Vietnamese Pork Spring Rolls for Family Dinner
Vietnamese pork spring rolls are among my favorite of Vietnamese foods and easy dinners. They are easy, healthy, filled with lots of veggies, and are bursting with flavor. Spring rolls are usually my go-to when I am entertaining a large group of friends. They are convenient because people roll them up themselves, which saves me a lot of extra time in the kitchen. All I have to do is wash and cut up veggies, and cook my protein. After tasting pre-made spring rolls from grocery stores, I’ve realized how good the real thing is compared to what is out there! So do yourself a favor and make some for yourself. This Vietnamese spring roll recipe is very easy to follow so you can make them your own.
For other Vietnamese cooking ideas, check out my spicy garlic shrimp recipe.
An Easy Entertaining Idea
While most American families have a roast for their Sunday night family dinners, my family gatherings usually consisted of an assortment of traditional Vietnamese food and Chinese food. This spring roll recipe was an especially popular summer go-to for my family. No one wants to slave over a hot stove during the summer, so this spring roll recipe is just the fix.
Eating spring rolls became a staple for my family. I am always reminded of fun times eating with my grandmother, aunts, and uncles when I whip up some spring rolls for myself. I am transported back to my pre-adolescent days smiling and nodding along as my family members tried to instruct me on proper spring rolling form.
Rolling a Vietnamese Spring Roll
Time needed: 1 minute.
How to roll a spring roll
- Wet rice paper and set onto a plate. Place desired fillings horizontally 1 inch away from the edge closest to you. Make sure you leave space on both the right and left of the wrapper. Fillings can be: 2 pieces of lettuce, 2 sticks of pickled carrot, 1 stick of cucumber, herbs, a few small pieces of meat.
- Start Rolling the spring roll away from you, pulling gently but tightly to create a tight roll.
- Stop mid-way and begin folding in the sides of the wrapper
- Fold in the other side of the wrapper.
- Continue rolling away from you, holding tightly but gently.
Tips for rolling spring rolls
Do not over-fill your spring rolls. Remember: less is more.
The ingredients that you layer onto the wrapper should only take up a 1-1.5 inch thick horizontal strip on the edge of your wrapper that is closest to you.
Cut up your meat, tofu, and veggies into thin strips to allow them to fit nicely onto your spring roll wrapper.
As you wrap, make sure that you keep a semi-firm grip on your roll to make sure the wrap is tight.
Essentially, you want to roll a spring roll similar to how you would roll a burrito.
As a youngster, I thought I knew everything, especially about cooking and food. I had spent hours watching Food Network stars every day, so it would only be natural for me to be an expert at this simple food preparation….wrong. It took me a long time to master rolling these babies up. As an adult, I would finally realize that I was too greedy with my rolls. That was why they would always burst apart. I thought that I could fill them up as full as you would a burrito.
How do I choose a spring roll wrapper?
Sometimes when people talk about spring rolls, they are actually referring to a fried item, like the kind you get at Chinese takeout restaurants. It’s confusing because in Cantonese, the term for the fried fried item actually translates to “spring roll.” This explains the confusion around naming. But when I talk about spring rolls, I am talking about the Vietnamese style that is un-fried.
For the non-fried healthy version of spring rolls, you want to go for a nice dried wrapper made of tapioca and rice flour. Here is the brand that I like because it is springy, has a clean flavor, and does not tear easily.
What is in Vietnamese spring rolls?
Spring roll wrapper
Protein (bbq pork, chicken, beef, pan fried tofu, boiled shrimp, fried fish, grilled shrimp)
Lettuce
Fresh crunchy veggies (cucumber, bean sprouts, and carrot)
Pickeld veggies (pickled daikon and carrot)
Fresh herbs (mints & basil)
Vermicelli rice noodle
Sauce: usually prepared fish dipping sauce or hoisin peanut sauce
My Vietnamese pork spring rolls had barbecue pork inside of them. But you can fill them with a variety of either grilled or boiled proteins. Another delicious variation of spring rolls involves having a huge fried fish in the middle of the dinner table. You take small pieces of fish and place them into your spring roll wrapper, filling it with noodles and veggies.
In terms of dipping sauces, the two most common ones are: fish dipping sauce or hoisin peanut sauce. I personally prefer fish sauce, but hoisin peanut sauce pairs nicely with spring rolls that are filled with blander proteins, e.g., tofu, boiled shrimp, and boiled pork.
