Vietnamese Egg Rolls (Chả Giò)

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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!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings egg rolls

Calories 117

Author Jessica Kwon

Equipment

Ingredients

Filling

½ cup shredded dried wood ear mushrooms
½ bundle bean thread noodles
½ yellow onion
1 large carrot peeled
4 oz peeled taro (see notes)
½ lb shrimp peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1 lb ground pork 80/20 recommended
1 egg
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ tablespoon white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal
¼ teaspoon white pepper

Wrapping & Fry

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon water
30 egg roll wrappers 8 inch
Frying oil avocado, canola, vegetable, or peanut oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the filling.

Add dried mushroom and noodles to a medium bowl. Soak in hot water for 5-10 minutes until soft, then drain well. Use kitchen shears to cut into ½ inch, bite-sized pieces and set aside.
To a food processor, add onion, carrot, and taro. Process until finely chopped and transfer to a large sheet of cheesecloth or paper towel. Wring out some excess water, then transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Add shrimp to food processor (no need to clean out). Pulse until finely chopped (careful not to turn it into a paste). Then transfer to the bowl with chopped vegetables.
To the same large bowl, add pork, mushroom, noodles, egg, fish sauce, sugar, chicken bouillon, salt, and white pepper. Mix thoroughly until everything is evenly distributed and mixture is slightly tacky.
I recommend taking a small piece (about 1 tsp) and microwaving for 15-20 seconds to taste for seasoning. Adjust as preferred.

Assemble the egg rolls.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour and water. This will be your sealing liquid.
Set up your rolling station. Use a large cutting board as your primary station. Beside it, have the wrappers, meat mixture, sealing liquid, a large kitchen towel, and a baking sheet ready.
Peel an egg roll wrapper from the stack and place it in a diamond on your cutting board. Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scooper or spoon to place a measured amount of meat filling onto the bottom third of the wrapper closest to you. Lightly flatten and shape the meat into a rectangle shape.
Starting at the bottom corner, tightly tuck and roll the wrapper around the filling. Halfway up, fold the right and left corners into the center. Use your fingers or a pastry brush to wet the top corner with the sealing liquid. Then continue rolling up tightly to seal, and place egg roll seam side down onto your baking sheet. Cover with the kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
Continue until all the filling has been used. Keep the egg rolls in a neat single layer to prevent sticking.

Fry the egg rolls.

Fill a wok or heavy-bottomed pot with 2 inches of high-heat cooking oil. I recommend using a frying thermometer if possible. Heat the oil to 350℉ (175℃).
Gently add a batch of egg rolls to the oil, making sure to not overcrowd the pot. Fry for 8-12 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the oil's temperature between 325-350℉.
Transfer fried egg rolls to a paper-lined casserole dish with high sides like an aluminum 9x13 tray. Stand them up vertically against the sides with space between each one. Continue frying in batches.

Notes

Woodear mushroom: Dried wood-ear mushroom can be found at nearly any Asian market. If you can, find sliced or pre-shredded or slice whole mushrooms after they've been soaked.
Bean thread noodles: Also known as glass noodles, cellophane, or miến. We're only using half of a bundle - use kitchen shears to cut through it.
Taro: Try to find the ones that are pre-peeled in vacuum-sealed bag for convenience. Any leftover taro can be frozen.
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.
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.
Air fryer: For best results, I recommend frying the traditional method. Air fryers won't achieve the same golden-brown exterior and the interior doesn't get as crispy. However, you can still air fry them by first preheating the air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Place egg rolls in a single layer and lightly spray with oil, then air fry for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway and spraying with more oil if needed.

Nutrition