Vietnamese Crab Pizza

Say hello to your new favorite rice paper snack! This extra crispy grilled Vietnamese Crab Pizza (also known as bánh tráng nướng) uses a dried rice paper wrapper crust as the base and it’s topped with eggs, gluten-free imitation crab, spring onions and a homemade chili crisp. It's outrageously good! Cooks in about 5 minutes making it a quick and easy appetizer, breakfast, lunch or even dinner idea to try tonight!

Bring on the East meets West culinary adventure – introducing the popular Vietnamese pizza recipe! It’s grilled to perfection and drizzled with zesty lime mayonnaise for one addictive bite that will have your taste buds longing for more.

Whether you prefer to grill this rice paper pizza on the BBQ or roast on the stovetop, you are going to love making this popular Vietnamese street food at home. We will demonstrate both cooking methods and have included loads of helpful hints.

Jump to:

• Vietnamese Street Food
• Southern Cuisine
• What are Bánh Tráng?
• Rice Paper Pizza Ingredients
• Chili Crisp Ingredients
• Lime Chili Mayonnaise Ingredients
• How to Prepare Vietnamese Crab Pizza
• Variations and Topping Ideas
• What Toppings Do You Like?
• How to Serve
• Common Problems: How to Solve
• Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
• More Crab Recipes
• Vietnamese Crab Pizza

Vietnamese Street Food

Have you ever been to the bustling streets of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)? It’s a food lover paradise complete with street vendors selling fried spring roll (Chả Giò), fresh summer rolls, Banh mi (special local sandwich), beef pho, Vietnamese pizza and much more.

Rice paper pizza is relatively new to the Vietnamese street food scene. It kind of reminds me of an open faced Chả Giò with some of the very same ingredients – just not rolled up. Due to its quick preparation and affordable price, Vietnam pizza has caught on quickly.

This popular street food originated in Da Lat located in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam.  This city has cooler temperate weather, so the toppings are rich, warm, and filling.  Toppings like sausage, minced pork, lots of chilis, dried shrimp, crushed peanuts, butter and even duck blood (yep, we’re not too keen on this one).

A Da Lat pizza has a thicker rice paper to hold more toppings and is grilled over the hot coals. Then, the grilled pizzas are folded in half and wrapped in paper for easy portability.

Southern Cuisine

Vietnamese Southern dishes are bright, lively, always fresh, and sometimes a little spicy. Did you know Huy Fong garlic chili paste and sriracha sauce was invented by David Tran, a Chinese immigrant from Vietnam? We make our own homemade chili garlic sauce. It adds a little dash of spice to the bright lime mayonnaise topping for the crab pizza. It’s a must try.

Much like Thai recipes, Vietnamese cuisine includes the 4 main taste profiles: sweet, sour, savory and spicy for the perfect balance in flavor. Some common southern ingredients include seafood, fish sauce, chilis, fresh herbs, limes, fresh vegetables, thin rice noodles like in our Shrimp Vermicelli Salad and coconut milk.

Our Vietnamese crab pizza utilizes the sturdiness of the Central Vietnamese thicker rice paper wrapper by sticking two sheets together. However, we chose to keep the ingredients light and bright with southern toppings like sweet crab and a lime chili mayo topping. The beauty of bánh tráng nướng recipe is that you can add whatever toppings your little heart desires.

What are Bánh Tráng?

Bánh Tráng is the main ingredient for this Vietnamese pizza and rice paper dumplings and is the Vietnamese word for dry edible rice paper wrapper. (Sometimes they are also called rice wafers, rice crepes, spring roll skins, nem wrappers, spring roll wrappers, Vietnamese rice paper or even rice crackers.)

“Nướng” in Vietnamese means to grill. If you put it all together, “bánh tráng nướng” means grilled rice papers. Bánh Tráng are usually purchased in a pack with a lid to protect them as they are very fragile. Easily found in Asian food markets and now in many regular grocery stores.

These spring roll rice paper wrappers are naturally gluten free and are usually made with rice flour. However, some can also be made with tapioca flour. (If you are celiac, there are a few organic certified gluten-free options available on Amazon and in specialty stores)

Rice Paper Pizza Ingredients

1) Rice Paper Wrappers (bánh tráng) These spring roll skin wrappers shown above also come in many different sizes, some with sesame seeds and even some square options. We chose the 10.5-inch (26 cm) round option to make crab pizzas.

2) Egg is used as the glue to hold the ingredients in place on the pizza.

3) Imitation crab meat – we used a gluten free brand. However, you can also use freshly cooked real crab meat or other seafood like cooked shrimp chopped finely.

4) Green Onions (scallions, spring onion) – gives that pop of freshness. We also added some fried shallots to give the Vietnamese crab pizza a fun texture contrast.

