Vietnamese Egg Rolls (Chả Giò)

These crispy Vietnamese Egg Rolls, known as Chả Giò, are a party favorite! Filled with pork, shrimp, veggies, and fish sauce, these egg rolls are a perfect blend of savory, umami, and crunchy. Serve them wrapped in lettuce as a delicious appetizer, in a vermicelli noodle bowl for a hearty meal, or on its own!

• Authentic: This recipe for Vietnamese Egg Rolls was made, well, by a Vietnamese person. Jokes aside, I'm very picky when it comes to Chả Giò. This version is perfectly seasoned, crispy, and made with traditional ingredients for a truly authentic taste.
• Crowd pleaser: Make sure to double or triple the recipe if you're making this for Christmas, Tết, or any special occasion! Kids and adults love them, and they're sure to go quick!
• Versatile: Serve Chả Giò as an appetizer wrapped in lettuce and Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon (Đồ Chua) or as a rice or noodle bowl with Thit Nuong (Vietnamese Pork Skewers). There's so many different ways to enjoy Vietnamese Egg Rolls!

• Wheat wrappers: Make sure to use 8 inch square spring or egg roll wrappers. Be mindful of the packaging because the terms "spring roll" and "egg roll" are interchangeable. Instead, double check that the ingredients are made with wheat. You can typically find these in the freezer section (defrost them before use). My favorite brands are Spring Home or Menlo.
• Flour and water: To make a seal for the Chả Giò.
• Frying oil: Make sure to use a neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point for frying. Avocado, peanut, or canola oil would work.

• Ground pork: The base of our filling mixture. It's light and mild, plus easy to find. To prevent the egg rolls from drying out, use a fatty blend around 80/20.
• Shrimp: Adds another layer of sweet, briny flavor and bouncy texture. You can substitute with more pork, but the combination of pork and shrimp makes the best filling, in my opinion.
• Woodear mushroom: Dried wood-ear mushroom can be found at nearly any Asian market. If you can, find sliced or pre-shredded for convenience. These will have to be soaked in water first. Got extra? Use them in Vietnamese Egg Omelet (Trung Chien).
• Bean thread noodles: Also known as glass noodles, cellophane, or miến. They're a transparent noodle made from mung bean starch that provides moisture and texture to Chả Giò. Like the mushrooms, these have to be soaked first. We're only using half of a bundle - use kitchen shears to cut through it.
• Onion: I use yellow onion, but you could use green onion or a mix of both.
• Carrot: Adds color and sweetness. I recommend using fresh whole carrots instead of pre-shredded since they're too dry for this recipe.
• Taro: Taro is a starchy root vegetable that's mildly sweet with a creamy and smooth texture. While jicama might be more traditional in Vietnamese Egg Rolls, my family loves using taro because it adds more richness and velvety texture. Try to find the ones that are pre-peeled in vacuum-sealed bag for convenience. Any leftover taro can be frozen.
• Egg: To bind the filling together.

• Fish sauce: A traditional flavoring component to make these egg rolls Vietnamese. My favorite brand is Red Boat because it's more concentrated in flavor.
• Sugar: I use white granulated sugar for convenience but if it's accessible to you, try palm sugar for a more authentic taste.
• Chicken bouillon: A secret ingredient in many Vietnamese recipes. It adds delicious umami flavor, but you can leave it out if preferred. I use the brand Knorr.
• Kosher salt: The salt amounts listed in this recipe are for Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton kosher salt, sea salt, or Himalayan pink salt, reduce by half. If using table salt, reduce the salt by ¼.
• White pepper: Lighter and more floral than black peppercorns.

STEP ONE: First, add wood ear mushroom and bean thread noodles to a large bowl. Cover with hot water and let soak for at least 5 minutes or until soft and pliable.

Then drain and use kitchen shears to cut both into very small bite-sized pieces. Set aside for now.

STEP TWO: In a food processor, add onion, carrot, and taro. Process until the vegetables are minced. Use a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth to drain some excess water, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.

If you don't have a food processor, you can finely dice all the veggies instead.

STEP THREE: To the same food processor, add thawed shrimp. Pulse until finely chopped, making sure to not over-process into a paste. Transfer to the large bowl with the vegetables.

STEP FOUR: Add the remaining filling ingredients to the large bowl. It should contain your pork, shrimp, onion, carrot, taro, mushroom, and noodles. Season with fish sauce, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, salt, white, pepper, and egg. Mix thoroughly (I recommend using gloved hands) until evenly combined and slightly tacky.

Take a small piece of filling, about 1 teaspoon, and microwave until the meat is cooked through. Taste and adjust the seasoning as preferred.

STEP FIVE: I recommend using a wooden board to prevent the wrappers from sticking. I have a video guide as well.

1. In a small bowl, whisk together water and flour to make your sealing liquid.
2. Carefully remove a single layer of wrapper and place it as a diamond on your cutting board.
3. Use a measuring spoon or cookie scooper to place 1½ tablespoon of filling on the bottom corner. Lightly flatten and shape into a rectangle in the middle.
4. Fold the bottom corner over the filling. Use your fingers to "scoop" the wrapper and filling towards you to tightly adhere the wrapper to the filling. It should look like a long cylinder.
5. Slowly roll the egg roll halfway up, keeping it as tight as possible.
6. When halfway up, fold the right and left corners in. Keep the sides of the wrapper as parallel as possible.
7. Use a pastry brush or fingers to place the sealing liquid on the top corner.
8. Roll the egg roll up to seal and place seam-side down. Cover both the wrappers and assembled Chả Giò with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.

STEP SIX: To fry, fill a wok or Dutch oven with 2 inches of frying oil. Heat oil to 350℉ (175℃) - I recommend using a frying thermometer for best results.

Add a single layer of egg rolls and fry for about 10 minutes, flipping occasionally, until golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the right temperature.

Transfer Chả Giò to a cooling rack or casserole dish to drain and cool.

• Remove excess water: After processing the onion, carrots, and taro, use a cheesecloth or paper towels to squeeze excess liquid out. These are all water-heavy vegetables so skipping this step will result in a mushy and bland filling. It'll also prevent the wrappers from crisping all the way!
• Taste the filling: Before wrapping, microwave a small amount of filling to test for seasoning.
• Less filling than you think: Don't be tempted to overstuff the egg rolls. 1½ tablespoon of filling might look very little, but it's just the right amount. Any more and the egg rolls will look more like burritos - plus, they won't cook evenly.
• Cover the wrappers: While wrapping the Vietnamese egg rolls, keep the open wrappers covered with a clean towel to prevent them from drying out and ripping.
• Fry in batches: Fry a single layer of egg rolls at a time to prevent overcrowding. Otherwise, the oil temperature will drop too low, resulting in uneven cooking and oil-heavy Chả Giò.
• Skip the cooling rack: Instead, use a paper-lined casserole dish with high sides like an aluminum 9x13 tray. After the egg rolls have been fried, stand them up vertically against the sides with space between each one. Keeping them vertical helps to drain out excess oil and ventilation is important to prevent moisture from ruining the crunch.

• Appetizer: Serve it alongside fresh lettuce leaves and herbs like mint, cilantro, or Thai basil. Don't forget the Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon (Đồ Chua) and Nuoc Chấm dipping sauce!
• Vermicelli noodle bowl: To make Bún Chả Giò, cook a bowl of bún (vermicelli noodles) and top it with sliced egg rolls, shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, and Đồ Chua. Add in grilled pork to make Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò. Nuoc Chấm dipping sauce is also a must here!
• As a snack: Serve it on its own as an after-school snack or for parties and gatherings.