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Shrimp spring rolls, also known as Vietnamese spring rolls, or fresh spring rolls, are a refreshing and healthy appetizer or snack. Follow the step-by-step instructions on how to make these spring rolls in minutes.
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- Shrimp Spring Roll Ingredients
- More Filling Ideas
- Steps to Make Shrimp Spring Rolls
- Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Working with Rice Paper Wrappers
- Tips for Making Shrimp Spring Rolls
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing Shrimp Spring Rolls Properly
- More Asian-Inspired Appetizers
- How to Make Shrimp Spring Rolls
- Shrimp Spring Rolls Recipe
Shrimp spring rolls have fresh, bright flavors and a crispy crunch of the veggies. They are made by wrapping shrimp, fresh vegetables, and herbs in rice paper sheets. They come together so quickly and they taste amazing.
Shrimp Spring Roll Ingredients
- Wrappers – Spring roll rice paper wrappers are very thin and have a clear see-through appearance. You can find these in the Asian aisle at your local grocery store. They may also be in the refrigerator section.
- Shrimp – Large shrimp that is already cooked. Make sure the shrimp is peeled and deveined before using it.
- Noodles – Rice vermicelli noodles are very thin and have a white coloring.
- Veggies – Carrots, peppers, baby cucumbers, and green onions are all washed and sliced ahead of time.
- Herbs – Cilantro, basil, and mint leaves add intense flavor to each bite.
- Lettuce- Butter lettuce is a sweeter type of lettuce with a thick lettuce that has a nice crunch to it. Butter lettuce is a darker green compared to ice burg or other lettuce types.
More Filling Ideas
- Red cabbage – A crunchy and healthy way of adding cabbage to the roll. Plus the purple coloring is pretty shown through the wrapper!
- Avocado – Slice the avocados lengthwise to lay flat in the spring rolls.
- Bean sprouts – These seem to not have too much flavor but they are always a great filling and healthy for you.
- Jalapeños – Take it up a notch and slice jalapenos in the shrimp spring rolls. This will give it a bit of spiciness.
- Tofu – Tofu tastes a little bland with not a lot of flavor but the texture is amazing. It is a great substitute for meat. You can add flavoring to it to help enhance the flavor.
- Protein – Beef, pork, or chicken thinly sliced meat adds more depth and filling to the shrimp spring rolls.
Steps to Make Shrimp Spring Rolls
Make the sauce ahead of time. This gives the flavors time to blend together, and give the sauce a rich, creamy texture. Carefully wet the wrappers then assemble the shrimp spring rolls. Serve immediately!
- Chill sauce – Prepare the peanut sauce by mixing together all the ingredients in a bowl. Let chill in the fridge while you prepare the spring rolls.
- Wet wrapper – Fill a shallow dish, like a pie dish, with water. Quickly dunk the spring roll wrapper into the water and place it on your work surface. Add shrimp to the middle of the wrapper.
- Assemble – Layer rice noodles, cilantro, fresh mint leaves, basil, and veggies on top of the shrimp. Add lettuce on top of the veggies.
- Roll and serve – Roll the spring roll like you would roll a burrito, tucking the ends in. Serve immediately with peanut dipping sauce.
Peanut Dipping Sauce
This peanut dipping sauce is so good, that I could literally eat it with a spoon. It comes together so quickly and you likely have a lot of the ingredients on hand. This sauce is made with peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, garlic, sriracha, water, and chopped peanuts. Add everything to a bowl and then whisk everything together and you are good to go!
If you make it ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap until you are ready to serve. When you take it out of the fridge, you may have to water it down. Stir it well and then use a little bit of milk, water, fresh lime juice, or hoisin sauce to thin it out.
Working with Rice Paper Wrappers
- The rice paper wrappers come dried. You have to submerge them in water to soften them enough to wrap.
- Fill a shallow dish like a pie plate with lukewarm water. Then, quickly dip the whole wrapper in the water and then put it down where you are going to fill it.
- It will soften as you place your fillings down. If you leave it in the water too long, then it will become too soggy and it will fold back on itself.
Tips for Making Shrimp Spring Rolls
- Prepare in advance – It is best to have the vegetables, shrimp, and noodles prepared ahead of time. That way you can quickly assemble the spring rolls.
- Soaking rice paper – There is a method to the rice paper. Follow the package instructions for more details. Dip each sheet of rice paper in warm water. Leave it in there for 5 to 10 seconds. You do not want to oversoak the wrappers. They will become too sticky and not easy to work with.
- Damp cloth – Place a damp cloth or wet the area you are working with the rice papers. This will allow the wrappers not to rip or stick to the counter.
- Don’t overfill – You want to fill the wrappers full but you also don’t want to overstuff. The wrappers may rip if they are too full.
- Sealing – Make sure to seal the edges of the wrappers well. This will help hold all the contents inside the wrappers without them falling apart when you dip them.
“Love spring rolls and this recipe was easy and so tasty! Can’t wait to make again!”
-Brandy
Frequently Asked Questions
The nomenclature of spring rolls is a little confusing because it means different things in different Asian cuisines. This recipe can be classified as fresh spring rolls or even as summer rolls. Spring rolls can also sometimes be fried. Fresh spring rolls are not fried.
Spring rolls are wrapped in a thinner wrapper and are filled with fresh veggies. Egg rolls are made with a thicker wrapper and have more savory and cooked meat and veggies.
We love to eat shrimp spring rolls with peanut sauce but you can use another Asian-inspired dip that is tangy, sweet, and/or spicy.
There are two types of spring rolls. There is a vegetable type that is meatless and usually found more in Chinese restaurants whereas meat-type spring rolls are from Indonesia or the Philippines. For the meat, it is popular to have pork inside.
Storing Shrimp Spring Rolls Properly
Prepare all the ingredients ahead of time and store them separately in airtight containers for four to five days. When ready to enjoy a shrimp spring roll, assemble them the day of or hours before enjoying them. Place the prepared shrimp spring rolls in the fridge but eat within 24 hours.
More Asian-Inspired Appetizers
If you loved our Shrimp Spring Roll Recipe, then try some of our other delicious Asian-inspired appetizers!
How to Make Shrimp Spring Rolls
Shrimp Spring Rolls
Video
Ingredients
- 10 spring roll wrappers
- 8 ounces rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
- ½ pound shrimp, cooked, peeled, deveined, tail off
- 2 carrots, julienne cut
- 1 red bell pepper, julienne cut
- 2 cucumbers, julienne cut
- 4 green onions, cut into strips
- 10 leaves butter lettuce
- mint leaves, cilantro leaves, and basil leaves
For the Peanut Sauce
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- ½ cup water
- chopped peanuts to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the peanut sauce by mixing together all the ingredients in a bowl. Let chill in the fridge while you prepare the spring rolls.
- Fill a shallow dish, like a pie dish, with water. Quickly dunk the spring roll wrapper into the water and place it on your work surface. Add shrimp to the middle of the wrapper.
- Layer rice noodles, cilantro, mint, basil, and veggies on top of the shrimp.
- Add lettuce on top of the veggies. Roll the spring roll like you would roll a burrito, tucking the ends in. Serve immediately with peanut dipping sauce.
Love spring rolls and this recipe was easy and so tasty! Can’t wait to make again!
These are easier to make than I thought! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for the spring roll recipe. Looks easy and yummy.