Vietnamese spring rolls — chả giò — hold a very special place in my heart. The small, crispy rolls with a filling of meat, glass noodles and crunchy vegetables are pure street food from the streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. But I’ve never been keen on standing over a pot of oil to deep-fry them. So I worked out the recipe here, where the air fryer takes over the job.
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The result is rolls just as golden and crispy as the deep-fried ones, only without oil splatter and a greasy aftertaste. I brush them with a little oil, lay them shoulder to shoulder in the basket, and then the air fryer does the rest. In 12 minutes you’re left with a platter of rolls ready to dip in nuoc cham and wrap in lettuce leaves.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love Vietnamese spring rolls in the air fryer
When the rolls arrive at the table, there’s always a buzz. Hands reach out for fresh herbs, lettuce leaves and a small bowl of dipping sauce. It’s a meal full of togetherness and energy — and when I can also make them without a deep fryer, I smile even more.
The spring rolls get a thoroughly crispy surface because the air fryer circulates the heat evenly around each individual roll. You save time, avoid the smell of oil in the kitchen, and the cleanup is one basket rather than a pot full of used oil. For me it’s the best way to make a dish I end up cooking every other week.
The difference between an air fryer and a deep fryer
The deep fryer gives the classic deep golden colour all the way around and is traditionally the way to go for Vietnamese grandmothers. The air fryer uses 80% less oil and delivers a result surprisingly close to the same. The single most important point is to brush the rolls with oil before cooking — without the oil the wrapper turns dry and papery rather than crispy. Two minutes with a brush make all the difference.
My kitchen test of Vietnamese spring rolls
I’ve tested the rolls in my Cosori Dual Blaze at 180 °C for 12 minutes, and that’s the sweet spot. The first 6 minutes brown the surface, and the last 6 minutes draw the heat right into the centre of the filling. I turned the rolls once after 6 minutes, and that gave an even colour on all sides.
I’ve also tested at 200 °C for 8-9 minutes — the surface browned faster, but the filling was still a little cool in the centre. A lower temperature and a longer time give the best result. If you use a Philips XXL, you can easily make 12-15 rolls at a time at the same settings.
Brush the wrappers thoroughly with oil before they go into the basket. That’s the one detail that makes the difference between a chewy and a crispy shell.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is forgetting the oil. The wrapper turns dry and curls up at the corners instead of taking on that characteristic golden, crispy finish. I keep a small bowl of rapeseed oil next to the basket and a brush that I run over each roll before they go in.
The second mistake is packing the filling too tightly or too loosely. Too much filling pushes the wrapper up and splits it during cooking, while too little filling gives a flat roll without the right bite. I aim for about two tablespoons of filling per roll and roll tightly, but not taut.
The third mistake is putting too many rolls in the basket. They need air between them so the hot air can circulate — otherwise they steam each other instead of turning crispy. A maximum of 8 rolls at a time in a standard air fryer basket gives the best result.
How to serve Vietnamese spring rolls
Classic Vietnamese serving calls for fresh herbs, lettuce leaves and a good dipping sauce. It’s always worth making an effort with the accompaniments.
- Lettuce leaves (iceberg or butterhead) to wrap them in
- Fresh mint, coriander and Thai basil
- Nuoc cham — Vietnamese dipping sauce with fish sauce, lime and chilli
- Thinly sliced cucumber and pickled carrots or radishes
- Stir-fried rice or glass noodles as a side
Storage and reheating
Spring rolls are best fresh from the basket, when the wrapper is at its crispiest. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, and you reheat them by putting them in the air fryer at 180 °C for 3-4 minutes — then they turn crispy again. I don’t recommend the microwave, as it makes the wrapper chewy.
You can also freeze the rolls raw (after rolling, before the air fryer) for up to 2 months. Cook them straight from frozen with 2-3 minutes extra at the same temperature, and you’ll have crispy rolls ready on a busy weeknight.
The air fryer has changed the way I make Vietnamese spring rolls. Brush well with oil, give the rolls room in the basket, and roll them calmly and tightly — that way you get golden, crispy spring rolls every time. Serve them with herbs and a good dip, and taste a street food classic straight from the air fryer.
FAQ
Rice paper is best suited to fresh summer rolls. For chả giò you should use a wheat-based spring roll wrapper, as rice paper turns hard and glassy in the air fryer.
12 minutes at 180 °C with one turn after 6 minutes gives the best combination of a crispy surface and hot filling.
Yes, it’s crucial for the crispiness. Without oil the wrapper turns dry and papery instead of golden and crispy.
Recipe
Vietnamese Spring Rolls in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Shopping list
Ingredients
Filling
- 250 g minced pork
- 150 g shrimp (Finely chopped)
- 1 pcs carrot (Finely grated)
- 100 g white cabbage (Finely shredded)
- 50 g glass noodles (Mung bean or rice noodles)
- 2 pcs spring onions (Finely sliced)
- 2 clove garlic (Finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar ( )
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (Freshly ground)
Wrapping
- 16 pcs Vietnamese rice paper (22 cm round)
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (For brushing)
How to make it
Preparation
- Place 50 g glass noodles in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes, until soft. Drain them and cut into pieces of about 3 cm.
- Mix 250 g minced pork with 150 g shrimp, 1 pcs carrot, 100 g white cabbage, the glass noodles, 2 pcs spring onions, 2 clove garlic, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar and 0.5 tsp black pepper in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly into an even filling.
- Dip a sheet of rice paper in lukewarm water for 2-3 seconds, until it turns pliable. Lay it flat on a damp cutting board.
- Shape about 2 tbsp of filling into a small sausage shape on the bottom third of the rice paper. Fold the sides in over the filling and roll up tightly from the bottom. Repeat until you have rolled 16 spring rolls.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C on hot air.
- Brush the spring rolls thoroughly with 2 tbsp neutral oil on all sides. Place them in the basket with plenty of space so they don’t touch each other.
- Cook at 180 °C for 12-14 minutes, until the spring rolls are golden and crispy. Turn them carefully halfway through so they brown evenly.
Serving
- Serve the spring rolls immediately with a dipping sauce such as nuoc cham or sweet chilli. Offer lettuce leaves as well as fresh mint and coriander leaves, so each spring roll can be wrapped in a lettuce leaf together with the herbs.
Our notes for the recipe
Only dip the rice paper briefly in the water — it should turn pliable, not wet, otherwise the rolls become sticky. Brush the spring rolls thoroughly with oil over the entire surface so they crisp up evenly. Variation:
Replace the shrimp with extra pork or minced chicken. For a vegetarian version, use crumbled tofu and chopped shiitake mushrooms instead of meat and shrimp. Serving:
Vietnamese tradition is to wrap each spring roll in a lettuce leaf together with fresh herbs and dip it in nuoc cham. Sweet chilli is a quick shortcut if you don’t have a dipping sauce ready. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can cook the spring rolls in two batches and keep the first ones warm in the oven at 80 °C while the next batch cooks.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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