Salmon Rolls Recipe
There’s something magical about biting into a translucent rice paper wrapper, lined with a crisp lettuce leaf and filled with flaky salmon, crunchy veggies, and a tangle of rice noodles. These Salmon Rolls are light yet satisfying, packed with vibrant flavors, and best of all? They come together in just 1 hour – you won’t even need to cook the salmon from scratch!
If you love the idea of fresh spring rolls as a light lunch or appetizer with no cooking involved, you’ll also enjoy our Fresh Summer Spring Rolls recipe.
What is a Salmon Roll?
Salmon rolls, or salmon spring rolls, are the ultimate fresh summer appetizer, snack or light lunch, inspired by Vietnamese spring rolls but with a salmon-packed twist. Instead of shrimp or tofu, we use leftover cooked salmon tucked into rice paper wrappers with crunchy carrots, cucumber, soft rice noodles, and fresh herbs.
The rice paper sheet softens into a chewy wrapper, holding the tender salmon, soft noodles, and crunchy salad filling. These salmon rice paper rolls are naturally gluten-free, easily customizable, and meal-prep friendly. Dunk them in homemade or store-bought peanut sauce or chili sauce, and you’ve got a light yet elevated appetizer or main dish.
Ingredients needed to make Salmon Rolls
- Cooked salmon: Leftover grilled salmon or baked salmon works beautifully. For a shortcut, use pre-cooked store-bought salmon. No salmon? Try flaked canned tuna or shredded chicken.
- Shredded carrots: Freshly shredded carrots are the most flavorful and are juicy too. You could use pre-shredded carrots to save time, but I find them to be a bit dry. A mandoline is great for creating even carrot strips.
- Cucumber: Peel and julienne for crunch. English cucumbers are a good choice for salmon spring rolls as they have fewer seeds than other varieties.
- Romaine lettuce: I love romaine lettuce for this salmon rolls recipe as the sturdy leaves act as a barrier to keep the rice paper from getting soggy.
- Rice noodles: Thin vermicelli cooks in 3 minutes. For keto salmon rolls, swap the noodles with shredded cabbage.
- Rice paper sheets: You can find these in the Asian cuisine section of your local grocery store. I’ve also found spring roll wrappers in the dairy aisle, near the tofu section.. Dip one rice paper sheet at a time as they will stick together when wet!
- Cilantro: This adds a bright and herbal note to these salmon rolls. If you don’t like cilantro, try mint or basil instead.
- Rice vinegar and sugar: This quick-pickle mix sweetens the carrots and cucumbers. For depth of flavor, add a pinch of salt.
- Peanut sauce or chili sauce: Store-bought works great, but you could also make your sauce from scratch by following this easy 5-Minute Peanut Sauce.
How do you make Salmon Rolls Recipe?
Prep the Fillings:
- Flake the salmon into large chunks in a mixing bowl. You want the salmon pieces small enough to easily roll but big enough to taste.
- Cut and wash the romaine lettuce leaves.
- Toss the shredded carrots and julienned cucumber with divided rice vinegar and sugar mixture in separate bowls. Let them sit for 10 minutes to lightly pickle.
- Cook the rice noodles in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, then rinse with cold water to stop any further cooking.
Soften the Rice Paper:
- Fill a pie plate with warm water. Dip one rice paper sheet for 15-30 seconds until pliable but still slightly firm.
- Lay it on a clean kitchen towel to absorb excess water (this prevents tearing).
Roll Like a Pro:
- On a cutting board, carefully place a romaine lettuce leaf on the rice paper.
- Add the salmon, noodles, pickled veggies, and cilantro on top, making sure that you don’t overstuff the wrapper which can result in tearing.
- Fold the sides inward, then roll tightly from the bottom up.
Serve and Enjoy:
- Slice the assembled salmon spring rolls in half.
- Serve the salmon rolls with peanut sauce, chili sauce, or both for dipping.
Serving
These salmon rice paper rolls shine as a light lunch with a side of miso soup or a crisp Asian Cucumber Salad. They’re also perfect as a tasty summer appetizer for parties alongside your favorite dips and snacks.
If you want to keep within the Asian cuisine theme, why not add this Asian BBQ Bean Dip to your spread?
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store these assembled salmon rolls in an airtight container with a damp paper towel for no longer than 1 day. Freezing these salmon spring rolls is not recommended as the rice paper will turn gummy when thawed.
- Rolling tips: For best results, fold the sides of the rice paper inward over the fillings, then roll tightly from the bottom up like a burrito, keeping ingredients snug as you go.
- Salmon alternatives: Smoked salmon, shredded chicken, cooked shrimp, or even crispy tofu work as delicious alternatives to salmon.
- Veggies: Add avocado slices, sliced bell peppers, or pickled daikon radish.
- Sauce: Swap peanut sauce for hoisin, sriracha mayo, or ponzu.
- Double the sauce: Easily double the sauce if you want more to dip into – it’s one of the best parts of this recipe!
- For extra strength: Struggling to roll? Use two rice paper sheets for extra strength.
- Avoid overstuffing: These salmon rolls with the thin rice paper sheets are quite delicate. Make sure that you don’t overload them with filling, or they will tear and fall apart.
- Make ahead: Easily prepare the salmon roll fillings the night before to assemble just before serving. Make sure to store the filling ingredients in separate containers.
More Salmon recipes you may want to try:
- Bang Bang Salmon Bites
- Salmon Goat Cheese Salad
- Salmon Asparagus Dill Casserole
- Cheesy Salmon Dip Recipe
Get the Recipe:
Salmon Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 cups leftover cooked salmon
- 4 shredded carrots
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- 1 head of romaine
- ⅓ package rice noodles
- 10 rice paper sheets
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar, to add to carrot and cucumber
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- Peanut sauce or chili sauce
Instructions
- Flake the salmon into large chunks in a mixing bowl. You want the salmon pieces small enough to easily roll but big enough to taste.
- Cut and wash the romaine lettuce leaves.
- Toss the shredded carrots and julienned cucumber with divided rice vinegar and sugar mixture in separate bowls. Let them sit for 10 minutes to lightly pickle.
- Cook rice noodles in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, then rinse with cold water to stop any further cooking.Fill a pie plate with warm water.
- Dip one rice paper sheet for 15-30 seconds until pliable but still slightly firm. Lay it on a clean kitchen towel to absorb excess water (this prevents tearing).
- On a cutting board, carefully place a romaine lettuce leaf on the rice paper.Add the salmon, noodles, pickled veggies, and cilantro on top, making sure that you don’t overstuff the wrapper which can result in tearing.
- Fold the sides inward, then roll tightly from the bottom up.
- Slice the assembled rolls in half.
- Serve the salmon rolls with peanut sauce, chili sauce, or both for dipping.
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Looks like a great change of pace for spring rolls. I’ll be making them. Thank you for sharing Sndy!
I meant Sandy!
Not a review but was curious about measurements for this recipe. Thanks.
yes! the measurements are listed :)
This looks delicious! Perfect for lunch or a light dinner!
Yum! I’ve been mixing up my hubby’s lunches by adding turkey/veggie spring rolls every once in awhile. I can only eat so much because the texture of the rice paper is weird to me…lol.