How long should I soak a spring roll wrapper?
A common mistake in making spring rolls is that people dip their wrapper in water for much too long.
With the spring roll wrapper, just a quick dip in warm or hot water will be enough to soften the wrap.
It takes a minute for the wrapper to soften after being soaked, so be patient.
While you are waiting for your wrapper to soften, just start layering your fillings in the wrapper. It should be perfectly soft and rollable by the time you are ready to roll. If it is not, then wait a minute longer. If it takes too long to soften, that usually means you need to use hotter water to soak your spring roll wrapper.
Why do my spring rolls turn out wet/soggy?
You are probably over-soaking your wrapper (see paragraph above) or you are not draining your veggies and noddles enough.
You should ALWAYS drain your noodles before putting them in your spring rolls.
Please do not leave your noodles sitting in water, and then place them in the spring roll. You’ll want to strain and completely dry your noodles for at least 30 minutes before using them for spring rolls.
Can I make spring rolls ahead of time?
Spring rolls are best eaten fresh. If they are refrigerated, the wrapper and noodles become hard. If you need to make them ahead of time, wrap each one individually with saran wrap and then refrigerate. Then microwave them for 15 seconds to soften them up slightly before eating.
How to make Vietnamese barbecue
Vietnamese pork spring rolls can feature boiled pork belly or barbecue pork. The marinated barbecue pork shared in this recipe can be used to prepare thin slices of pork that are used for vermicelli noodle salad and Vietnamese broken rice. Or you can just eat it with some white rice and call it a night.
They key to Vietnamese barbecue is the marinade:
- oyster sauce
- fish sauce
- lemongrass
- garlic
- ginger
- sugar
Because there is sugar in this marinade, burning will occur if your fire is on too high. Keep heat at medium or even medium low when cooking.
Making Vietnamese Fish Sauce for Dipping (Nuoc Mam)
Click here for my nuoc mam/fish sauce recipe.
Prepared fish sauce for dipping is an essential flavor component of most Vietnamese dishes. It is made of fish sauce, lemon, sugar, chile, and water. My family has always made it with chopped garlic as an aromatic.
This prepared fish sauce is best when you give it time for its flavors to meld together. I recommend making the sauce the night before for best results. If not, then at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Always keep this sauce refrigerated and stored in a clean jar with a lid. This sauce is the same that is used for dipping in many Vietnamese salad and noodle salad dishes, so it is handy dandy to have some lying around if you are a fan of Vietnamese food.
You can keep it in your refrigerator for several months as long as you do not contaminate the jar of fish sauce with any other foods.
Happy cooking!
Vietnamese Pork Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 pack spring roll wrapper
- 1 pot hot water for dipping spring roll wrapper
Barbecue Pork
- 1 lb pork shoulder thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp ground lemongrass
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp ground pepper
Vegetables
- 4 Persian cucumbers sliced into matchsticks
- 1 head lettuce
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch mint
Vermicelli Noodles
- 1/2 pack vermicelli noodles
- 2 quarts water
Instructions
Barbecue Pork
- Marinade pork in lemongrass, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat a pan on high until it is almost smoking. Then add in oil. Sear pork in oil on high heat for 3-5 minutes each side. Remove and set aside.
Noodles
- Boil a large pot of water on high. When water is boiling, add in vermicelli noodles and following cooking instructions, usually boiling for 10-12 minutes. Then rinse in cold water and drain. Set aside.
Assembling Spring Rolls
- Dip spring roll wrapper in hot water for 2-3 seconds. Once all sides have been soaked in water, remove from water and place onto a plate.
- Place 1/2 leaf of lettuce horizontally on the rice paper wrapper, about 1/2 inch from the edge closest to you.
- Then lay 1-2 small pieces of meat horizontally on top of the lettuce. Place other vegetables on top of the lettuce, also horizontally: mint, cucumber, cilantro.
- Roll the spring roll like a mini burrito. Start rolling the spring roll wrapper away from you, folding the fillings over one another. Then stop halfway, tuck in the edges on the right and left, then continue rolling.
Happy cooking! Tag me on Instagram @Jennskitchendiary if you’ve made this! 🙂
