Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
Cheeseburger Egg Rolls stuffed with juicy ground beef, melted cheese, and pickles will the the hit of the party. Serve them with a simple creamy sauce on the side. People will be climbing over each other to get to this awesome snack.
If you need more party food ideas, check out my Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms and Cocktail Meatballs.
Table of Contents
Cheeseburger egg rolls is one appetizer that your family and friends will run to get to first. And if you dare to serve it at a party, people will start climbing over each other and tripping others to make sure they get some of these tasty egg rolls. It will be a huge hit at your New Year’s party, football party, or anywhere finger foods are best to be served.
I was first introduced to Cheeseburger Egg Rolls at the restaurant I used to work in many years ago. We got it as a special for the football season but I wasn’t sure about how popular it would be. I was a little thrown off by something inside an egg roll that is not the traditional cabbage and meat mixture. Cheeseburger in an egg roll? Hmmm…
Little did I know, it exploded off the menu! It even got so popular with the staff that waiters started ordering it as their lunch and cooks would “make a mistake” once in a while and drop an extra portion in a fryer. We all knew that the “oops” wasn’t an “oops” at all, but we didn’t care because we all got to have some.
Well, I recreated this tasty snack at home and it is a hundred times better. For one, they don’t come frozen in a bag. These egg rolls are homemade, fresh, and super tasty. Homemade is always better, so I know you’ll love it.
Ingredient Notes
Egg Roll Wrappers – You can find these in the refrigerated section of just about all grocery stores.
Ground beef – it’s best to use 90/10 meat to fat ratio ground beef.
American cheese – you can get sliced American cheese and cut it into cubes or get a block from the deli and grate it.
Pickles – make sure to use the classic dill pickles, not sweet pickles.
Egg White – This is used just to help seal the egg roll wrapper and keep it closed while it fries.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
Prepare the filling: Preheat a medium cooking pan, add some oil, and sauté onion is translucent. Add ground beef to the pan and break it up as much as possible. Season with some salt and pepper, cover and cook until meat is done (1). Make sure to keep breaking up all the meat clumps as it cooks.
Drain off all the juices if there is excess and place cooked meat into a mixing bowl. Break up cheese and add it to the bowl while the meat is hot. Mix until all the cheese is melted and evenly incorporated. Stir in pickles (2).
Whisk all ingredients for the sauce until completely incorporated. Cover and set aside until ready to serve with egg rolls.
Start preheating the oil to 350°F degrees as you roll the egg rolls. Prepare a cooling rack by lining it with a couple of paper towels to help soak up the excess oil. Gently whisk egg white and set it close.
Roll the Egg Rolls:
Place egg roll wrapper on a diamond. Spread about 2 tablespoons of cheeseburger filling in a line, leaving about an inch on each side (3).
Carefully fold the bottom corner that’s closest to you over the filling mixture, and tuck under the filling (4).
Dip your fingers in egg white and run it all along the edges of the wrapper, this will help to seal the egg roll better. Fold both side corners toward center of wrapper. It will start to look like an open envelope (5).
Carefully roll up the egg roll (6). Repeat with remaining egg rolls (7).
PRO TIP: Make sure to fry the egg rolls right after rolling! The wrapping sheets dry very fast and crack, so make sure to cook right away.
Fry the egg rolls. Use metal tongs to add the egg rolls to the preheated oil. Fry egg rolls in batches, don’t over-crowd the pot, until golden brown (8). Make sure to turn once the bottom side turns golden.
Let them cool. Use long metal tongs to take each egg roll out of the pot and onto the prepared cooling rack (8). Repeat until all egg rolls are cooked.
PRO TIP: It will take 4-5 minutes to fry. If the egg rolls are getting dark too fast, the oil is too hot. On the other hand, if the egg rolls are not darkening fast enough, the oil is not hot enough. Keep oil temperature at 350°F.
Recipe FAQs
You can make the filling ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Don’t wrap the egg rolls ahead of time! The egg roll wrappers are not meant to be out in the air and even covered they will not last. They will dry out and start to crack on the outside, while becoming soggy on the inside.
You may not have added enough “glue” or egg white on the edges of the wrapper. I usually run the egg whites in a thin layer all around the edges and a little in the middle where it does not have any filling to ensure that it sticks well when rolled.
If the egg rolls cracked while cooking, that is due to being over-filled. Make sure to use slightly less filling next time.
If you cannot use egg white to seal the egg rolls, you can use a cornstarch slurry. Mix 2 teaspoons with 1/4 cup of cold water and you can use that instead of egg white.
Do note that sometimes egg roll wrappers have egg in them. So make sure to use eggless egg roll wrappers.
American cheese gives these egg rolls a classic cheeseburger flavor but you can always use another type of cheese. You can use cheddar cheese, Colby Jack cheese, or another easy melting cheese. Make sure to get a block and grate it yourself, don’t use pre-shredded. You will need about 4 oz. of cheese.
Making Egg Rolls in an Air Fryer or an Oven
Making egg rolls in an air fryer is a healthier alternative to frying. Just note that in all the trials I’ve done to find a difference between frying, air frying, and baking, the texture is quite different. Baking and air frying do not result in the same crispy texture as frying. Note that the texture will be less crispy (and little chewier) with the air frying method and even less crispy after baking.
To air fry the egg rolls: Simply place them into the basket of your air fryer in a single layer, making sure there’s a little bit of space between each of them. Air fry the egg rolls at 390°F for approximately 9-11 minutes, turning half way through.
To bake: Place the egg rolls on a parchment paper covered baking sheet in one even layer and make sure to leave space between each egg roll. Preheat the oven to 425°F and bake for about 15 minutes, until they are deep golden brown.
