Homemade nems recipe: filling, rolling and double frying for the perfect crunch.
Chả giò in the South, nem rán in the North: the star of Vietnamese starters is easy to make at home. A chef’s gestures, from wrapper to second fry.
Make a filling of minced pork, shrimp, glass noodles, black mushrooms, carrot, onion and egg, seasoned with fish sauce and pepper, squeezing every rehydrated ingredient dry. Barely moisten the rice paper and roll tightly to push out air, 8 to 10 cm long. Fry twice: 5–6 minutes at 160 °C, rest 10 minutes, then 1–2 minutes at 180 °C. Serve wrapped in lettuce with mint and rau răm, dipped in nước chấm.
Golden crunch, peppery heart, fresh lettuce and tangy sauce: in France the nem is the star of Vietnamese starters.
Making it at home comes down to three gestures: a dry, well-seasoned filling, tight rolling and a two-stage fry.
Nem, chả giò, nem rán: what are we talking about?
The fried roll is called nem rán in northern Vietnam and chả giò in the South: a minced filling rolled in a wrapper and fried golden.
Older French menus call it “pâté impérial”. The fresh spring roll is a different dish altogether.
We covered the difference between nems and spring rolls in a dedicated article.
The ingredients
For about thirty nems, enough for six as a starter.
Wrapper: rice paper or wheat sheet?
Rice paper gives the traditional bubbly, brittle crunch but needs a light touch.
Wheat sheets are more forgiving and stay crisp longer.
The traditional filling
400 g minced pork, 200 g shrimp, 40 g glass noodles, 10 g dried black mushrooms, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 egg.
2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar, salt and plenty of black pepper; neutral frying oil.
Variations: chicken, shrimp, vegetarian
Chicken thigh instead of pork, or shrimp only for more bite.
Vegetarian: pressed tofu, grated taro, shiitake and light soy sauce.
Making the filling step by step
The filling makes the flavour and the strength of the nem. The key word: squeeze dry.
Rehydrate
Mushrooms 20 minutes, noodles 10 minutes in warm water, then squeeze in a towel.
Chop
Snip noodles, slice mushrooms, grate and squeeze the carrot, knife-chop the shrimp.
Season
Fish sauce, sugar, salt, generous pepper and an egg to bind.
Mix, taste, rest
Knead, pan-fry a spoonful to taste, then chill 30 minutes.
Rolling nems: the technique
Dip the rice paper 2–3 seconds in warm water; it softens as you work.
Place a spoonful of filling, fold the sides, and roll tightly, pressing out air at each turn.
Aim for 8–10 cm long, thumb-thick, and never let two nems touch.
Cooking
Double frying: why and how
One fry forces a choice between cooked filling and crisp wrapper; two fries do both.
First fry at 160 °C for 5–6 minutes, drain on a rack and rest 10 minutes.
Second fry at 180 °C for 1–2 minutes until golden and bubbly.
Oven or air fryer: gains and losses
Lighter and cleaner: 20–25 minutes at 200 °C or 12–15 minutes at 190 °C, brushed with oil. You lose the bubbly crunch; wheat sheets fare better.
Freezing raw or cooked nems
Freeze raw nems flat, then fry from frozen. Or freeze after the first fry and finish with the second straight from the freezer.
Serving nems the Vietnamese way
Wrap each nem in lettuce with mint, coriander and rau răm, then dip it in sauce.
Serve herbs in bunches, cucumber and pickles, with a dish of nước chấm each.
The nước chấm is the same as in our beef bo bun recipe, where nems also star in the bo bun nem.
Homemade or restaurant nems?
A batch of homemade nems takes an afternoon, but the result is generous and sharing the rolling is a joy.
Professional kitchens have a constant-temperature fryer and practised hands that roll tight every time.
That know-how is what you find at our Vietnamese restaurant in Paris.
No time to roll?
Our nems are homemade, to enjoy in the restaurant on rue du Faubourg Montmartre or by delivery.
Your questions about the nems recipe
Why do my nems burst?
Wet filling, trapped air or oil too hot. Squeeze everything dry, roll tight, start at 160 °C.
Can nems be made the day before?
Yes: do the first fry the day before, chill, and give the second fry just before serving.
How many nems per person?
4 to 5 as a starter, 2 to 3 as a nibble, 6 to 8 as a main.
My rice paper sticks: what to do?
It was soaked too long. Dip only 2–3 seconds and work on a damp towel.
Are nem and pâté impérial the same?
Yes, “pâté impérial” is the older French name for the fried nem.
Which oil for frying nems?
A neutral, heat-stable oil such as peanut or sunflower.
Going further
Want to taste the reference first? Discover our nems, hand-rolled and fried to order at Phở 98.