I love dim sum. So when someone says Cheung Fun -you bet I’m in.
Those bad boys are a whole side quest in themselves tho; I had to recreate them my own lazy way. And when I saw videos on the viral shrimp rolls using rice paper, I thought: bingo.
My shrimp rice rolls look kinda restaurant-level, but they’re genuinely one of the easiest things you can make at home. You need a steamer (or a wok + a plate + a lid — same deal), rice paper sheets, shrimp, herbs, and 30 minutes.
The sauce is non-negotiable. It’s the whole point. Don’t skip it, don’t simplify it — it’s what takes this from “nice snack” to “I need to make this every week.”
Shrimp Rice Rolls — A Dim Sum Classic
Shrimp rice rolls — known as har cheung fun (蝦腸粉) in Cantonese — are a staple of Hong Kong-style dim sum. Cheung fun literally means “intestine noodle,” which sounds alarming but just refers to the shape: long, rolled, tube-like rice sheets. Not actual intestines. Promise.
Traditionally, cheung fun is made by spreading a thin rice flour batter onto a flat tray, steaming it until just set, then rolling it around a filling — shrimp being the most beloved version. In dim sum restaurants, this is done to order, plate by plate, in the back kitchen, and the rolls arrive at your table impossibly fresh and warm.
This version uses rice paper sheets as a practical home shortcut — no rice flour batter, no special tray, no dim sum cart required. You get that same silky, translucent wrapper and the same intensely satisfying texture. The key is a quick dip in warm water (not long — we’re talking a few seconds) and steaming for exactly 4 minutes 30 seconds. That’s the texture window: silky and translucent, never gummy.
The sauce — a sweet soy with ginger-scallion oil — is deeply dim sum in spirit. It’s what you remember.
Shrimp Rice Rolls
Description
Silky steamed shrimp rolls inspired by Hong Kong dim sum, made with rice paper. Fresh, delicate, and addictive. The sweet soy dipping sauce is the star.
Ingredients
For the rolls
Sweet soy sauce (dimsum-style)
To serve
Instructions
Roll your shrimp
Dip one rice paper sheet briefly in warm water — just 1–2 seconds. It should still feel slightly stiff; it'll soften as you work. Lay it flat on a clean surface. Place 3 shrimp in a row toward the bottom third. Scatter scallions and cilantro over the shrimp, then season with a pinch of salt and white pepper. Fold the left and right sides in, then roll up tightly from the bottom, cheung fun style — think thin burrito.
Steam
Lightly oil a heatproof plate or steamer tray. Arrange the rolls seam-side down. Steam over medium-high heat for 4 minutes 30 seconds. The rolls should look silky and translucent — not white or gummy. That’s your cue.
Make the sauce while it cooks
Mix all the sauce ingredients together.
For the scallion & ginger oil, see my Wontons in soy recipe.
Serve
Transfer the rolls to a serving plate. Spoon the sweet soy sauce generously over them. Finish with a drizzle of chili oil and a scatter of sliced scallions. Eat immediately — these do not wait.