RecipeTin Eats’ chicken rice-paper rolls – plus the secret sauce that makes everything taste amazing

Name: RecipeTin Eats’ chicken rice-paper rolls – plus the secret sauce that makes everything taste amazing
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 250 g shredded cooked chicken (1½ cups tightly packed); ¼ tsp cooking salt; ⅛ tsp white pepper (or use black pepper); 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves; 2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves

Get hands-on with this light, fresh meal or snack, perfect for those hot summer days when you don’t want to crank up the oven.

RecipeTin Eats

November 20, 2023

Vietnamese chicken rice-paper rolls.PHOTO: Rob Palmer STYLING: Emma Knowles

Rice-paper rolls are a summer staple. And when the Vietnamese peanut dipping sauce is as good as this one is, you can fill the roll with anything you like! Today, I’m sharing my recipe for rice-paper rolls using store-bought charcoal chicken. The trick is to toss the shredded chicken with plenty of fresh herbs and a little salt and pepper.

SOS checklist

Less than $20 for 4 servings ✔
Less than 30 minutes ✔

Ingredients

Vietnamese herbed chicken

250 g shredded cooked chicken (1½ cups tightly packed)
¼ tsp cooking salt
⅛ tsp white pepper (or use black pepper)
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves

Peanut sauce

1½ tbsp natural peanut butter, smooth
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
⅓ cup full-cream milk
2 small garlic cloves, finely grated
¾ tsp sambal oelek or other chilli sauce of choice
2 tbsp finely chopped peanuts

Rice-paper roll filling

12 round rice paper wrappers
12-24 mint leaves
1 avocado, cut in half, sliced into 3 mm slices
1 red capsicum cut into 24 thin strips 10 cm long
2 mini Lebanese cucumbers, de-seeded and cut into 24 thin strips 10 cm long
1 cup finely julienned or shredded carrot (about 1 medium)
75g vermicelli rice noodles, prepared according to packet directions
12 butter lettuce leaves, torn into 10 cm squares, crunchy ribs removed

Method

Step 1
Toss the Vietnamese herbed chicken ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
Step 2
Mix the peanut sauce ingredients together in a bowl until combined, then transfer the sauce to a serving bowl (see note).
Step 3
Fill a large bowl with water (see note). Briefly dip the rice paper wrapper in water – it should still be stiff (it will soften more as you assemble the roll. Place it on a large plate or chopping board. In the third closest to you, pile the fillings on top in this order: 1 or 2 mint leaves, a slice of avocado, 2 cucumber and capsicum strips, a few shreds of carrot. Then place a small amount of noodles and shredded chicken on a piece of lettuce and roll up to enclose like a cigar (trust me on this – it’s the most practical way!). Place the lettuce bundle on the ingredients on the rice paper. Roll it up, burrito style (see gallery below).
Step 4
Repeat with the remaining rice-paper rolls. Then serve the rolls with dipping sauce.

Tips to avoid tearing the rice paper

Dip each wrapper in water very briefly – it should still be stiff when you place it down on the work surface.
Bundle flyaway bits (such as shredded chicken and noodles) inside a piece of lettuce to hold them together.
Use two rice paper rounds for double-strength protection.
Create a DIY setup and encourage everyone to roll their own. Make it their problem, not yours!

But honestly, who cares if yours are wonky? They will still taste amazing!

Get ready to roll, step by step

1 / 7Briefly dip one side of the rice paper roll into a bowl of water, rotating it to moisten the wrapper.Tamara Dean

2 / 7Place the wrapper down on a work surface and start building up the fillings, beginning with the herb leaves.Tamara Dean

3 / 7Without overfilling the roll, add the remaining ingredients to the centre of the wrapper.Tamara Dean

4 / 7Fold one side of the wrapper over the filling.Tamara Dean

5 / 7Fold the other side over the filling, holding it securely.Tamara Dean

6 / 7Pull one of the remaining sides over the filling, tucking it in firmly with your fingers.Tamara Dean

7 / 7Roll the wrapper and filling towards the remaining free end, enclosing the filling.Tamara Dean

Notes

If you have trouble getting the sauce to come together, microwave briefly – the ingredients will combine more easily when slightly warm.
If the bowl is not large enough to submerge the entire rice paper at once, dip one side in and rotate the wrapper so it all gets damp (see gallery).
These are best made fresh. But if making ahead, wrap individual rice paper rolls in cling film and refrigerate overnight.