5) Oil Fried with Aromatics – We’ve made a homemade chili crisp using a light flavored oil.  This aromatic oil adds extra flavor, crispiness and creates an impermeable layer to prevent moisture from toppings that can make the crust soggy. The chili crisp recipe is included in the recipe below or you can use a store-bought version.

Alternatively, you can cook green onions, garlic and/ or scallions in oil to make it aromatic and skip the chili flakes altogether. Are you feeling extra tired? Just mix a little garlic powder or onion powder and mix it in the oil and call it a day.

Chili Crisp Ingredients

• Light Flavored Oil
• Shallots or Onions
• Green Onions
• Garlic
• Dried Red Chili Flakes

Lime Chili Mayonnaise Ingredients

• Mayonnaise – we love Kewpie brand but use what you have on hand.
• Garlic Chili Sauce or Sriracha
• Fish Sauce – if you do not have this product season with salt to taste
• Lime Zest and Lime Juice

How to Prepare Vietnamese Crab Pizza

• Remove 2 rice paper wrappers from the package. Add a little water with your fingers to the smooth side of one of the wrappers. Gently seal the 2 smooth sides of the wrappers together.
• Preheat the grill or non-stick pan. Place the prepared double rice paper wrappers on the dry grill or ungreased pan. Press the edges of the rice paper down with a spatula. Cook over medium-low heat until the rice paper starts to turn opaque. Flip over and continue to cook until about 50% opaque.
• Top the grilled rice paper with a little aromatic oil or chili crisp with the back of a spoon or brush.

• Add the beaten egg, green onion, and salt mixture on top of the oiled rice paper. Spread out to the edges.

• Next, add a couple tablespoons of finely chopped crab and fried shallots if desired.
• Top with lime chili mayonnaise and enjoy.

Variations and Topping Ideas

The topping ideas for Vietnamese pizza are numerous. The only restraint is what you have in your refrigerator or pantry. However, if you overload your pizza with too many toppings, it can make it soggy. The basic rule is to think about the best ways to balance the flavor. Include savory, sweet, sour, and possibly spicy elements to make the best bánh tráng nướng.

What Toppings Do You Like?

• Cooked ground pork sausage, spam, ham, thinly sliced Vietnamese sausages (Chả Lụa) or pork floss (light a fluffy cooked pork that has the texture of cotton)
• Canned tuna or salmon
• Shrimp, fish, scallops, or crab that are precooked and minced finely.
• Veggies that are not soggy! Yep, even corn – commonly seen on any Asian pizza or savory shrimp pancakes.
• Crushed Peanuts
• Cheese – After all, this is an Asian Fusion recipe - Eat what you enjoy.
• Stir fried mushrooms finely minced.
• Quail eggs
• Sesame Seeds
• Fresh herbs like Thai basil or mint
• Fried Shallots
• Crisp arugula (rocket) or chopped lettuces to be added at the very end of the cooking process.
• Mayonnaise and/or Sriracha sauce

How to Serve

Did you know that you can serve this rice paper snack like a regular pizza or a quesadilla?

If you want to serve up like regular pizza, we have the best luck cutting wedges out with a pair of culinary scissors. You can also cut them with a sharp knife.  However, because these little crab pizzas are so crispy, they can break.

If you prefer to eat it on the go, just fold over into a Vietnamese quesadilla and serve. Add a refreshing rambutan cocktail for a fun weekend culinary experience.

Common Problems: How to Solve

We always say the first Vietnamese Crab Pizza off the grill is for the cook. This recipe is simple but of course there will be some small mishaps until you get the knack of preparing your first one. We tested this recipe doing all kinds of bad things you should never do just so you don’t have to repeat those same mistakes.

• Don’t overload the pizza. They will get soggy.
• Cook over medium-low heat. It takes at least 3 minutes for the pizzas to start to turn from translucent to opaque. Be patient!
• Even though it may seem like a good idea, don’t grease your pan or grill. Stuff will stick and burn.
• Don’t put the toppings on the pizza until they are at least 50% percent opaque. Your toppings will start to get overly brown, but it will still be undercooked and chewy.
• If you are a newbie with rice paper pizzas, practice first in a skillet before moving on to the BBQ or gas grill. More skill is required because grills do not cook evenly, and you must be quick. However, we prefer the chargrilled flavor to the skillet method-hands down.
• Best outcomes with using non-stick pan. Iron skillets hold the temperature too much and greater chance for burning and cracking of crust.
• Keep the dried rice paper wrappers away from your drinks or beverages. Spilling water or your gin and tonic on them will quickly make them into a pliable wrapper perfect for spring rolls that taste like gin – not good! 
• If cooking on the grill, keep it moving and adjusting the location to indirect heat as this pizza can and will catch on fire! Things can get exciting.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

More Crab Recipes