Storing, Reheating and Freezing Instructions
Storing – Make sure to cool the egg rolls to room temperature first. Place a paper towel in the bottom of the food storage container and in between the layers. Keep refrigerated in the airtight container for 3-4 days.
Reheating – You can easily reheat the egg roll in the air fryer at 350°F for about 2 minutes. Your goal is to just crisp up the outside and heat through the inside. The air fryer is also the best method to get the outside crispy again.
Freezing – You can freeze the egg rolls before or after cooking.
To freeze the egg rolls before cooking, make sure to do it right after you finish rolling them. Wrap the wrapped egg rolls in plastic wrap or another air-tight wrap and place them in a freezer zip-top bag. Get the air out, label, and freeze for about 3 months.
To freeze cooked egg rolls, you would follow the same steps but first make sure to cool them completely to room temperature before freezing.
To reheat or cook frozen egg rolls, you don’t need to thaw them. Cook frozen egg rolls in the fryer on medium-low heat first, for 3-4 minutes and then raise the heat to crisp and brown them during the last minute or so.
You can reheat frozen cooked egg rolls in the oven or air fryer at 350°F. In the oven, it will take longer, about 15-18 minutes, whereas in the air fryer it should take about 10 minutes.
Some More Party Food Ideas
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Cheeseburger Egg Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Egg Rolls:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 medium yellow onion minced
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil for cooking
- Salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- 5 slices American cheese
- 1/2 cup diced pickles
- 13-14 egg roll wrappers
- 1 egg white
- Oil for frying
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat a medium cooking pan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and minced onion. Saute until onion is translucent.
- Add ground beef to the pan and break it up as much as possible. Season with some salt and pepper, cover and cook until meat starts to brown. Stir well and make sure to keep breaking up all the meat clumps as it cooks. Drain off all the juices and place cooked meat into a mixing bowl.
- Break up cheese and add it to the bowl. Mix until all the cheese is melted and evenly incorporated. Stir in pickles.
- Heat up oil to about 350°F degrees as you roll the egg rolls.
- Gently whisk egg while and set it close to you.
- To roll the egg rolls: place egg roll wrapper on a diamond. Spread about 2 tablespoons of cheeseburger filling in a line, leaving about an inch on each side. Gently and carefully, fold the corner that's closest to you over the cheeseburger mixture, and tuck under the filling. Fold both side corners toward center of wrapper, it will start to look like an open envelope. Dip your fingers in egg white and run it along the edges of the wrapper to seal better. Carefully roll up the egg roll.
- Fry egg rolls in batches until golden brown, turning once the bottom side turns golden.
- Whisk all ingredients for the sauce until completely incorporated. Serve with egg rolls.
Video
Notes
- Don’t wrap egg rolls ahead of time: You can make the filling ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Don’t wrap the egg rolls ahead of time! The egg roll wrappers are not meant to be out in the air and even covered they will not last. They will dry out and start to crack on the outside, while becoming soggy on the inside.
- Eggless option: If you cannot use egg white to seal the egg rolls, you can use a cornstarch slurry. Mix 2 teaspoons with 1/4 cup of cold water and you can use that instead of egg white.
Do note that sometimes egg roll wrappers have egg in them. So make sure to use eggless egg roll wrappers. - To air fry the egg rolls: Simply place them into the basket of your air fryer in a single layer, making sure there’s a little bit of space between each of them. Air fry the egg rolls at 390°F for approximately 9-11 minutes, turning half way through. (Preferred method for crispier egg rolls over baking!)
- To bake: Place the egg rolls on a parchment paper covered baking sheet in one even layer and make sure to leave space between each egg roll. Preheat the oven to 425°F and bake for about 15 minutes, until they are deep golden brown. (Note that the texture will be less crispy (and little chewier) with the air frying method and even less crispy after baking.)
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in December 2015.
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Hello and thank you for the recipe. I have made the egg rolls a number of times and my family loves them.
Can the egg rolls be air fried? What temp and time would you suggest?
I have made them in the air fryer and they turned out great! I did 350 degrees for 15 min but not all air fryers cook the same so I would check them after 10 minutes to see how crispy they are and then maybe check them every 3-5 minutes after until crispy.
These are so good !! Have made these eggrolls many times and they are always a hit.
Thanks, Wendy!
What brand/type of pickles do you use?
Hi Rhena,
I like the Mt Olive kosher dill Pickles so that’s what I used. Let me know if you have any other questions.
How far in advance can you make them ?
Can the eggrolls be baked?
Yes, they can but they won’t be as crispy. If you do bake them I would use a wire rack on a baking sheet so they get baked all around and are not soggy on the bottoms.
I’m going to try and make them. They look easy enough. Cooking is my therapy. But what a messy cook I am. And all the other recipes I’ve seen. I’m so glad I found your site. You must be one heck of a cook and great imagination to even think of this recipe. Hands up to you.
Awe, thank you Marsha that is so kind! I hope you enjoy them!
Will try these
Hope you enjoy them, Larry!
My family loves these egg rolls 😋. I think I like your sauce better than one I had before. It had mayo, mustard, ketchup, and hot sauce. It was good, but I love 💘 garlic !! I might try just adding garlic to the old one. Thank you 😊 for the recipe!!
You’re very welcome! Glad you like them! 🙂
Hi Rhea,
I am so happy to hear you like them! You would freeze these before frying and I think it would be best to wrap each one in plastic wrap individually, then put them in a freezer bag. If you don’t have plastic wrap you could lay them in a single layer on parchment paper in the freezer for 2 hours then transfer to a freezer bag. Enjoy!