Lao Pork Spring Rolls Recipe (Cheun Yaw)
Traditional Lao ground pork spring rolls recipe made with colorful vegetables and clear noodles, wrapped and deep-fried until crispy. Serve them with the included dipping sauce for the perfect party appetizer!
❓ What are Lao spring rolls
Lao spring rolls are made of spring roll wrappers filled with glass noodles, ground pork, vegetables, and seasonings. They’re rolled, sealed, fried until golden brown and crisp, and served with fresh herbs and a dipping sauce.
In Laos, these rolls are called cheun yaw: cheun means fried, and yaw refers to the roll.
💬 About this recipe
Some dishes are meant for sitting down with a fork. Others are made for grabbing straight off the plate while they’re still hot.
These rolls are very much the second kind! Here to say hi, hello, yes, eat me hot straight from the plate.
Once they’re out of the fryer, everyone ends up hanging around the kitchen, grabbing one after another with fresh herbs and the dipping sauce nearby.
A couple of things you’ll really like about this recipe:
- The filling stays juicy without being greasy
- Easy to prep ahead and fry when ready
- Way better than takeout
- Zero chance of leftovers
Praew ♡
🫙 Ingredient tips & substitutes
✱ This section explains each ingredient and its possible substitutions. Full measurements are included in the recipe card later in the post.
For the rolls
- Spring roll wrappers I use standard wheat-based spring roll wrappers. My favorite is the TYJ brand, which we used in my Thai restaurant.
- Ground pork Pork with a bit of fat works best, keeping the filling juicy instead of dry.
- Glass noodles These help bind the filling and keep the rolls juicy without feeling greasy; you’ll find them at Asian grocery stores or Amazon.
- Vegetables I use onion, cabbage, carrot, and wood ear mushrooms for crunch and texture, but this filling is forgiving if you need to swap something.
- Seasonings Fish sauce, bouillon powder, sugar, and black pepper keep the filling savory and well-seasoned without overpowering the pork.
- Eggs You’ll use one egg in the filling and another for sealing the rolls as you wrap them.
- Oil Use a neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil so it doesn’t overpower the filling.
For the dipping sauce
- Rice vinegar This is the main sour part of the sauce.
- Sugar To balance the sourness.
- Salt To season the sauce.
- Water Just to thin it out a bit.
- Fresh chili pepper Add as much or as little as you like.
- Crushed peanuts For some crunch and peanut flavor.
- Carrot Shredded finely so it mixes in easily.
👩🍳 How to make Lao spring rolls
✱ I always find it easier to follow a recipe when I can see what each step looks like, so I’ve added a quick visual walk-through for you.
Step 1: Make the dipping sauce
Combine the water, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened, then remove from the heat.
Add the chili, carrot, and peanuts when you’re ready to eat, giving it a quick reheat if needed.
Step 2: Mix the filling
Combine the ground pork, glass noodles (soaked, drained, and cut into smaller pieces), vegetables, egg, and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix gently until everything is evenly combined, taking care not to overwork the mixture.
Step 3: Fold and seal your rolls
1: Place a small amount of filling near the bottom corner of the wrapper.
2: Roll the wrapper over the filling, keeping it snug but not too tight.
3: Fold in the sides to enclose the filling.
4: Brush the top sides with egg to help seal the roll.
5: Finish rolling upward and press gently to seal.
Step 4: Deep-fry
Heat the oil in a deep pan until hot but not smoking, then fry the rolls in batches, turning as needed, until golden and crisp. Remove and drain briefly on a rack or paper towel before serving with the dipping sauce.
Serving tip: Serve with fresh herbs like cilantro, mint, and basil. I love wrapping a piece of the roll in lettuce with a few herbs and dipping sauce, then eating it all in one bite.
😋 Tips for the best results!
❥ Keep the filling modest. Overfilling makes the rolls hard to seal and more likely to burst while frying.
❥ Roll snug, not tight. You want them firm, but don’t stretch the wrappers or they’ll tear.
❥ Fry in batches. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature and leads to greasy rolls.
Lao Pork Spring Rolls Recipe (Cheun Yaw)
Equipment
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Large mixing bowl (for the filling)
- Small saucepan (for the dipping sauce)
- Cutting board and knife
- Small bowl (for the egg wash)
- Deep pan or wok (for frying)
- Slotted spoon or tongs
- Wire rack or paper towels (for draining)
Ingredients
For the dipping sauce
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 fresh chili finely chopped
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts coarsely crushed
- grated carrot finely grated, for topping
For the spring rolls
- ±12 spring roll wrappers
- 1.5 oz dried glass noodles
- 10 oz ground pork
- ¼ onion finely diced
- ½ carrot finely grated
- 3 oz wood ear mushrooms finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 eggs 1 for filling, 1 for sealing
- black pepper to taste
- ½ tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- ½ tbsp sugar
- oil as needed for deep-frying
Instructions
- Soak the glass noodles. Place the dried glass noodles in a bowl and cover with lukewarm water. Let soak until softened, then drain well and cut into shorter pieces.
- Make the dipping sauce. Combine the water, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened, then remove from the heat. Add the chili, carrot, and peanuts just before serving, reheating briefly if needed.
- Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, softened glass noodles, vegetables, egg, and all seasonings. Mix gently until evenly combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture.
- Fold and seal the rolls. Place a small amount of filling near the bottom corner of a wrapper. Roll over the filling snugly but not too tightly, fold in the sides, then brush the top sides with egg. Finish rolling upward and press gently to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- Deep-fry. Heat oil in a deep pan until hot but not smoking. Fry the rolls in batches, turning as needed, until golden and crisp. Drain briefly on a rack or paper towel.
- Serving tip. Serve hot with fresh herbs like cilantro, mint, and basil. Wrap a piece of the roll in lettuce with herbs and dipping sauce, and eat in one bite.
Notes
- Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and should be considered approximate.
❓Frequently asked questions
Can I freeze these? You can freeze them uncooked. Freeze in a single layer first, then store in a bag, and fry straight from frozen without thawing.
Can I make them ahead of time? Yes. You can prep and roll them a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, then fry just before serving.
Why are my spring rolls bursting while frying? This usually happens when they’re overfilled, rolled too tight, or the oil isn’t hot enough.
Can I bake or air-fry these instead? These rolls are traditionally deep-fried for the right texture. Baking or air-frying works, but they won’t be as crisp.
🫙 How to store leftovers
- Refrigerate: Let the rolls cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freeze: Freezing cooked spring rolls isn’t recommended, as the wrappers and glass noodles soften once thawed.
- Reheat: Reheat in a hot pan, air fryer, or oven until warmed through and crispy again. Avoid the microwave if you want to keep the crunch.
