Shrimp Spring Rolls

Making authentic Shrimp Spring Rolls at home isn’t as hard as you might think! You can serve these spring rolls for appetizers or for a fun and healthy dinner, dipped in an addicting, mildly spicy Peanut Sauce!

Follow along for a few tips and techniques that will help to get these spring rolls ready in no time. Switch up the ingredients to your liking, but we have the basics here for you in this recipe. This recipe pairs beautifully with an Aperol Spritz cocktail or a crisp glass of white wine!

Shrimp spring rolls on a black palate with peanut sauce

Light and Healthy Shrimp Spring Roll Recipe

When it comes to eating healthy, it doesn’t always have to be grilled chicken and salad. Not that those are bad options, I think we eat that dinner most nights of the week.

But sometimes you want to switch things up and make dinner fun, and that’s where these these delicious Shrimp Spring Rolls make an appearance. A healthy and super tasty dinner or appetizer recipe that everyone will love!

Ingredients For Shrimp Spring Rolls

Ok, so traditionally, spring rolls like these include fresh mint. We didn’t include fresh mint in our shrimp spring rolls because it’s not a flavor combination that our kids love, even though they like most anything.

fresh vegetables and cooked shrimp next to rice paper

And when we make food for our site, we like that it gets eaten. So we did leave out the mint leaves here, but we’ll list them in the ingredients as they are a traditional ingredient for making spring rolls.

the inside of a spring roll on a towel
  • Rice paper wrappers
  • Thin rice noodles
  • Shredded carrots
  • Small steamed or boiled shrimp
  • Shredded lettuce or soft, torn lettuce like Boston bib
  • Shredded purple cabbage
  • Bean sprouts
rolling up a shrimp spring roll on a towel

How Do You Wrap Spring Rolls Without Tearing The Rice Paper?

Rolling up these spring rolls is easier than you might think, but we do have a few tips for you! First of all, you’ll want to assemble and roll your spring rolls on a damp kitchen towel like we have here. This will prevent the rice paper wrapper from sticking to the surface.

When you dip the rice paper in water, make sure that it’s a quick dip, in and out. This is where a lot of people make a mistake and spring rolls go wrong. The rice paper will continue to soften and absorb water after when it’s sitting on the towel, so you don’t need for it to feel soft when you’re dipping it in the water.

shrimp spring roll wrapped on a damp towel

After you layer on the cabbage, lettuce, bean sprouts, noodles and carrots you’ll do a wuick roll like you’re rolling up a burrito. Roll over, tuck the ends in and roll once more. Then stop

Now add three sliced shrimp to the end of the rice paper and finish rolling up the spring roll. That way you end up with the shrimp on the outside like you see here. Not a total necessity for making these Shrimp Spring Rolls, but it sure does look pretty.

Shrimp Spring rolls close up on a plate

Ideas For Different Fillings

What else can I use to make Vietnamese spring rolls??? So glad you asked. There’s really so many different filling ideas when it comes to making spring rolls, its really about your tastes and preferences – and sometimes just about what you have on hand.

  • Bamboo Shoots
  • Scallions
  • Mint leaves
  • Cilantro
  • Thin sliced cucumber
  • Bell peppers
  • Avocado
  • Instead of shrimp: Thin slices of cooked beef (leftover steak would be perfect!) lobster or crab meat
picture showing the filling of a shrimp spring roll

What Kind Of Shrimp Do You Use To Make Shrimp Spring Rolls?

There’s a few options for the shrimp. Take the easy route like we often do and buy medium sized (41/50), cooked shrimp at the store. Defrost, slice and you’re done!

Want to make the shrimp fresh at home? Boil shrimp for 2-3 minutes just until they turn pink and opaque. Rinse the shrimp with cold water to stop the cooking process and place on paper towels to dry.

Vietnamese spring roll being sipped into peanut sauce

Let’s Talk About The Peanut Sauce!!!

I’m telling you guys, we love this Peanut Sauce Recipe so much, we make it on repeat. Not only do we use it for these Spring Rolls, but for many different recipes like our Peanut Chicken Fried Rice or for making Spicy Dan Dan Noodles.

It’s also a great sauce to use on Hibachi Chicken or Steak or for making these delicious Thai Shrimp Meatballs! Got leftover peanut sauce in the fridge? Use it as a dip for Teriyaki Steak or Grilled Chicken. The possibilities are endless!

In Conclusion: Making Shrimp Spring Rolls (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

Visit the recipe card below for full instructions, but we wanted to sum up how to make Vietnamese Spring Rolls in a short list here to break it down for you!

  • Cook the rice noodles: Boil, rinse with water, drain well and set aside. This can be done hours ahead of time if need be, just cover and refrigerate the noodles after preparing.
  • Prep the Filling: Buy already shredded lettuce, cabbage and carrots to make these spring rolls a breeze, or slice and prep the ingredients to have at the ready. Slice the cooked shrimp in half lengthwise. Again, filling prep can be done hours ahead of time, even the day before.
  • Assemble The Spring Rolls: Dip a rice paper wrapper in cold water for just about 10 seconds. Place it on a damp towel and then layer on the vegetable filling. Roll up, tuck in the ends and then place the shrimp and fresh herbs if using on the last third of the rice paper before rolling up all the way.
Print
Shrimp spring rolls on a black palate with peanut sauce

Shrimp Spring Rolls

  • Author: Dan
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 10 Shrimp Spring Rolls 1x
  • Diet: Low Fat

These Shrimp Spring Rolls are so light and fresh! Making them at home is easier than you think, just follow a few tips and you’ll be a pro in no time!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces thin rice noodles, cooked according to the package directions, rinsed with cold water and drained well
  • 15 medium sized cooked shrimp, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 10 ounce package shredded carrots
  • 10 ounce package shredded purple cabbage
  • Boston bib lettuce leave or an 8 ounce bag of lettuce shreds
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • Mint leaves and/or cilantro leaves if using
  • 10 round rice paper wrappers
  • Serve with our Peanut Sauce for dipping!

Instructions

  1. Gather the filling ingredients in bowls and have them prepped and ready for rolling.
  2. Wet a kitchen towel, wring out the excess water and place onto a board or a kitchen counter. Add cold water to a pie plate or a large, shallow bowl. Dip a rice paper wrapper into the water, submerging for 10 seconds, then remove carefully and place onto the damp kitchen towel.
  3. Lay the carrots, cabbage, lettuce, bean sprouts and noodles on the bottom third of the wrapper. Roll once and then tuck the ends in and roll over once more. Lay the shrimp and fresh mint or cilantro if using on the last third of the wrapper and then wrap up tightly to finish the roll. Repeat with the remaining wrappers until you have 10 shrimp spring rolls
  4. Serve with peanut sauce on the side for dipping.
  • Category: Appetizers
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: Vietnamese

You Might Also Like:

Leave a Reply

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Cocktails and Drinks

Side “Bar”

Try some of the cocktails and drinks we’re mixing up this week!

VISIT THE COCKTAIL BAR