EASY! Banh Cuon (Vietnamese Fresh Rice Rolls)

Banh Cuon (Vietnamese Fresh Rice Rolls)-Easy Version Made in a Nonstick Pan! Easy-to-follow recipe with a step-by-step guide for making Banh Cuon (Vietnamese fresh rice rolls) with freshly made rice pancakes in a non-stick frying pan. They are amazing and just melt in your mouth, one of my favorite Vietnamese foods. Try it once, it will become one of your favorite dishes too.

What is Banh Cuon?

Banh Cuon = bánh cuốn, pronounced “ban koewn”
bánh (“pastry”) +‎ cuốn (“to roll”)
So, ‘Banh Cuon’ literally means “Rolled Cakes”

Banh Cuon consists of freshly-made steamed rice flour pancakes filled with stir-fried minced pork, wood ear mushroom, and onion seasoned with fish sauce and then folded into tender cylinders.

Banh cuon is commonly eaten for breakfast because it is light and filling. Served with crispy fried shrimp/shallots sprinkled on top and with Vietnamese sausages, and fresh vegetables like sliced cucumber, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs. Like almost all Vietnamese dishes, Banh Cuon is also served with a sweet and salty Vietnamese dipping sauce known as Nuoc Cham and it goes well with light rice crepes.

Given its large territory and various climates, banh cuon has many different versions with a variation in the fillings, dipping sauce, or toppings.

Traditional Banh Cuon

The rice sheets used for making Banh Cuon are very thin and delicate and traditionally made by grounding rice and making a slightly fermented rice batter and then steaming it on a cloth stretched over a pot of boiling water. A process requires more time, effort, and practice.

Easy Version of Banh Cuon

Nowadays, the process of making Banh Cuon has become more convenient. For example, using ready-made rice paper sheets instead of making the rice sheets from scratch, using packaged pre-mixed banh cuon flour for making the batter, using a non-stick frying pan for making the sheets instead of steaming, and so on.

I tried the easy version of making rice pancakes using a non-stick frying pan. Thankfully the non-stick pan does the job well. However, if you make them for the first time, it will be a bit difficult to make these rice pancakes as they have a somewhat delicate texture. Once you come to know how to handle the batter and thin pancakes, it will become much easier, so don’t give up on the way, it just needs some practice.

Make Your Own Flour Mixture

Nowadays, it is common to use store-bought flour mix to make rice pancakes. When I made Banh Cuon for the first time, I also used a flour mix that I got from one of my Vietnamese friends. (Thanks Anh!)

Don’t worry you don’t have to go all the way to Vietnam to buy the flour mix. You can easily make your own flour mix by mixing rice flour with tapioca flour. Tapioca flour helps make the wrappers softer and more elastic. (By the way, if you get a chance and if you haven’t visited yet, please do visit Vietnam, it’s really a wonderful country to visit.)

Steps to Make Banh Cuon

1. Make the filling
2. Make the rice pancakes
3. Assemble

Make the Filling

The filling is typically made with ground pork, onions, and wood ear mushrooms. The mixture is stir-fried and seasoned with sugar, pepper, and fish sauce.

You can customize the filling to your liking, substituting it with other types of ground meat and mushrooms. For a vegan version of this recipe, just skip the meat and fish sauce.

Make the Rice Pancakes

Modern cooks use a lidded frying pan to make the rice pancakes which steam under the lid until the moisture is released and the pancakes are ready within a minute.

First, you need to make the batter by mixing tapioca flour, rice flour, vegetable oil, salt, and water. After mixing let it sit for about 30 minutes and then spread the batter thinly to make rice pancakes.

The skin should be so thin and transparent that you can see the pan through it and you don’t need to flip them like crepes.

Assemble

After you make the filling and the rice pancakes, fill the pancakes with the filling and then just roll them or roll them into a parcel.

How to Serve

Banh cuon is commonly eaten for breakfast because it is light and filling. Served with crispy fried shrimp/shallots sprinkled on top and with Vietnamese sausages, and fresh vegetables like sliced cucumber, blanched bean sprouts, and fresh herbs. Like almost all Vietnamese dishes, Banh Cuon is also served with a sweet and salty Vietnamese dipping sauce known as Nuoc Cham and it goes well with light rice crepes.

However, you can customize the toppings to your liking.

Nuoc cham-Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

Nuoc Cham is an authentic dipping sauce that accompanies just about almost Vietnamese dish. It is a sweet, sour, salty, fishy, and spicy sauce that usually comes in a small bowl.

It goes well with light rice pancakes and is easy to make your own. Just combine fish sauce, water, lime juice, sugar, chopped garlic, and chili in a small bowl and then stir well. You can substitute lime juice with lemon juice.

