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This is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes. In Vietnam, bánh cuốn is traditionally eaten as a breakfast dish, though it’s served throughout the day as well. I love how light yet satisfying it is—the silky steamed rice rolls paired with the crunch of cucumbers and the softness of steamed bean sprouts create the perfect bite.
What makes this dish truly special are the herbs that accompany it—especially Vietnamese coriander (rau răm) and mint leaves. Rau răm gives bánh cuốn its signature taste, that slightly peppery, citrusy note that ties everything together. It can be tricky to find unless you live near a Vietnamese market or grow it in your own garden. But if you can’t find it, basil makes a great substitute—it brings a fresh, aromatic layer that works beautifully with the dish.
Traditionally, bánh cuốn is made using a special steamer that creates those soft, translucent rice sheets you find in Vietnam. You can make a similar version using a nonstick pan, though the texture will be slightly different—not quite as thin or delicate as the steamed version, but still absolutely delicious.
The filling is made with ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, jicama, and aromatics like garlic and shallots, all lightly seasoned to enhance the rice wrapper without overpowering it. Once the batter is steamed into a thin sheet, it’s filled and rolled by hand—a process that feels both meditative and rewarding.
For the full experience, serve your bánh cuốn with slices of chả lụa (Vietnamese ham). If you want to go fully homemade, you can find my recipe for chả lụa right here on my site. It pairs beautifully with the rice rolls, especially when drizzled with fish dipping sauce (nước chấm) and topped with fried shallots, green onions in oil, and fresh herbs.
Every element of this dish complements the next—the softness of the rolls, the freshness of the herbs, the savoriness of the pork filling, and the saltiness of the fish sauce. Together, they create a dish that’s as light as it is full of flavor.
Whether you make it as a weekend project or a special treat, bánh cuốn chả lụa always feels like a little taste of Vietnam right at home.
Bánh Cuốn Chả Lụa
Ingredients
Batter:
- 1 cup rice flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 3 cups water, room temperature
Filling:
- 1 lb ground pork
- ⅓ cup wood ear mushroom
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1½ Tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup jicama, chopped into ¼ inch cubes
Aromatics:
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ large shallot, chopped, around 3 Tbsp
Toppings:
- green onions , with oil
- shallots, fried
- bean sprouts, steamed
- rau ram
- cilantro
- cucumbers, sliced
- fish dipping sauce
Tool:
- spray bottle filled with water
Instructions
- Mix batter ingredients together and set aside.
- Combine all ingredients for the filling and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- In a pan, on medium high heat, add oil and aromatics and fry for a minute. Then add the marinated pork and cook until pork is no longer pink and cooked through. Remove and set aside in a bowl.
- Brush a large plate or cutting board with oil so you can use as a station to place your rice sheets and roll with the filling.
- In a non stick pan, on medium heat, pour ladle of batter (no oil is needed on the pan).
- Swirl to create a thin layer, pour extra batter from pan back into the batter mix bowl to ensure that you have a thin layer.
- Spray lid with water and cover pan with lid. Steam for one minute. Then remove lid and spray the pan with water to lift the rice sheet.
- Flip pan to remove the sheet onto the oiled plate. Add 2 Tbsp filling to the steamed rice sheet and fold to rectangle shape.
- Repeat process until all batter mix has been used. Make sure to stir the batter before each pour.
- Serve with toppings and pour fish dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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