Vietnamese Egg Rolls (Chả Giò) with Our Family’s Garlic-Lime Nước Chấm
Sponsored by Café Casino
Every holiday party growing up, there was one dish my dad never showed up without: his Vietnamese egg rolls. Every year we say we’ll make double, and every year- it’s never enough!
Vietnamese egg rolls — chả giò — are celebration food. They show up at holiday parties, family Lunar New Year, weddings, birthdays, and big family gatherings.
Traditionally in Vietnam, egg rolls are wrapped in rice paper, which fries up thin and shatter-crisp. In many Vietnamese-American kitchens, including ours, you’ll also see egg roll wrappers, which give you a crispier shell with that crunchy exterior people love at parties.
Today, I’m sharing the version my dad has made for decades — the one everyone asks for year after year.
The real secret isn’t fancy ingredients. It’s my dad’s frying method — something we’ve kept in the family for a long time. The right oil temperature, plus precise frying and resting times, are what keep these egg rolls crispy all party long.
This post is proudly sponsored by Café Casino, who helped make it possible to document and share one of our most requested family recipes.
And one more thing before we start: There is only one sauce we ever serve with these. Our homemade garlic-lime nước chấm!
The Key to Ultra-Crispy Egg Rolls (Dad’s Method)
If you’ve ever wondered why restaurant or home-style Vietnamese egg rolls stay crisp without feeling greasy, it comes down to one thing: the double fry with a rest in between.
Here’s how my dad does it:
Fry once at 350°F for about 8 minutes
Let the egg rolls rest 5 minutes
Fry again 2–3 minutes until deeply golden
That short rest allows steam to escape and the wrapper to set, so the second fry locks in crunch instead of oil.
Ingredients
Egg Roll Filling
1 lb ground pork
¾ lb lump crabmeat
1 large egg yolk
1 shallot, finely minced (about ¼ cup)
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
1 large carrot, julienned
1 cup taro root, julienned
1 cup jicama, julienned
1 small package glass noodles, rehydrated and chopped
(about 1½ cups, cut into 1–1½ inch pieces)1 cup dried wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped
(about ½ cup once chopped)1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
30 egg roll wrappers
Egg Wash (Glue)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Garlic-Lime Nước Chấm (Our Family’s Version)
3–5 garlic cloves, minced
2–5 Thai chilies, finely chopped (adjust to your heat preference)
Juice of 1–2 limes
½ cup white sugar
½ cup fish sauce
1½ cups warm water
Instructions
1. Prepare the Filling
Soak the glass noodles and wood ear mushrooms in lukewarm water for 20–30 minutes until fully softened. Drain well and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible. Chop noodles into 1–1½ inch pieces and mushrooms into small pieces.
Julienne the carrot, taro, and jicama into thin matchsticks. Finely mince the shallot and thinly slice the green onions.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork and lump crabmeat. Add the egg yolk, vegetables, glass noodles, and mushrooms. Season with fish sauce, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder.
Mix gently until everything is evenly combined. Avoid over-mixing — you want the filling light, not dense.
2. Prepare the Egg Wash
Lightly beat the egg white with a fork. This will be used to seal the wrappers.
3. Roll the Egg Rolls
Place an egg roll wrapper on a clean surface with one corner pointing toward you.
Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of filling into the center.
Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, tuck in the sides snugly, and roll tightly. Seal the final edge with a small dab of egg white.
Repeat until all filling is used.
If using rice paper instead: Dip each sheet briefly in room-temperature water until pliable. Fill and roll immediately — no egg wash needed.
4. Frying the Egg Rolls (Double Fry Method)
Heat 2–3 cups of neutral oil (vegetable or canola) in a deep skillet or pot to 350°F.
First Fry: Fry egg rolls in batches for 7–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly golden. Remove and place on a wire rack.
Let rest for 5 minutes.
Second Fry: Return egg rolls to the oil for 2–3 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp.
Drain well on a wire rack or paper towels.
5. Make the Nước Chấm
In a bowl, combine garlic, chilies, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, and warm water. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
Taste and adjust — the sauce should be balanced: salty, sweet, tangy, and just spicy enough.
How We Serve Them
Serve egg rolls hot, family-style, with:
Butter lettuce
*Fresh herbs like mint and cilantro (optional)
* Pickled daikon and carrots (optional)
A generous bowl of garlic-lime nước chấm
To eat, wrap an egg roll in a piece of lettuce with optional herbs and dip into the nuoc cham dipping sauce!