freezer!
Today, I am showing you how to make restaurant-quality spring rolls using your choice of traditional rice paper or modern flour wrappers. With a savoury pork filling and a side of sweet and tangy Nước Chấm, they will disappear from your table in minutes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Choose Your Wrapper: Use flour wrappers for a long-lasting, shatteringly crisp bite, or traditional rice paper for a crispy texture with a slight, satisfying chew.
Highly Freezer-Friendly: Flour-wrapped rolls can be frozen raw for up to 6 months, making them the ultimate make-ahead appetizer!
Authentic Ingredients:Taro, jicama, and black fungus mushrooms give these rolls an incredibly traditional texture and flavour.
Ingredients You Will Need
The “Two” Wrappers (Choose One!):
Flour Wrappers: Found in the freezer aisle. They create a flaky, phyllo-like crunch that stays crispy for hours. (My personal favourite for parties!). These wrappers are composed of wheat flour, water, salt, and oil.
Rice Paper (Bánh Tráng): Found in the dry goods section. They create a beautiful, blistered crust. These wrappers are made with a mixture of rice flour, tapioca flour, water, and salt (no oil)
The Authentic Filling:
Medium Ground Pork: You want a 70/30 meat-to-fat ratio to keep the filling juicy. (If using lean chicken or turkey, add 2-3 Tablespoons of neutral oil).
Taro Root & Jicama: These root vegetables add structure and a mild, sweet crunch.
Carrots & White Onion: Finely shredded and diced.
Black Fungus Mushrooms & Glass Noodles: Essential for that signature chewy, earthy texture.
The Binder & Seasoning: One egg, Kosher salt, black pepper, sugar, and optional M.S.G.
The Nước Chấm (Dipping Sauce):
First-press Fish Sauce (like Red Boat), white sugar, fresh lime juice (or white vinegar), water, minced garlic, and red Thai chili peppers.
How to Make Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Step-by-Step)
Phase 1: Prep the Veggies and Noodles
Rehydrate: Soak the black fungus mushrooms and bean thread noodles in separate bowls of lukewarm water for 10-20 minutes until soft. Drain completely. Use scissors to cut the noodles into 4-inch lengths and finely mince the mushrooms.
Shred and Squeeze: Peel and shred the taro, carrots, and jicama. Crucial step: Using your hands or a clean dish towel, squeeze as much excess water out of the shredded carrots and jicama as possible. Excess moisture causes soggy rolls and oil explosions!
Phase 2: Mix the Filling
Combine: In a large bowl, add the pork, noodles, mushrooms, shredded veggies, diced onion, egg, and all the seasonings. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
The Taste Test: Scoop 1 Tablespoon of the filling into a bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds until cooked. Taste it and adjust the raw mixture’s salt or sugar levels to your liking!
Phase 3: Wrapping (Two Ways)
Method 1: Flour Wrappers (The Modern Crunch)
Lay a thawed wrapper like a diamond. Add 1½ Tablespoons of filling to the center and shape it into a 4-inch log.
Fold the bottom corner up over the filling. Apply a light egg wash along the top two edges. Fold the left and right corners in like an envelope, then roll tightly upwards to seal.
Method 2: Rice Paper (The Traditional Blister)
Dip the rice paper into a shallow bowl of cold water (or cold beer for extra flavour!). Cold liquid prevents the paper from softening too fast and tearing.
Add 2 Tablespoons of filling. Fold the bottom up, roll away from you once, fold the sides in, and roll gently to the top. Keep them spaced ½-inch apart on a tray so they don’t stick together!
Phase 4: Fry to Perfection
Heat the Oil: Pour 2-3 inches of high-smoke-point oil (canola, peanut, or sunflower) into a Dutch oven. Heat to exactly 350°F (177°C). If you don’t have a food thermometer, you can tell the oil is ready by inserting a wooden chopstick and checking whether bubbles form around it.
Fry: Add the rolls in small batches (10-12 at a time). For flour wrappers, fry until they float and the bubbling subsides. For rice paper, add them one by one, separating them with chopsticks, and fry until blistered and golden.
Drain: Remove with a spider strainer and cool on a wire rack for maximum crispiness!
💡Pro Tips for the Best Chả Giò
How to Freeze Them: If using flour wrappers, place the rolled, uncooked spring rolls on a tray with a ½-inch gap between them. Freeze uncovered for 20 minutes to harden them, then transfer them to a freezer bag. They will keep for up to 6 months (or longer in a vacuum sealed bag)! (I do not recommend freezing rice paper rolls).
Frying from Frozen: When frying frozen rolls, the oil temperature will drop rapidly. Turn your stove heat to HIGH when you first drop them in, use a lid to prevent splatter, then lower the heat back to medium to maintain 350°F.
Root Veggie Substitutions: Can’t find Taro or Jicama? You can substitute Taro with yucca root or sweet potato (adjust your seasonings, as sweet potato is sweeter). You can easily swap Jicama for canned water chestnuts!
How to Serve Chả Giò
In Vietnam, spring rolls are rarely eaten entirely on their own! For the ultimate experience, serve them alongside:
The Perfect Wrap: Serve with red or green leaf lettuce, sliced cucumbers, fresh mint, and Thai basil. Wrap the hot roll in the lettuce and herbs, and dunk it! You can even wrap the whole thing in softened rice paper to make it a fresh roll, with the fried spring roll as the filling.