Wood Ear Mushroom and Substitutes

Wood-ear or tree ear mushroom (Japanese: キクラゲ, kikurage) is an edible black fungus that resembles a large ear and is used mostly in Chinese cuisines (in stir-fries and soups). It has very little flavor but is used mainly for its firm, gelatinous texture.

The mushroom is available both fresh and dried. While soaking, the mushrooms expand 3–4 times in size, a small amount can go a long way.

You can use other kinds of mushrooms of your choice. I also tried Maitake mushroom and it was good.

Useful Tips for Making Rice Pancakes

The most difficult part of making rice pancakes is removing them from the pan as they are very thin soft and delicate, so they tear easily if not handled carefully. They are too thin to remove with a spatula, so you need to remove it with your fingertips.

The first time I made them, I was about to give up on the way just because it was a complete disaster. So, be patient, it takes some practice. As you do it, it will get easier.

Here I will share my secrets

• Before you start cooking, make sure you have everything ready and accessible next to your stove; our batter, filling, and an oiled tray or plates.
• Controlling heat is an essential and crucial part of making them as the pancake cooks quickly.
• I used two pans; to cook one pancake while resting another.
• Grease a tray or a plate with oil to transfer the pancakes so that they will not stick.
• Heat a 20cm nonstick pan over low heat.
• Once hot, pour a thin layer of the batter into the pan.
• Cover the pan and cook for 30 seconds or so.
• After the top is dry, remove the pan from the heat, and let the pancake sit on the pan for one minute or so until cools off as it helps you to remove it easily without burning your fingertips.
• Carefully remove the pancake with your fingertips from the pan to an oiled tray or plate.
• Do not stack the pancakes.
• While the first one cools, add a new batter to the pan.
• As the second one is cooking, remove the first one, fill and roll it.
• Repeat this process until you use up all the batter.

More Breakfast Recipes Around the World

Looking for some new breakfast ideas to make mornings more exciting? Here are some great recipes around the world you might like to try.

• Italian Potato Frittata
• Spanish Omelette with less oil
• Indian Adai Dosa (Mixed Lentil Dosa)

• Staffordshire Oatcakes (UK Oats Pancakes)
• Indian Crispy Dosa
• Caramelized Apple Pancake

• Sri Lankan Coconut Roti (Pol Roti)
• Sri Lankan-style dosa (those, thosai)
• Moroccan Semolina Pancakes (Baghrir)

Banh Cuon (Vietnamese Fresh Rice Rolls)
Step-by-Step Recipe

(Check out the printable recipe at the end of the post)

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Serving: 8

Equipment

20cm frying pan for making rice pancakes

Ingredients

For filling
1 tbsp garlic, minced
3 tbsp onion, finely chopped
200g ground pork
20g dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked, drained and minced
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

For Rice Pancakes
100g rice flour
30g tapioca flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp cooking oil
250ml water or as needed
Oil for greasing the pan

For Nuoc Cham (dipping sauce)
4 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp fresh lime juice (or lemon juice)
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
1 fresh red chill, halved, deseeded, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

For Serving
Lettuce (and your choice of fresh herbs)
Steamed mung bean sprouts
Cucumbers, julienned
Fried shallots or shrimp

Instructions

Make the filling

Gather the ingredients; minced garlic, chopped onion, ground pork, soaked, drained, and minced dried wood ear mushrooms, fish sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, then chopped onion, ground pork, and chopped mushrooms.

And then season with fish sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Stir-fry for a few minutes until well combined.

Transfer to a plate and let it cool.

Make the Pancakes

Gather the ingredients; rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, cooking oil, and water.

Mix the rice flour, tapioca flour, and salt in a large bowl. Add the oil and mix.

Add water, a little at a time, and whisk to make a thick paste.

Add the rest of the water and whisk until you have a smooth batter without lumps.

Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes, covered.

Heat a 20cm nonstick pan over low heat. Lightly grease the pan with oil. Remember, controlling heat is an essential part of making these pancakes as they cook quickly.

Once hot, pour a thin layer of the batter into the pan. Cover the pan and cook for 30 seconds.

Cook until the top of the pancake is dry, about 20 to 30 seconds.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the pancake sit on the pan for a few seconds until cools off. Grease a tray or plate with oil to transfer the pancake so that it will not stick. While it cools, you can make a new pancake using the second pan, if you use two pans.

Carefully remove the pancake with your fingertips from the pan to the oiled tray or plate. Do not stack the pancakes.

Assemble

Place a spoonful of filling on the pancake.

Fold one end over the filling then both sides and then roll the crepe up from the bottom to form a roll.

Repeat with the rest of the pancakes and the filling.

Arrange them on a plate and sprinkle fried shallots or shrimp. Serve with fresh herbs, blanched bean sprouts, sliced cucumber, and Nuoc Cham. ENJOY!

Banh Cuon (Vietnamese Fresh Rice Rolls) Printable Recipe

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