Vietnamese Banh Cuon (Rice Rolls with Pork Filling): Rice Paper Hack
See full recipe reel -here-.
Banh Cuon is a popular Vietnamese street dish made from delicate, thin rice sheets filled with seasoned ground pork and wood ear mushrooms, traditionally served with fresh herbs and a side of nuoc cham (Vietnamese sweet, sour dipping sauce, recipe for mom’s nuoc cham -here-).
This dish has been a popular favorite in Vietnamese street food culture, known for its soft, silky texture and savory, flavorful filling. However, the traditional way of making Banh Cuon can be quite labor-intensive, as it involves steaming a rice flour batter on cloth screens to create those ultra-thin rice sheets.
While the traditional method produces authentic results, it's not always practical when time is limited.
The Rice Paper Hack—a simple yet effective way to make Banh Cuon without the hassle of steaming batter from scratch. The key? Soaking store-bought rice paper in water for just the right amount of time. Too little time and it’ll be chewy like Vietnamese summer rolls, too much time and they’ll start to break apart.
Banh Cuon History
Banh Cuon has roots in northern Vietnam, where it has been enjoyed for centuries as both a street food staple and a beloved homemade dish.
The name "Banh Cuon" literally translates to "rolled cake" (*banh* meaning cake, and *cuon* meaning roll), referring to the technique of rolling the thin rice sheets around a savory filling. It is often served as a breakfast dish or light snack, typically accompanied by crispy fried shallots, fresh herbs, and a side of nuoc cham (a sweet/sour/dipping sauce made with fish sauce, sugar, limes, garlic and red chili).
Traditionally, making Banh Cuon requires creating a batter from rice flour, water, and sometimes tapioca flour. The batter is spread thinly over a cloth stretched over a steaming pot, where it is delicately cooked to form a soft, translucent rice sheet. The sheets are then carefully lifted off the cloth, filled with a mixture of seasoned pork and mushrooms, and rolled up. While this method yields beautiful results, it takes considerable practice and effort, which is why many home cooks (and hungry eaters) look for easier alternatives.
This is the brand of rice paper our family likes to use and is featured in this rice paper hack- Rice papers like this that contains "tapiaco flour" like this work great for these noodle like hacks.
Rice Paper Hack
If you’ve ever worked with rice paper before, you know that it’s a staple in many Vietnamese dishes, especially for making spring rolls. But did you know that with a simple soaking method, you can transform rice paper into something resembling the delicate rice sheets used for traditional Banh Cuon?
I used the Vietnamese bamboo rice paper and the secret to this hack is soaking the rice paper in water for exactly 25 minutes. This allows the rice paper to "bloom" and soften, mimicking the texture of steamed rice sheets. If you soak it for less time, the rice paper will still be too tough and chewy. Too long, and it will fall apart. The magic number is 25 minutes—no more, no less.
**Please note all rice papers are not built equally so if you try a different
As the rice paper soaks, it softens to a pillowy texture, becoming pliable and perfect for rolling around the pork filling. The end result is so close to the real thing that you might not even notice the difference!
This is the brand of rice paper (like reference photo) that our family likes to use and is featured in this rice paper hack- this contains "tapiaco flour" which works great for these noodle like hacks. Shop my Amazon storefront for the rice paper -here-.
For my mom’s full traditional recipe for Banh Cuon (along with rice flour batter) click below, otherwise scroll down for the rice paper hack!
BANH CUON RICE PAPER HACK
INGREDIENTS
- 12 sheets of rice paper (round or square)
- 300g ground pork
- 1/2 cup wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, Thai basil) for garnish
- Crispy fried shallots for garnish
NUOC CHAM
Recipe for mom’s Nouc Cham dipping sauce can be found -here-
GARNISH
Sliced cucumbers
Blanched bean sprouts (*optional)
Mint (*optional)
Thai basil (*optional)
Crispy Vietnamese Shallots (*optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Soak the Rice Paper: Begin by soaking the rice paper in a shallow dish of water for exactly 25 minutes. Fill a large bowl of water with cold water, then carefully dip the rice paper in the water and press down slightly so it is completely submerged. Wait a few seconds and layer in more sheets of rice paper. You can do like a half a dozen at a time if needed.
*A note about rice papers: Different brands of rice papers will react differently. Be careful not to soak them too long, as they will become overly soft and difficult to handle. Let the rice paper bloom until it reaches a soft, almost translucent texture. Set them aside on a flat surface while you prepare the filling.
**Before batching your Banh Cuon, test ONE sheet of rice paper out and let it soak in increments of 5 min to find your perfect texture for your rolls (try 5, 10, 15, and 20 and up to 25 min).
2. Make the Filling: Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped shallots, sautéing until fragrant. Add the ground pork, breaking it up as it cooks. Once the pork is nearly cooked through, add the rehydrated wood ear mushrooms, green onions, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until the filling is fully cooked and well-seasoned. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
3. Assemble the Rolls: Once the rice paper has softened, place a sheet of soaked rice paper on a lightly oiled flat surface. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of the pork and mushroom filling in the center. Fold the sides of the rice paper over the filling, then roll it up carefully, similar to how you would make a spring roll. Batch and make a few at a time.
4. When you’re ready to eat, pop them in the microwave for 20-45 seconds (each microwave is different and depends how many you are steaming up at one time) but basically you want it to warm and firm them up a little so it has that nice rice flour bounce that traditional banh cuon has.
5. Garnish and Serve: Arrange the rolls on a plate and garnish with fresh herbs (Thai basil, mint, fresh cucumber slices, blanched bean sprouts), crispy fried shallots, and a generous drizzle of nuoc cham.