Cha Gio
Crispy fried spring rolls with pork and vegetables.
Ingredients
- 16 Rice paper
- 400 g Ground pork
- 80 g Sweet potato noodles (dangmyeon)
- 1 Carrot
- 20 g Dried wood ear
- 1 Egg
- 2 tbsp Fish sauce
- 500 ml Neutral oil
- ½ tsp Black pepper
Method
- Soak the sweet potato noodles and dried wood ear in warm water until pliable, then drain and chop them with the carrot.
- Mix the ground pork with the chopped noodles, vegetables, egg, fish sauce, and black pepper into an even filling.
- Dip each rice paper briefly in water to soften, add a little filling, and roll tightly into firm cylinders.
- Heat the neutral oil in a deep pan and fry the rolls in batches until deep golden and crisp, turning so they colour evenly, then drain on paper.
- Serve with a dipping sauce of fish sauce, lime, and sugar, and a handful of fresh herbs.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Cha Gio
Cha gio are Vietnam's crispy fried spring rolls, a beloved appetizer and party food built around a pork-and-vegetable filling wrapped in delicate rice paper. What distinguishes them from other spring rolls is that rice-paper wrapper, which fries up into a shatteringly crisp, blistered shell rather than the smoother crust of a wheat wrapper. The filling binds ground pork with glass noodles, carrot, and earthy wood ear mushroom, seasoned with fish sauce for that unmistakable Vietnamese savory depth, and an egg to hold everything together.
Rolled tight and fried until deep golden, they come out crunchy outside and juicy within, the pork savory and the noodles and mushroom adding chew and texture. In Vietnam they're eaten wrapped in lettuce and fresh herbs and dunked in nuoc cham — the classic fish sauce, lime, and sugar dipping sauce — which cuts the richness and brings brightness to every bite. They're festive food, the kind made for gatherings, Tet celebrations, and the start of a big meal. Rolling them tightly and frying in batches so the oil stays hot are the keys to getting that signature crackle.
Cha Gio: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Cha Gio?
A serving has about 388 calories — 14g protein, 35.1g carbs, 21.8g fat, 3.2g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Cha Gio gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Cha Gio has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Cha Gio take to make?
About 50 minutes start to finish, but only around 35 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Cha Gio make?
This recipe makes 6 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.