Chả Giò Recipe

Soak noodles and mushrooms

Place dried glass noodles and dried shiitake (and wood ear, if using) in separate bowls. Cover with warm water and soak 15–20 minutes until softened. Drain, squeeze out excess water, and chop the mushrooms finely. Cut glass noodles into shorter lengths (about 3–4 cm) by cutting with kitchen shears or chopping lightly.

Prep vegetables and aromatics

Peel and grate the carrot and jicama (or finely shred cabbage/daikon). Peel and finely mince shallots and garlic. Thinly slice scallions and roughly chop cilantro if using. Keep each component in separate small bowls for easy mixing.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté minced shallots and half the garlic until translucent and aromatic (about 1–2 minutes). Add the chopped shiitake and wood ear mushrooms; cook 1–2 minutes to release flavor. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl combine ground pork, sautéed aromatics and mushrooms, prepared glass noodles, grated carrot, grated jicama (or cabbage), scallions, cilantro (if using), eggs, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and ground black pepper. Use clean hands or a spoon to mix thoroughly until ingredients are evenly distributed and mixture is slightly sticky (eggs and proteins will bind). Taste a small piece by pan-frying a teaspoon to check seasoning and adjust fish sauce, sugar, or pepper as needed.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the filling 15–30 minutes to firm up — this makes wrapping easier and prevents filling from falling apart during frying.

Prepare a small bowl with the flour-water slurry (2 tbsp flour + 3 tbsp water) to act as glue for sealing the rice paper. Whisk until smooth.

Set up an assembly station: a shallow dish with warm water for softening rice paper (optional — some prefer rolling dry), a clean work surface, the filling bowl, and the slurry within reach.

Working one wrapper at a time: if using warm-water softening, dip a rice paper briefly (1–2 seconds) into warm water and lay flat on the work surface; it will continue to soften. If using dry rolling, place a dry rice paper on a damp towel — both methods work; the paper will crisp when fried. Place about 2 tablespoons (heaping) of filling near the lower third of the wrapper. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in the left and right sides snugly, then roll tightly toward the top edge to form a cylinder. Brush the top edge with the flour slurry to seal. Repeat until filling and wrappers are used (should make ~18–20 rolls).

Place assembled rolls seam-side down on a tray. Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes if time allows; this firms the rolls and helps reduce bursting during frying.

Pour oil into a deep skillet or medium saucepan to a depth of about 4–5 cm (1.5–2 inches) and heat to 170–175°C (340–350°F). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a small piece of wrapper into the oil: it should sizzle and rise slowly without browning immediately.

Fry rolls in batches, seam-side down, 4–6 minutes per batch, turning occasionally for even color. Cook until evenly golden brown and crispy. Avoid overcrowding the pan which drops the oil temperature.

Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove rolls and drain on a wire rack or paper towels to remove excess oil. Keep warm in a low oven (around 90–100°C / 200°F) if frying multiple batches.

Whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, water, and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add minced garlic and sliced chili; garnish with a little julienned carrot for color. Taste and adjust balance: more sugar for sweetness, lime for brightness, or fish sauce for saltiness.

Arrange Chả Giò on a platter with lettuce leaves and fresh herbs. Serve hot with dipping sauce on the side. To eat, place a roll on a lettuce leaf, add herbs, wrap, and dip into nước chấm.