Yes! You guys, Spring is finally here!
Can you believe it? After what felt like the longest winter ever, spring has officially arrived. The sun is shining (well, sometimes), flowers are starting to peek out, and everything just feels a little brighter. Of course, to celebrate, I had to make something fresh, light, and totally springy—enter these Avocado and Chicken Spring Rolls!
Except. why is it still snowing outside?
Oh right. Because I reside in one of those locations where winter just won’t quit. Snow in April? Certainly. Snow in May? Why not. Snow in June? Apparently, that’s a thing here. But you know what? I’ve resigned myself to my destiny. If I must consume spring rolls while watching snowflakes fall, so be it.
So, why I made spring rolls today? Two highly valid reasons:
First, I needed to put up a spring recipe on the first day of spring. I mean, come on—it’s practically a rule, right? Put up something green, something fresh, something that yells “warm weather is approaching!” (even if it’s still freezing outside). Okay, I confess, it’s a bit on the nose, but I’m a sucker for a theme.
Second, spring rolls have been on my “must-make” list for far too long. Like, ridiculously long. And that list? It’s not shrinking. No, it’s expanding at a rate I am barely keeping up with. At this pace, I’ll take a lifetime to cook everything I’ve been wanting to attempt.
Now, I understand that some of you may be thinking: “Wait, aren’t spring rolls supposed to be fried?”
Nope! Not these ones. These are the fresh, not-fried, healthy kind—and trust me, they’re just as tasty (if not tastier). The filling is straightforward but full of flavor: Vietnamese curried chicken that makes your entire kitchen smell amazing—like a summer barbecue with teriyaki chicken on the grill. (I have no clue why Vietnamese chicken smells like teriyaki, but it does, and it’s so good.)
Then there’s all the fresh things: crunchy carrots, sweet red bell peppers, crisp lettuce, aromatic basil, soft vermicelli noodles, and—the pièce de résistance—avocado. I know avocado in spring rolls is a little out-there, but the creamy texture is exactly what works with the other ingredients. In all honesty, I’d put avocado in everything if I could.
Now, onto rolling these things.
Rice paper wrappers look intimidating at first glance—sticky, delicate, and sort of weird when you first touch them. But trust me, once you become a pro at it, it’s super easy. Yeah, my initial attempts weren’t so great (more on that in a minute), but still, they looked really legit. Like, “Hey, I actually made these myself!” legit.
Alright, confession time: I screwed up a couple times.
My first roll? Beautiful. until I realized I had left out the noodles. (Facepalm.) The next two? Tore apart just as I rolled them. But after that? Smooth sailing. By the time I rolled the last eight rolls, I was so proud of myself that I literally did a little happy dance in my kitchen.
What? It was a huge deal! Cooking spring rolls from scratch is like a real achievement.
The rolls themselves are great—fresh, flavorful, and full of texture. But the game-changer? The dipping sauce.
You cannot have spring rolls without a killer dipping sauce. It’s just not done. And this one? Oh man, it’s everything. Sweet from the hoisin and Thai chili sauce, nutty from the peanut butter, with a little kick from the red pepper flakes. It’s so good, you’ll want to drink it with a spoon. (No judgment.)
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
▢ ½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
▢ 2 tablespoons soy sauce
▢ 1 teaspoon brown sugar
▢ 1 teaspoon sesame oil
▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
▢ ½ teaspoon curry powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon grated ginger
▢ 1 clove garlic, grated
For the Filling:
▢ 1 ½ cups cooked vermicelli noodles
▢ 1 ½ large avocados, sliced very thinly
▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (to prevent the avocado from browning)
▢ 1 large carrot, sliced into thin matchsticks
▢ 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
▢ 8-10 small lettuce leaves
▢ 4 green onions, cut
▢ 1 bunch fresh basil
▢ 8-10 rice paper wrappers
For the Dipping Sauce:
▢ ¼ cup hoisin sauce
▢ 2 tablespoons peanut butter (or almond butter)
▢ 2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
▢ 1 teaspoon sesame oil
▢ ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
▢ Water (as needed to thin the sauce)
- Instructions
Marinate & Cook the Chicken: - In a bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, lime juice, curry powder, ginger, and garlic.
- Add the chicken and allow it to absorb all that goodness.
- In a skillet, heat to medium-high, then cook the chicken (with marinade) for approximately 6 minutes per side, until completely cooked and sauce thickened.
- Let it cool, then cut into thin strips.
- Prep the Avocado & Veggies:
- Squeeze lime juice on the sliced avocado to maintain freshness.
- Slice all your vegetables into thin strips so they’re ready to roll.
- Prepare the Spring Rolls:
- Prepare warm water in a shallow dish. Submerge one rice paper wrapper at a time for 5-10 seconds until softened.
- Place it flat and add lots of fillings: basil, lettuce, noodles, chicken, avocado, carrots, bell pepper, and green onions.
- Fold in the sides, then roll up tightly (but carefully—don’t rip it!).
- Do this until all your rolls are complete.
- Prepare the Dipping Sauce:
- Whisk together hoisin, peanut butter, Thai chili sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.
- Thin with a little water if necessary.
- Avocado and Chicken Spring Rolls-11
And voilà—fresh, homemade spring rolls to mark the season (even if it’s still snowing). - So go on, whip up a batch, dip liberally, and celebrate that spring feeling—no matter what the weather is like outside.
Avocado and Chicken Spring Rolls Recipe Chart
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 12 minutes |
| Total Time | 42 minutes |
| Servings | 10 spring rolls |
| Calories | 237 kcal per serving |
| Note | Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. |
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