Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Cha Gio)

About This Recipe

Cha gio are Vietnam's fried spring rolls, a filling of ground pork, shrimp, wood ear mushrooms, and vegetables wrapped tightly in rice paper or wheat wrappers, then deep-fried until the outside turns shatteringly crisp. They're a fixture at Vietnamese celebrations and family meals, usually served alongside fresh lettuce and herbs for wrapping. Rolling tightly is essential to prevent the rolls from bursting or absorbing too much oil during frying, and frying at a steady, moderate temperature ensures the wrapper crisps fully before the filling is done, rather than burning outside while staying raw within.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 400 gground pork
• 200 gshrimp(peeled and chopped)
• 6dried wood ear mushrooms(soaked and chopped)
• 1carrot(grated)
• 50 gglass noodles(soaked and chopped)
• 1egg
• 2 tbspfish sauce
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 20rice paper or spring roll wrappers
• 2 cupsvegetable oil(for frying)
• 1 headlettuce(leaves separated, for serving)
• 1 cupnuoc cham(for dipping)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the filling

   Combine ground pork, shrimp, wood ear mushrooms, carrot, glass noodles, egg, fish sauce, and pepper, mixing thoroughly.

2. 2

   Wrap the rolls

   Place a spoonful of filling near one edge of each wrapper, fold in the sides, and roll tightly into a cylinder.

   Roll tightly but don't overfill — an overstuffed roll is more likely to burst during frying.

3. 3

   Heat the oil

   Heat oil in a deep pot to 160°C (325°F) for the first fry.

4. 4

   First fry

   Fry rolls in batches for 4-5 minutes until pale golden and the filling is cooked through. Drain and let cool slightly.

5. 5

   Second fry for crispness

   Raise the oil temperature to 190°C (375°F) and fry the rolls again briefly, 1-2 minutes, until deeply golden and shatteringly crisp.

6. 6

   Serve

   Drain on paper towels and serve hot, wrapped in lettuce leaves with herbs and dipped in nuoc cham.

Variations

• •

  Make a vegetarian version using mushrooms, tofu, and jicama instead of pork and shrimp.

• •

  Freeze uncooked rolls for later frying, a common time-saving practice for gatherings.

• •

  Serve over rice vermicelli as part of a bun cha gio noodle bowl instead of with lettuce wraps.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked rolls for up to 2 days, reheating in an oven or air fryer to restore crispness; freeze uncooked rolls for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions