If lunch dinner tonight needs to happen without turning on the stove, these Thai summer rolls are exactly what I make.
It’s my favorite way to eats tons of colorful veggies at once and adding rotisserie chicken is such an easy way to sneak in protein, just like in my Thai curry noodle soup.
What Are Thai Summer Rolls?
Thai summer rolls are rice paper wrappers rolled around raw vegetables, herbs, and sometimes a protein, served cold with a dipping sauce on the side. If you have ever wondered whether they are actually Thai or Vietnamese, the answer is both.
The rice paper roll itself, called gỏi cuốn, is Vietnamese. What makes this version Thai is the sauce, a peanut sauce built with red curry paste instead of the plain peanut butter you will find in most Vietnamese versions.
What matters is that they are crunchy, cold, and packed with whatever vegetables you have on hand, which is exactly why they show up at potlucks, lunch tables, and hot summer nights when nobody wants to cook.
Ingredients You Need
You need three things for a good summer roll: rice paper, a crunchy vegetable mix, and a great sauce. Protein is optional, but I love it for a full meal!
- Rice paper: look for wrappers around 8 to 9 inches in diameter in the Asian foods aisle of most grocery stores.
- Carrot, cucumber, sugar snap peas, red pepper, and red cabbage: cut everything into thin matchsticks so it rolls easily and gives every bite the same crunch.
- Rotisserie chicken: already cooked, seasoned, and shredded in under five minutes, which is where this recipe saves you the most time. Leave it out for a vegetarian version, or swap in edamame or tofu instead.
- Creamy peanut butter: the base of the sauce.
- Red curry paste: whisk it in with the peanut butter right from the start so the sauce blends smooth instead of streaky.
- Chili crunch: start with half a teaspoon on top and add more from there, since brands vary a lot in how much heat they carry.
- Soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, and maple syrup: round out the sauce so it’s salty, tangy, and a little sweet all at once.
How to Make Thai Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make these Thai summer rolls. Jump to the recipe card for the full recipe.
Step 1. Prep the filling: Chop the carrot, cucumber, red pepper, and cabbage into thin matchsticks, and shred the rotisserie chicken. Having everything ready before you start rolling keeps the whole process moving fast.
Step 2. Soften the rice paper: Fill a wide, shallow bowl with warm water and dip one wrapper at a time, fully submerging it for about 15 seconds. Transfer it to a clean, dry counter or cutting board.
Step 3. Fill the wrapper: Starting near one edge, layer on the chicken, veggies, and cilantro, leaving space on each side to fold in. Use a generous amount of filling, enough to cover about half the wrapper, but avoid overfilling or the rice paper will tear.
Step 4. Roll it up: Fold the near edge up and over the filling, then fold in the sides. Continue rolling tightly away from you until it’s fully sealed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Step 3. Make the peanut sauce: Stir together the peanut sauce ingredients in a medium bowl, starting with 1/4 cup hot water. It will look lumpy at first and smooth out as you stir. Add more water, up to another 1/4 cup, until it’s thin enough to dip into easily.
Step 4. Slice and serve: Cut the rolls in half and serve right away with the peanut sauce, or refrigerate for later.
How to Soften Rice Paper Without Tearing It
Dip each sheet in warm water for about 15 seconds, no longer. Pull it out while it still feels slightly stiff, because it will keep softening on the counter as you fill it.
The first time I made these, I left the rice paper in the water until it felt completely soft, the way you would soften pasta. Every single wrapper tore before I even got the fillings on it. Rice paper is deceiving that way since it still needs a little structure left when it comes out of the water.
Look for them in the Asian foods aisle of most regular grocery stores, no specialty market required.
Make-Ahead and Meal Prep Tips
These hold up great in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap, or lay them in a single layer with a damp paper towel between each one so they do not stick together.
Easy Ways to Customize
- Lighter sauce, swap the peanut butter for powdered peanut butter like PB Fit, mixed according to the package directions before you whisk it into the rest of the sauce.
- Vegan version, leave out the chicken and add shelled edamame or sliced baked tofu in its place. Both hold up well in the roll and add their own protein.
- Gluten free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce and check the label on your red curry paste, since some brands include gluten as a thickener.
- Want to switch up the filling? Avocado or mango both work well tucked in with the vegetables if you want a softer, sweeter bite.
What to Serve with Thai Summer Rolls
These work as a light lunch on their own, but they turn into a full dinner fast with a side of rice.
My stovetop coconut rice is my go to pairing, since it soaks up any extra peanut sauce that drips off the plate. A simple cucumber salad or a bowl of soup on the side works just as well if you want to keep dinner light.
FAQs
No. A lot of traditional recipes tuck in cooked vermicelli noodles, but I leave them out so the veggies and chicken get to be the star instead of getting lost. Add a small handful of cooked rice noodles if you want the more traditional version.
Look for rice paper labeled around 8 to 9 inches in diameter. Smaller wrappers are harder to fill without tearing, and larger ones can be unwieldy the first few times you roll.
More No Cook Recipes to Try
Thai Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce
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Ingredients
Summer Rolls
- 8 rice papers
- 1 carrot cut thinly into matchsticks
- 1 english cucumber seeded and cut into matchsticks
- handful of sugar snap peas thinly sliced diagonally
- 2 red peppers thinly sliced
- 1 wedge red cabbage thinly sliced or shredded on a mandolin
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 rotisserie chicken shredded, optional
Thai Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste optional
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4-1/2 cup hot water
- chili crunch to taste
Instructions
- Chop and prepare your veggies and chicken. These assemble quickly so having everything ready and available speeds up the process.1 carrot, 1 english cucumber, handful of sugar snap peas, 2 red peppers, 1 wedge red cabbage, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 rotisserie chicken
- Fill a wide shallow bowl with warm water and dip one rice paper wrapper one at a time by immersing it fully in water for 15 seconds. Transfer it to a clean counter or cutting board.8 rice papers
- Starting closer to one edge, fill each burrito with the chicken, veggies, and cilantro, leaving spaces on each side to close the burrito. You want a generous helping of veggies and chicken, filling about half of the paper roll. Be careful because overfilling can result in the rice paper tearing.
- To roll, wrap the edge up and over the veggies and chicken, rolling as you go. Tuck the sides in and under and continue to roll tightly until you have a burrito shape. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and rice paper.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut sauce ingredients, starting with 1/4 cup water. The mixture will be lumpy at first but will smooth out. You want a thinner dipping consistency, so add up to an additional 1/4 cup water to reach this. Swirl chili crunch on top if desired.1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari, 1 tablespoon red curry paste, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4-1/2 cup hot water, chili crunch
- Cut the summer rolls in half and serve with the peanut sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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