Bánh Cuốn make the perfect warm-weather dish! These delightfully light Vietnamese rice rolls are filled with a simple, savory pork mixture.
Serve them fresh with plenty of crisp greens and crunchy toppings for an incredible burst of flavors and textures, especially when you dip each roll into a good homemade nem sauce
A perfect noodle salad for the whole family
Calling Bánh Cuốn a noodle salad might be a slight stretch, but this classic Vietnamese dish has ALL the elements of a great salad!
You get crisp, vibrant greens, a traditional dipping sauce that doubles as dressing, and finally those thin, silky “noodles” wrapped around juicy, aromatic filling.
I could happily eat this dish on repeat, and for good reason:
- Its flavors are beautifully balanced – no harsh contrasts, just pure harmony.
- The rice batter steams into thin, delicate, delicious sheets
- The sauteed filling is packed with flavor
- A sprinkle of crispy fried onions adds another layer of flavor
Feel free to top the rolls with Vietnamese bologna such as chả lụa or Chả Huế instead of the pork.
The main ingredients of banh cuon
Fish sauce: it is worth every penny. The bottle delivers an indescribably deep, umami-rich savoriness
Oyster sauce: it does not actually taste like oysters, yet it is essential to that unmistakable Asian flavor profile. Substitutes exist, but do try to track down the real thing.
Tapioca flour: crucial for achieving the recipe’s signature texture.
How to make banh cuon?
It is straightforward: before you even whisk the batter, prepare the filling and let it chill in the fridge.
Just season the minced meat, saute the aromatics, then stir-fry everything together. Switch up the filling with cold cuts, veggies, seafood – whatever sounds good!
Recipe shared by Catti in the site’s official group
Bánh Cuốn – Vietnamese Steamed Crêpes
Ingredients
- 100 g rice flour
- 100 g tapioca flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 200 g room-temperature water
- 100 g warm water
- 25 ml neutral oil
Filling
- 150 g ground pork
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
Filling
- In a bowl, toss the pork with the oyster and fish sauces.
- Heat a splash of oil in a pan over high heat, then sauté the garlic for 2 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the seasoned pork and stir-fry until browned and cooked through. Set aside.
Crêpes
- Whisk all the batter ingredients except the warm water.
- Gradually whisk in the warm water.
- Let the batter rest.
- After 2 hours, pour off the clear water that has risen to the top, discard it, and replace it with an equal amount of fresh water.
- Repeat this rinsing process 2–3 times; this keeps the batter supple even overnight.
- Pour about 50 ml batter onto a hot, lightly oiled pan and swirl to coat the surface.
- Once the crêpe sets, cover and steam for 30–60 seconds.
- Invert the pan onto a cutting board to release the crêpe, then lightly brush the pan with oil before cooking the next one.
Folding
- Spoon a little filling in the center, fold the two sides over, then roll twice; the bánh cuốn should be snug but not tight.
