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This easy 15-minute Vietnamese shrimp cake recipe uses crisp rice paper sheets to hold a savory, seasoned shrimp filling. Pan-fried to golden perfection, it comes together smoothly without any messy flour batter.
Recipe Summary
- 🔪 Prep Time: 7 minutes
- 👨🍳 Cook Time: 8 minutes
- ⏱️ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 8 slices
- 🏷️ Calories: ~37 calories per slice
- 🍳 Cook Method: Pan-fry
- ✨ Flavor Profile: Juicy shrimp filling with fish sauce and cilantro in a pan-crisped rice paper shell
- 🧩 Difficulty: Very easy (Perfect for a quick appetizer)
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Vietnamese Shrimp Cakes
My first trip to Hanoi brought me face-to-face with fresh street food fried right at the edge of West Lake. These Vietnamese shrimp cakes shortcut the messy batter of traditional Banh Tom while keeping every bit of that rich seafood flavor intact. I came up with this recipe after trying to recreate those West Lake snacks back home without making a huge mess in my kitchen. Deep-frying heavy batters on a weeknight turned out to be way too tedious, so I started experimenting with dry rice paper sheets to lock in the juices and get a light, pan-fried skin.
Using dry rice paper sheets as a casing seals the savory seafood juices inside while holding everything together cleanly in a quick skillet pan-fry. Serve these golden wedges wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves and a side of my quick Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham) for a complete meal.
Sidenote: Traditional Vietnamese shrimp cakes come in a few different regional styles. Hanoi-style Banh Tom uses a heavy sweet potato batter, while Vietnamese Sugar Cane Shrimp (Chao Tom) wraps seasoned shrimp paste around sugarcane sticks. Wrapping your seasoned filling in dry rice paper sheets (banh trang) gives you that iconic fried street food flavor with half the effort.
Shopping Guide: Rice Paper
Because rice paper acts as the structural shell for these shrimp cakes, picking the right package at the market determines how easily your cakes hold together in the pan.
- Understanding The Label: Most authentic rice paper packages imported from Vietnam have labels printed primarily in Vietnamese. Look for the words Bánh Tráng on the front cover, which simply means rice paper wrappers. Don’t worry about trying to translate the entire back label at the store; as long as it says Bánh Tráng, you have the right item.
- Which Side Faces In vs. Out: If you look closely at a sheet of rice paper, you will notice one side has a rough bamboo mat texture while the other side is completely smooth. Place the rough side facing inside against the raw shrimp filling. The texture grips the sticky seafood paste much better, while keeping the smooth side facing out ensures a clean, flat surface that toasts evenly in the pan.
- Recommended Brands: For consistent quality, look for widely available brands like Three Ladies Brand (Bánh Tráng Cuốn) or Rose Brand.
Storage Tip: Store leftover dry rice paper sheets in a sealed ziplock bag or airtight container in a cool, dark pantry. Exposure to direct sunlight or humidity will cause the sheets to warp, curl up, or become brittle over time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shrimp
- Fish sauce
- Cilantro leaves
- Vietnamese rice paper
See the recipe card below for all the ingredient details and exact measurements.
Pro Tip #1: Selecting And Preparing Shrimp
I prefer fresh tiger prawns or wild white shrimp for their sweet flavor and springy texture. You can also buy frozen raw peeled shrimp. Defrost them overnight in the fridge or submerge them in cold water for 15 minutes before patting them dry. Avoid pre-cooked shrimp because they turn rubbery in the pan.
Pro Tip #2: Fish Sauce Brands
Fish sauce (nuoc mam) is essential in Vietnamese cooking, adding an authentic umami depth that salt cannot match. It seasons the shrimp paste while bringing out its natural sweetness, so I recommend against swapping or skipping it. Stick to premium brands like Red Boat or Three Crabs for a clean, savory taste. For a full breakdown on choosing the right bottle, check out my Vietnamese Dipping Sauce post.
