Appetizers Vietnamese

Chicken Mango Fresh Spring Rolls

Fresh rice-paper rolls packed with chicken, mango, peppers, green onion, cilantro and greens, served with a sesame-peanut dipping sauce. They are bright, crunchy, sweet and fresh, provided the rice paper does not glue itself to your cutting board, your sleeve and your remaining dignity.

What It Is

These are fresh, unfried rice-paper rolls filled with julienned chicken, mango, peppers, green onion, cilantro and arugula or spinach. A sesame-peanut sauce supplies the rich, nutty counterweight.

Origin

Fresh rice-paper rolls are closely associated with Vietnamese cuisine, including gỏi cuốn. Chicken and mango are a modern variation rather than a claim to one fixed traditional filling. This particular combination comes from Dinner by the Minute.

Fun Fact

Dry rice-paper wrappers become pliable when briefly hydrated because the starch absorbs water. Soaking them too long makes them fragile and sticky, which is why 'just soft enough' is the sweet spot.

Prep

30 min

Cook

15 min

Temp

Stovetop, medium heat

Total

45 min

Servings

6 spring rolls

(a generous estimate, much like most cookbook authors)

Difficulty

moderate

Diet

Nut-Free, High-Protein

Away Mission

130 min walk

(or beam directly past it, if the transporter's working today)

#chicken #fresh #mango #peanut-sauce #rice-paper #spring-rolls #vietnamese-inspired

Ingredients

12 rice paper sheets
½ lb chicken breasts
1 mango, thinly sliced
1 cup red or green pepper, thinly sliced
2 green onions, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups arugula or spinach
½ cup sesame sauce
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp sesame oil
Olive oil, salt and pepper for cooking chicken

Steps

Season and cook the chicken with a little olive oil, salt and pepper until safely cooked through. Cool, then cut into thin julienne strips.
Prepare the mango, peppers, green onions, cilantro and greens and arrange them within easy reach.
Soak one rice-paper sheet at a time in warm water just until softened, then lay it flat on a clean work surface.
Place chicken near one end and top with mango, pepper, green onion, cilantro and greens.
Fold in the sides and roll firmly from the filled end to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
Mix the sesame sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce, water and sesame oil until smooth. Serve as the dipping sauce.

Notes

The source recipe lists sesame sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce, water and sesame oil for the dip. The directions repeat the sesame-and-peanut blending step; that duplication has been cleaned up.

Nutrition Facts

Per 2 spring rolls

Calories 580

Burning this off: roughly one intense session of Zamboni driving.

% Daily Value*

Fat 25.0 g 33%

Saturated + Trans 8 g 40%

Cholesterol 55 mg

Sodium 1900 mg 83%**

Carbohydrate 64.0 g

Fibre 9.0 g 32%

Sugars 9.0 g 9%

Protein 27.0 g

Potassium 1480 mg 31%

Calcium 310 mg 24%

Iron 9.4 mg 52%

*5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot. Sodium levels calculated in a country with universal healthcare — and it's free, so don't worry about it too much.

**This dish means well. Some numbers above are having a bit of a moment. Delicious? Absolutely. A daily habit? Let's not. Eat it, enjoy it, then maybe take the stairs.

Substitutions

Use shrimp, tofu or leftover cooked pork instead of chicken. Replace peanut butter with sunflower-seed butter for a nut-free alternative. Add cucumber, carrots or bean sprouts for more crunch. Use BBQ chicken if the peaceful fresh-roll experience requires more swagger.

Storage

Fresh rolls are best the day they are made. Cover individually or separate with damp paper towel and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Keep the dipping sauce separate.

Freezing

Do not freeze assembled fresh spring rolls. Rice paper becomes unpleasant after freezing and thawing.