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Recreate your favorite Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn) at home with this simple, easy to follow recipe.

This light and refreshing appetizer or side dish is made with shrimp, pork, fresh vegetables and herbs wrapped in spring roll wrappers and served with a simple, tangy peanut dipping sauce.

If you love Asian food as much as we do, then you must check out these recipes too! Everyone’s favorite Crab Rangoons, easy Egg Roll in a Bowl, and Crispy Pork Wontons!

Spring rolls laying on a wooden board with a diagonal cut half laying on top and a small bowl of peanut sauce in the background.

The term “summer rolls” or “salad rolls” is sometimes used interchangeably with spring rolls in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. They are not fried; instead, they are assembled with fresh ingredients and served cold or at room temperature with hoisin or peanut dipping sauce.

Fried spring rolls wrapped in a thin pastry wrapper made from wheat flour, which is then fried in oil until crispy and golden brown.

What you’ll need

Most ingredients can be found at your local grocery store, Asian grocery stores, or on Amazon. Contains sponsored/affiliate links

Homemade Spring Rolls

Rice paper sheets – 8.5-inches in diameter
Cooked and deveined shrimp split in half – large or medium
Fresh mint leaves
Romaine lettuce or any soft lettuce – thinly sliced or whole pieces that are about 5-inches long.
Thin rice vermicelli noodles cooked and drained
Bean sprouts
Fresh cilantro leaves
Large carrot peeled and julienned
Green onions – green parts only (sliced into thin strips)
Cooked pork sliced thin

Homemade Peanut Sauce

Natural peanut butter
Water
Hoisin sauce
Fresh lime juice
Soy sauce
Sugar
Chili paste
Fresh garlic pressed or finely minced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.

Several spring rolls laying on a wooden board with a cut roll resting on top.

How to make fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Start by getting all of your ingredients chopped, shredded and ready to roll.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls ingredients on a cutting board.

I cooked a pork chop and sliced it as thinly as possible. Then I boiled the shrimp in the noodle water after I removed the cooked noodles. Lay them on their sides and slice in half.

Fill a large bowl about half way full with warm water. Place one rice wrapper in the water and soak until softened and pliable, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Rice paper wrappers soaking in a large bowl of water.

Gently remove the sheet of rice paper wrapper and place on a flat work surface.

Soaked wrapper laying on a cutting board.

Place 3 mint springs and 3 shrimp halves on the top half of the wet rice paper wrapper.

Three shrimp and three mint leaves laying on the wrapper.

Next place shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, rice noodles, cilantro leaves, green onions, and 2 slices of pork on top of shrimp on the bottom of the wrapper.

Carefully roll the wrapper up over the filling, tucking in the sides around the filling as you roll.

Be careful not to overfill your rolls or they can burst. Set your finished spring roll aside and continue with remaining rolls.

To make the Peanut Sauce

Place all ingredients (except for the sesame oil) into a saucepan over medium-low heat.

Peanut butter, garlic, and remaining sauce ingredients in a saucepan.

Whisk to combine and heat until smooth and just beginning to simmer. Allow to cool slightly and serve your Vietnamese Spring Rolls with the Peanut Sauce.

A small bowl filled with Vietnamese peanut sauce with chopped peanuts sprinkled on top and surrounded by fresh spring rolls.

The peanut sauce that is served at Pho, the Vietnamese restaurant here in Cedar Rapids, is much thinner and tastes more like a spicy teriyaki sauce with chopped peanuts.

I went the other direction and made a thick sauce with peanut butter and less of a kick. This sauce was so good, that I ended up dipping crackers into it when I ran out of spring rolls!

Filling options

Spring rolls can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including cooked shrimp, boiled pork, shredded chicken, tofu, rice vermicelli noodles, lettuce, cucumber, carrots, mushroom, cabbage, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs like mint, cilantro, and Thai basil. Customize the fillings based on your own preferences.

How do I prevent the rice paper wrapper from tearing?

To prevent wrappers from tearing during assembly, make sure not to over-soak the wrappers in water, as they can become too soft and delicate. You want them to still be firm. Handle them gently when wrapping the fillings, and avoid overstuffing them.

Storage

Spring rolls can be made ahead of time, but it’s best to keep them in an airtight container with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out.

If you’re making them for a party or event, you can assemble them a few hours in advance and store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Tools used

Recipe inspiration

Way back in December I had major surgery and was pretty much unable to move for the first week. Thankfully my friend Sandy would show up with food, and check on me to make sure I was still breathing. I have a history of pharmaceutical allergies, and we were trying out a new pain killer….Dilaudid, a hard core narcotic.

On the 4th day post surgery, Sandy showed up with Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce from a restaurant on the other side of town, and I was hooked. I had never tried them before that night, and now I actually crave them. Who knew? On the 8th day post surgery, Sandy picked me up and we went to the restaurant for more spring rolls.

Driving 20 minutes each direction to pick up an order is kind of ridiculous, so I knew that I would need to learn how to make my own. They may not look as pretty as the restaurant version, but they are just as delicious!

Lots of protein and veggies wrapped into delicious little rolls. What could be better for you than that?

More delicious shrimp recipes

Check out all of our appetizer recipes in the archives!

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Enjoy!!