Chicken Summer Rolls

Minced chicken summer rolls with basil and mint served with seafood dipping sauce. It’s fresh, light, and features a great combination of textures and flavors.

Minced chicken summer roll

I love Vietnamese-style fresh chicken rice paper rolls made with ground chicken, fresh basil and mint leaves, fresh limes, and raw crunchy cabbage and carrots. Wrapped in a soft rice paper wrap and served with a simple seafood dipping sauce. Perfect as a snack, appetizer, or as part of a wider range of food for gatherings and parties. A slightly spicy, sweet and sour, refreshing summer roll. If you want the shrimp version, try the Shrimp Summer Roll, or the Low-Carb Summer Roll Bowl with Peanut Sauce.

Are summer rolls healthy?

These summer rolls are loaded with low-fat protein and fresh vegetables. It usually comes with noodles, but I left it out to make it healthier and lower sugar. 2 Chicken Summer Rolls with Seafood Sauce have less than 300 calories, 30 grams of carbs and 23 grams of protein.

What is the difference between spring rolls and summer rolls?

Spring rolls and summer rolls (also known as salad rolls) are both popular Asian dishes, but they differ in several ways: ingredients, cooking method, and texture. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences:

• Wrapper: Spring roll wrappers are generally made from wheat flour and are thin and crispy when fried. In contrast, summer rolls use a rice paper crust. This is translucent, soft, chewy and uncooked.
• Cooking method: Spring rolls are fried in oil, so you can enjoy a crispy texture. Summer rolls are not cooked. Made with fresh ingredients and served chilled or at room temperature.
• material: Spring rolls combine vegetables, meat, and sometimes cooked ingredients such as noodles or rice. Summer rolls consist of fresh raw vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, cucumbers and herbs along with cooked shrimp, chicken and tofu. Rice vermicelli is also often added to summer rolls.
• Texture and taste: The spring rolls are crispy and served piping hot. Summer rolls are refreshing and light and can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Ingredients for summer rolls

(see below for full recipe)

• chicken: Buy 93% lean ground chicken (or use ground turkey or tofu).
• shallot: Chop 1 small shallot.
• soy sauce: If you’re gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
• Lime juice: Squeeze 3 tablespoons of lime juice from 1 or 2 limes.
• Sambal Orek A spicy Indonesian chili sauce.
• mint: Chop the fresh mint leaves into the chicken mix.
• coleslaw: You can buy ready-made cabbage and carrot coleslaw or make your own from scratch.
• Rice paper: You will need an 8 inch round rice paper sheet.
• basil: Place 2 fresh basil leaves on each summer roll.
• Summer roll sauce: hoisin sauce and water

How to make summer rolls

1. Cook chicken. Boil the minced chicken with sambal oreki, soy sauce and lime juice, remove from heat, add mint and mix.
2. Soften rice paper sheets: Pour boiling water into a large, shallow dish. Place 1 sheet of rice paper in a bowl and let sit for 30 seconds until softened.
3. How to roll a summer roll: Place a soft rice paper sheet on top of the plastic board (wood absorbs too much liquid). Place 2 basil leaves on the top third of the sheet, 3 cups of chicken on the bottom third, and top with 1/4 cup of the slaw. Fold the sides of the sheet over the filling and roll like a jelly roll, starting with the filling side. Rice paper is very forgiving, so don’t worry if it’s not perfect.
4. Finish the remaining rolls. Place the rolls seam side down on a plate and cover with a lid to keep them from drying out. Repeat this step with the remaining sheets.
5. Make a seafood dipping sauce. Mix water and seafood in a small bowl.

Summer roll variations:

Feel free to customize the contents to your liking.

• Add a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs. Other options include lettuce, cucumber slices, bean sprouts, and cilantro.
• protein: Swap the ground chicken for ground turkey or ground pork. Use tofu for vegetarian summer rolls.
• hot flavor: If you don’t like spicy summer rolls, omit the sambal. For extra spiciness, add more or mix it into your dipping sauce. If you don’t have sambal orek, substitute it with sriracha.
• Rice noodles: Place small bundles of chewy boiled rice vermicelli on top of the vegetables.
• Dipping sauce: I made a recipe for chicken summer rolls with a simple seafood sauce. A savory peanut sauce with ingredients such as peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic and a hint of sweetness is also a good option. See my Shrimp Summer Rolls for the peanut sauce recipe. It can also be served with a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce called nuoc cham, made with fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili peppers. Or use a simple and light sesame ginger dressing from the supermarket.

what to serve with summer rolls

These easy summer rolls are great for appetizers, light lunches, or served with another dish to create a heartier meal. Below are some offering ideas.

How to store summer rolls

Summer rolls are best eaten the same day they are made, but they can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

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