Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls)

Gỏi Cuốn comes loaded with fresh Asian herbs and deliciously healthy ingredients! Learn how to wrap PERFECT Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls every time using our easy step-by-step instructions.

For more satisfying rolls, try Bò Bía with Chinese sausage and eggs or shredded pork Bì Cuốn!

The meal that brings the everyone together

What I love most about Vietnamese food is that there are many recipes that involve the whole family. Whether it’s wrapping Vegetarian Spring Rolls, cozying up around a pot of Duck and Fermented Bean Curd Hot Pot or preparing all the herbs for a Grilled Pork Noodle Salad, you can be sure everyone will have a role.

For our family, the magic often happens at my eldest Aunty’s. Whenever she hosts dinner, the table is always filled with a selection of wrap-friendly appetizers including Chạo Tôm (Sugar Cane Shrimp), Nem Nướng (Grilled Pork Skewers) and Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm (Fish Sauce Chicken Wings).

Grandma will head over nice and early during the day to help out, then the rest of us will come later to finish off the rest. But the absolute BEST part is being able to eat everything fresh as is.

It’s especially important for Gỏi Cuốn because you want that signature explosion of flavor from the herbs.

There are all sorts of textures going on, which becomes a fantastic balance of crispy greens and juicy meats. Trust me when I say that one is never enough!

What is rice paper?

Vietnamese rice paper (bánh tráng) is a delicately thin rice sheet with a slight resemblance to paper. It’s so thin that it appears almost translucent when you hold it up against a colored backdrop!

Bánh Tráng is made with rice and tapioca flour, salt and water. It will soften after it touches moisture but the locals love it slightly crisp in the popular street snack Bánh Tráng Trộn (Vietnamese Rice Paper Salad).

We get ours from the Asian supermarket. It’s stored dry, which is why one packet lasts AGES in our pantry. Many more incentives to make Gỏi Cuốn, I say!

Why this recipe works

• Rolling and tying the pork belly before cooking locks the juices and flavor in.
• Using fresh ingredients keeps each Gỏi Cuốn full of healthy nutrients.
• The noodles balance out the crunch from the herbs with its moist and silky texture.

What you’ll need

For the filling

Classic fillings include pork belly and shrimp/prawns along with thin rice noodles (bún), but you can substitute them for your favorite protein and noodles.

Rolling and tying the pork belly is optional. Grandma just does it because she says it retains the flavor in the meat.

Try to buy pork belly that with even layers of fat and meat so they roll evenly.

For the greens

You can choose from your favorite greens, but we often use a mixture of bean sprouts, lettuce, Thai basil, perilla, mint, Vietnamese coriander and garlic chives.

How to make this recipe

Preparing the greens

Remove the leaves from the herb and salad stems, then put them in a colander.

Fill a sink or large bowl with cold water and add 3 tbsp salt. Add the greens in to wash, then soak for 3 minutes. Rinse clean and repeat the salted soaking another 2 times to remove the impurities.

When finished, dry them in the colander until they’re ready to use.

Preparing the meat

Roll the pork belly along the length.

Wrap twine or string around the belly to secure its shape, then tie a few knots to prevent it from coming undone as it cooks.

Boil the meat in water for 1 hour or until soft, then take it out.

Remove the string and slice into thin pieces.

Cooking the noodles

Boil a pot of water and cook the rice noodles for 10 minutes or until al dente. Make sure to stir every 3 minutes to prevent anything from sticking.

When cooked, drain the water and run the noodles under cold water until cool. Let it drip dry in a colander.

How to wrap the rolls

Organise your ingredients close to you before you even start rolling your Gỏi Cuốn. Keep the proteins and water closest to you, then noodles and herbs just behind them.

Set up 2 plates side by side.

Dip the rice paper into the water until the entire surface is just wet. Make sure there is always another one wet and resting on the second plate.

Lay the lettuce on the part of bánh tráng closest to you. Place the other herbs on top.

Grab some noodles and place it over the herbs. The weight will help hold the greens down.

Slide a few pieces of pork above the greens. Make sure to leave no gaps because they will show in the final roll.

Place 2-3 prawns above the pork.

Fold the left and right side of the rice paper toward the middle.

Bring the bottom of the rice paper to the middle and begin rolling tightly, pressing down firmly with each roll.

You can wedge a sprig of garlic chive along the length of the meat so that a part of it sticks out as a garnish.

Serve the Gỏi Cuốn fresh as is with Peanut Hoisin Sauce or Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Mắm)!

Recipe FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Have all the Gỏi Cuốn ingredients laid out around you. I like my sliced pork, peeled prawns and cooked noodles closest to me. My washed and dried leafy greens stay in colanders behind the meat so I don’t have to reach OVER them. Bean sprouts stay in cold water to stop the browning process but keep a handful in a small colander to drip dry as you roll.
• Use fresh ingredients. We like to buy our herbs on the day of making Gỏi Cuốn because they can start to discolor and wither past day one.
• Use not one, but two plates slightly larger than the rice paper’s size. The plates act as a resting ground for the bánh tráng. Having two plates gives it enough time to soften while you roll the other one.
• Always have one bánh tráng resting. As soon as I finish rolling a roll, I dip a new bánh tráng into the water until it’s wet all over and place it on an empty plate.

Make it a Vietnamese banquet!

• Start the meal with Stuffed Chicken Wings.
• Make sure everyone has a glass of fresh Nước Rau Má (Pennywort Drink).
• After you’ve had your Gỏi Cuốn, go for a fish, chicken or century egg congee.
• Balance the flavors with a zesty Vietnamese Mango Salad (Gỏi Xoài).
• Sương Sáo (Grass Jelly) or  Glutinous Rice Balls with Ginger Syrup (Chè Trôi Nước) will be a satisfying dessert to end the night!

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This post was originally published on 19/08/19 and updated with tips and FAQs in April 2021.

Join the family!