Mango Chicken Fresh Spring Rolls With Peanut Dipping Sauce

Bursting with crunch, these fresh spring rolls in rice paper wraps are healthy and delicious. Packed with veggies, sunny mango and chicken, your kids will love dipping them in the peanut sauce on the side for delicious party appetizer, dinner or even packed into a lunchbox. Similar to a salad but all rolled into a wrap, these delicious fresh spring rolls are really delicious and tasty.

Homemade Mango Chicken Fresh Spring Rolls With Peanut Dipping Sauce

Need a healthy party appetizer to impress? Simply don’t feel like heating up your house with dinner? These mango chicken fresh spring rolls are a tasty (and crunchy!) way to liven up a bunch of veggies.

I was eating summer rolls at my local sushi takeout joint and my daughter kept eyeing them. Turns out they aren’t hard to make at home and are a lot less expensive for the whole family to enjoy.

Kids love things in rolls (though rice paper definitely might feel a bit novelle if you’ve not had it before.) That peanut butter dipping sauce also caught my kid’s attention fast in a good way.

You can also totally add fun sides to make these a full meal on their own. Try adding ground pork lettuce wraps or Chinese Garlic Green Beans to round out the meal.

These rolls are basically raw versions of often well-loved fried spring rolls or egg rolls Often you can find them at sushi places where they are sometimes called summer rolls or I’ve even seen salad rolls. They originally are from Vietnamese culture and aren’t too hard at all to make right in your home for any home cook.

Before You Start Rolling Your Fresh Spring Rolls

1. This is important you guys, don’t skip this step. Before you start making these fresh spring rolls slice all your ingredients. It takes goes so much faster if your ingredients are chopped and ready to go.
2. Also, I suggest using a large shallow pot for the water to soak your wrappers. I tried using a shallow bowl and even with an inch on each side, I need more room. A skillet or even a large frying pan that is clean filled with a little water works.
3. Lastly, use a large ceramic plate or a silicone or plastic cutting board to roll these fresh spring rolls on. I found that on a wood cutting board they stuck a lot as I rolled, and any of the other options worked better.

How To Roll Fresh Spring Rolls

If you’ve ever rolled a burrito, rolling a fresh spring roll is very similar.

Start by layering your protein and fruit, then add your sliced veggies in the center of the wrapper. Whatever is on the bottom of the wrapper is what shows through the most.

Then add your greens last to your wrapper. You may have to reign the greens in a bit when it’s time to roll.

Pull your filling gently to the center. Then fold the bottom of the wrap up gently, keeping it tight with your hands.

Fold in the left side and the right side of your roll.

Then roll the roll up towards the top to finish it off and keep the filling in the inside.

Are Rice Paper Rolls Healthy?

These fresh spring rolls wrapped in rice paper are pretty healthy. Rice paper wrappers are usually only thirty to forty calories, and they are not fried in oil. Add the veggies and protein, and you have a light dinner, lunch or appetizer that is healthy and packed with the good stuff.

Can You Make Fresh Spring Rolls Ahead Of Time?

You can make fresh spring rolls a day ahead. I find they tend to be the most delicious when they’ve had at least a few hours to firm up in the fridge before eating, but they are yummy freshly made also.

The rice papers do firm up more overnight. You can add a damp towel over top of them to help keep the rice paper fresher. A friend of mine also puts large lettuce leaves in the bottom of her container to help keep them from sticking.

Alternatively, you could spray them with a spritz of oil to keep them from sticking.

How To Make Peanut Sauce For Spring Rolls

Peanut sauce is made from thinning peanut butter with a little water. A little bit of something acidic (the rice wine vinegar) brightens the dip while the honey mellows the acid and rounds out the dip.

I find this combo is great even for picky kids. You can also use this sauce over noodles for a quick peanut noodle dish, and it’s wonderful hot or cold.

Where To Buy Rice Paper

I found rice paper in my local grocery store in the Asian foods section. Typically it will be on the bottom shelf somewhere near rice vinegar. You might also find it at some health food stores. They come in several sizes, but I usually buy the 22 cm variety. You can also find rice paper on Amazon here.

What To Put In Spring Rolls? Can I Swap Ingredients In This Recipe?

These fresh summer rolls are so easy to customize. I like the combo of veggies plus a protein and a fruit. Fresh herbs are also amazing if you have them!

Here are a few ideas that you can put in your rolls and play around with that I know taste delicious. Feel free to swap in and out for the ingredients I used to stuff my rolls in the recipe below.

Protein

• Shrimp
• Chicken
• Baked Tofu
• Sesame Seeds
• Smoked Salmon
• Baked or Scrambled Egg

Vegetables and Greens

• Bell Pepper
• Shredded Carrots
• Cucumber
• Shredded Beets
• Cabbage
• Microgreens
• Spinach

Fruit

• Mango
• Strawberries
• Kiwi
• Mandarin Oranges
• Pineapple
• Avocado
• Peach

Fresh Herbs

• Mint
• Parsley
• Cilantro

Do Fresh Spring Rolls Work For Lunchboxes?

These fresh summer rolls are ideal for using up leftovers. Take some leftover protein from dinner, add some veggies and roll just two or three for a healthy lunchbox idea for kids.

It’s a great way to squeeze in some veggies while using leftovers. It’s also a great way to change up your everyday sandwich into a fun sandwich.

These rolls keep really well for a day or two, and the leftovers actually taste even better the second day I find!