Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Fresh shrimp spring rolls wrapped in delicate rice paper with crisp veggies and herbs, served with a creamy peanut sauce for dipping. A light, healthy bite that's easier to make than you think.
Fresh, Crunchy, and Ready in No Time
There is something so satisfying about biting into a cold, crunchy spring roll on a warm day. These shrimp spring rolls with peanut sauce are one of those recipes that feels fancy but comes together with almost no cooking at all. If you love the idea of a healthy sushi roll meal but want something lighter and even simpler to assemble, this is your new go to.
Wrapped in delicate rice paper and packed with juicy shrimp, crisp vegetables, and fresh herbs, these rolls are basically summer rolls with shrimp in their most classic form. Dip them in a rich, creamy peanut sauce and you have got an appetizer, light lunch, or party platter that disappears fast.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A shallow dish for softening the rice paper, a sharp knife for clean julienned vegetables, and good quality rice paper wrappers will make your rolling experience so much smoother. These are the products that genuinely help this recipe shine:
Why You Will Love This Shrimp Spring Roll Recipe
This recipe checks every box. It is light, colorful, and endlessly customizable.
- No oven, no stove for assembly. Once your shrimp and noodles are cooked, everything else is just rolling.
- Naturally healthy. Packed with lean protein, fresh vegetables, and herbs, these rice paper recipes with shrimp are as nutritious as they are pretty.
- Perfect for meal prep. Prep the fillings ahead, then roll fresh whenever you are ready to eat.
- Endlessly adaptable. Swap shrimp for salmon, chicken, or tofu depending on your mood.
Chef's Tip: Do not oversoak the rice paper. It will continue to soften as you fill and roll it, so pull it out of the water while it is still slightly stiff in the center to avoid tearing.
The Secret to Rolling Like a Pro
The trickiest part of making shrimp rice wraps with peanut sauce is handling the rice paper itself. Work on a damp surface, not a dry one, since dry cutting boards or plates cause the delicate wrapper to stick and tear. Keep your fillings compact and avoid overstuffing, especially on your first few rolls. A tight roll holds together far better than a loose, overpacked one.
Arranging the shrimp cut-side up against the wrapper before adding your other fillings is what gives these rolls their signature look, with the pink and white shrimp visible right through the translucent rice paper. It is a simple trick that makes these healthy seafood spring rolls look like they came straight from a restaurant.
The Peanut Sauce Makes It
Honestly, the peanut sauce might be the best part. It is creamy, a little sweet from the hoisin, tangy from the lime, and salty from the soy sauce. Whisk it together while your noodles cool and you will have a dip that works for these rolls, as a salad dressing, or even drizzled over grilled chicken later in the week.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:
Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Fresh shrimp spring rolls wrapped in delicate rice paper with crisp veggies and herbs, served with a creamy peanut sauce for dipping. A light, healthy bite that's easier to make than you think.
Ingredients
- 12 rice paper wrappers, 8.5 inch round
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, cooked, and halved lengthwise
- 4 oz rice vermicelli noodles, cooked and drained
- 8 leaves butter lettuce, washed, ribs trimmed
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 cucumber, julienned, seeds removed
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
- 3/8 cup peanut butter, creamy
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium preferred
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp warm water, more as needed to thin sauce
Instruction
Cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to package instructions, then drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
Prepare your fillings station: halved shrimp, cooked noodles, lettuce leaves, julienned carrot and cucumber, mint, and cilantro, all within easy reach.
Fill a shallow dish or pie plate with warm water. Dip one rice paper wrapper in the water for 10 to 15 seconds, just until it begins to soften, then lay it flat on a clean, damp cutting board or plate.
Place 3 shrimp halves cut-side up near the bottom third of the wrapper. Top with a small handful of noodles, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, mint, and cilantro.
Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper up over the filling, fold in the sides, and roll tightly upward like a burrito. Set aside seam-side down and repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
For the peanut sauce, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, lime juice, and minced garlic in a small bowl.
Add warm water one tablespoon at a time, whisking until the sauce reaches a smooth, dippable consistency.
Slice the spring rolls in half on a diagonal and serve immediately with the peanut sauce alongside for dipping.
Equipment
- Shallow dish or pie plate
- Clean damp cutting board
- Small mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Sharp knife
Notes
Serving Suggestions and Storage Tips
Serve these spring rolls with shrimp on a large platter with the peanut sauce in a small bowl at the center. They make a beautiful appetizer for warm weather gatherings, a light lunch alongside a bowl of soup, or even a fun hands on dinner where everyone rolls their own.
If you have leftover ingredients, they store separately in the fridge for up to a day, which makes this one of the easiest healthy meals to prep ahead. Just remember that once assembled, these are best eaten fresh since rice paper tends to toughen up over time in the refrigerator.
Whether you call them summer rolls, rice wraps, or spring rolls, one thing is certain. Once you master the technique, you will be making this shrimp spring roll recipe on repeat all season long.