Pro Tip #3: Black Pepper Choices
I use coarsely ground black pepper because those small specks give you a quick burst of warm heat in every bite. Finely ground black pepper works just as well if you want it to blend evenly into the shrimp paste. You can also swap in white pepper for a sharper, floral kick.
How To Make Vietnamese Shrimp Cake
Pat your peeled shrimp completely dry with paper towels to remove any residual moisture on the surface.
Cut the shrimp into small pieces and set half aside.
Finely chop the remaining shrimp with your knife until it forms a smooth, sticky shrimp paste.
Pro Tip: Mincing half the shrimp creates a sticky paste that holds the filling together naturally, so you do not need added egg whites or cornstarch.
Transfer the hand-cut shrimp pieces and smooth shrimp paste into a mixing bowl. Pour in the fish sauce, ground black pepper, and chopped red chilies, stirring until well combined. Fold in the chopped cilantro leaves until the fresh herbs are distributed evenly through the mixture.
Lay one sheet of dry rice paper flat on your work surface with the rough side facing up. Spread the shrimp mixture evenly over the rice paper using the back of a spoon, leaving a clear 1 cm border around the outer edges.
Pro Tip: Avoid overfilling the center. Keeping the seafood layer thin and even ensures the entire cake cooks through fast and flat in the pan without leaving raw doughy pockets.
Place the second sheet of rice paper directly over the top of the filling layer with the rough side facing down.
Pinch the dry outer edges together firmly with your fingers to seal the shrimp filling securely inside the rice paper skin.
Heat a thin layer of neutral cooking oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Carefully lay the assembled shrimp cake into the hot oil and pan-fry until the bottom layer turns opaque.
Using a wide spatula, flip the cake over and continue pan-frying until both sides turn a light golden brown and the interior seafood filling is cooked through completely.
Pro Tip: Watch the edges of the skin carefully. Once the wrapper turns translucent and light golden with tiny micro-bubbles on the surface, your seafood layer inside is ready.
Transfer the hot cake to a cutting board and slice it into 8 neat wedges.
Serve hot with crisp lettuce leaves and Vietnamese Dipping Sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Assemble them right before pan-frying. If dry rice paper sits over raw seafood paste too long, it absorbs moisture and gets soggy, making the sheets tear in the pan.
Pan-frying gives the best golden skin, but air frying works well at 375°F (190°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Spray both sides generously with oil so the dry rice paper turns crisp instead of tough and chewy. Baking is not recommended, as it dries out the wrapper before the filling cooks.
This happens if the seafood filling was too wet or overstuffed. Pat your raw shrimp completely dry before chopping, keep the filling in a thin, even layer, and leave a clear outer border so the sheets stick together cleanly.
Keep leftover wedges in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat them in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes on each side to crisp the outer skin back up. Avoid microwaving them, as they will turn soft and rubbery.
This recipe is 37 calories per slice.
What To Serve With This Recipe
For an easy and wholesome weeknight Vietnamese dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Shrimp Recipes You Might Like
Vietnamese Shrimp Cake
Ingredients
- 250 g shrimp, peeled and deveined, divided
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 3 heavy dashes ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red chilies, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 sheets Vietnamese rice paper
- oil, for pan-frying
- Vietnamese Dipping Sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
- Cut the shrimp into small pieces and set half aside.
- Finely chop the remaining shrimp until it forms a smooth shrimp paste.
- Transfer the chopped shrimp and shrimp paste to a bowl. Add the fish sauce, black pepper, and red chili, and mix well. Add the cilantro and mix again.
- Place one rice paper on a flat surface. Spread the shrimp mixture evenly over the rice paper, leaving about 1 cm around the edges.
- Cover with another rice paper.
- Pinch the edges together to seal the shrimp cake.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp cake and pan-fry until the bottom turns opaque.
- Flip and continue pan-frying until both sides are lightly golden brown and the shrimp is cooked through.
- Slice the shrimp cake into 8 pieces.
- Serve with lettuce and Vietnamese Dipping Sauce.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