Slice the spring rolls in half and serve them over cold rice noodles and fresh veggies, dressed with Nước Chấm! Add grilled meats, and you’ve got yourself a meal!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add shrimp to the filling?
Yes! I keep my recipe strictly pork-based to accommodate guests with seafood allergies, but adding 10 oz (284 g) of peeled, finely chopped raw shrimp is a delicious, traditional addition.
How do I store and reheat leftover fried spring rolls?
Place cooled leftovers in an airtight container lined with a paper towel. Store horizontally in the fridge for up to two days. To reheat, place them in a 350°F (177°C) air fryer or oven for 10 minutes until crispy again.
Why did my spring rolls explode in the oil?
Explosions occur when water rapidly turns to steam inside the wrapper. This is why wringing the excess water out of your shredded jicama and carrots is the most important step in the prep process!
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Authentic Crispy Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Chả Giò) Made Two Ways
Learn how to make authentic, crispy fried spring rolls at home using flour wrappers or rice paper. Flour-wrapped rolls are freezer-friendly and perfect for entertaining (sometimes unexpected) guests.
Servings 100Spring Rolls
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Vietnamese
Ingredients
For the filling
1cupdried, pre-sliced black fungus mushroomsSoaked in luke warm water until softened, or1/2 cup (25g) dried whole black fungus mushrooms, soaked in lukewarm water and then sliced thinly (or chopped finely)
Rehydrate the Dry Ingredients: Soak the black fungus mushrooms and bean thread vermicelli in separate bowls of lukewarm water for 10-20 minutes. Drain well. Cut the noodles into 4-inch pieces and finely mince the mushrooms.
Prep the Root Veggies: Trim, peel, and shred the taro, carrots, and jicama. Using your hands or a clean dish towel, squeeze and wring out as much excess water as possible from the shredded carrots and jicama. Dice the white onion.
Mix the Filling: In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, prepared noodles, mushrooms, taro, carrots, jicama, onion, egg, kosher salt, black pepper, M.S.G. (optional), and sugar. Mix thoroughly with your hands. (Tip: Microwave 1 Tbsp of filling for 30 seconds to taste-test the seasoning!)
Wrap the Spring Rolls:If using Flour Wrappers: Lay a thawed wrapper like a diamond. Place 1½ Tbsp of filling in the center and shape into a log. Fold the bottom up, apply egg wash to the top edges, fold the sides in, and roll tightly upward.If using Rice Paper: Dip the paper in cold water (or beer) until wet. Lay flat. Add 2 Tbsp of filling. Fold the bottom up, roll once, fold the sides in, and roll gently to the top. Keep them spaced apart on a tray.
Heat the Oil: Pour 2 to 3 inches of peanut or canola oil into a Dutch oven. Heat over medium until a food thermometer registers exactly 350°F (177°C). If you don't have a food thermometer, you can tell the oil is ready by inserting a wooden chopstick and checking whether bubbles form around it.
Fry: Working in small batches (about 10-12 rolls), carefully add them to the oil.Flour rolls: Fry until golden brown, bubbling subsides, and they float.Rice paper rolls: Add one at a time, separate with chopsticks, and fry until blistered and sizzling subsides.
Drain and Make the Nước Chấm: Remove the rolls with a spider strainer and cool on a wire rack. To make the dipping sauce, whisk the fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice together until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the water, minced garlic, diced Thai chilis, and shredded carrot garnish. Serve the hot rolls with the sauce and fresh lettuce!
Frying from Frozen: When frying frozen rolls, the oil temperature will drop rapidly. Turn your stove heat to HIGH when you first drop them in, use a lid to prevent splatter, then lower the heat back to medium to maintain 350°F.
Can I add shrimp to the filling?Yes! I keep my recipe strictly pork-based to accommodate guests with seafood allergies, but adding 10 oz (284 g) of peeled, finely chopped raw shrimp is a delicious, traditional addition.How do I store and reheat leftover fried spring rolls?Place cooled leftovers in an airtight container lined with a paper towel. Store horizontally in the fridge for up to two days. To reheat, place them in a 350°F (177°C) air fryer or oven for 10 minutes until crispy again.Why did my spring rolls explode in the oil?Explosions happen when water turns to steam rapidly inside the wrapper. This is why wringing the excess water out of your shredded jicama and carrots is the most important step in the prep process!
Can I add shrimp to the filling?
Yes! I keep my recipe strictly pork-based to accommodate guests with seafood allergies, but adding 10 oz (284 g) of peeled, finely chopped raw shrimp is a delicious, traditional addition.
How do I store and reheat leftover fried spring rolls?
Place cooled leftovers in an airtight container lined with a paper towel. Store horizontally in the fridge for up to two days. To reheat, place them in a 350°F (177°C) air fryer or oven for 10 minutes until crispy again.
Why did my spring rolls explode in the oil?
Explosions happen when water turns to steam rapidly inside the wrapper. This is why wringing the excess water out of your shredded jicama and carrots is the most important step in the prep process!
