Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

These cheesy egg rolls are perfect for game day, football season, New Year’s gatherings, or anytime you need an easy crowd-pleasing finger food. Egg rolls are great for these occasions, so try my Reuben egg rolls and sweet Thai chili chicken egg rolls.

What are Cheeseburger Egg Rolls and Why You Want Them?

• Crispy on the outside with a juicy, cheesy filling.
• Packed with classic cheeseburger flavor (including pickles!)
• Great for parties, appetizers, and game day spreads.
• Can be fried, air fried, or baked.
• Can be frozen and I included some make ahead options.

I was first introduced to cheeseburger egg rolls years ago while working at a restaurant. They were brought in as a football-season special, and I remember being a little unsure at first. A cheeseburger… inside an egg roll wrapper? It definitely wasn’t the traditional filling I was used to.

But I quickly learned how wrong I was to doubt them. They absolutely exploded in popularity. Guests ordered them nonstop, and even the staff couldn’t get enough.

So naturally, I had to recreate them at home and honestly, this homemade version is even better. No frozen shortcuts here, just fresh, flavorful filling wrapped up and fried until perfectly crispy and golden. Once you try them, you’ll see exactly why they’ve been a favorite for years.

Key Ingredient Notes

• Egg Roll Wrappers – You can find these in the refrigerated section of just about all grocery stores. Make sure it’s egg roll wrappers, not spring roll wrappers or dried rice wrappers.
• 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.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Crispy Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

Prepare the filling:

1. 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.
2. 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).
3. Whisk all ingredients for the sauce until completely incorporated. Cover and set aside until ready to serve with egg rolls.
4. 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.

Foolproof Method to Roll the Egg Rolls:

1. 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).
2. Carefully fold the bottom corner that’s closest to you over the filling mixture, and tuck under the filling (4).
3. 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).
4. 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: 

1. 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.
2. 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

Air Fryer Cheeseburger Egg Rolls and Baking Instructions

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 and Reheating 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 Instructions

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. 
• IMPORTANT NOTE: there is a chance they will crack if frozen before cooking.
• 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.

More Party Food Ideas

Complete your game day spread with more crowd-pleasing finger foods from my site! My truffle tater tots are easy and tasty. Pickle dip, stuffed mushrooms and spinach artichoke dip are always party favorites. For wings, try my baked chicken wings with dry rub, spicy orange glazed chicken wings, or boneless chicken wings for a less messy option.

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Cheeseburger Egg Rolls Recipe

Cheeseburger egg rolls are crispy, golden egg roll wrappers stuffed with seasoned ground beef, creamy American cheese, and tangy dill pickles, it's basically a cheeseburger in handheld appetizer form. They’re perfect for parties, game day, or an easy snack everyone loves.

4.80 from 30 votes

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Dietary Options

Course: Appetizer, dinner, Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 14 Makes about 14

Calories: 257kcal

Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

Egg Rolls:

• ▢ 1 lb ground beef
• ▢ 1/2 medium yellow onion minced
• ▢ 1 Tbsp vegetable oil for cooking
• ▢ salt
• ▢ fresh cracked black pepper
• ▢ 5 slices American cheese
• ▢ 1/2 cup diced pickles
• ▢ 13-14 egg roll wrappers
• ▢ 1 egg white
• ▢ Oil for frying about 5 cups

Sauce:

• ▢ 1/4 cup mayo
• ▢ 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 1 garlic clove pressed
• ▢ 1 tsp paprika
• ▢ salt
• ▢ fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

Make the Filling:

• 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.

Make the Egg Rolls:

• Heat up oil in a deep cooking pan, Dutch oven, or a fryer, to about 350°F degrees as you roll the egg rolls. Cover a wire rack with a paper towel to catch excess oil.
• Gently whisk egg white and set it close to you. You will use it to rub the edges of the egg roll wrappers.
• 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.
• Use metal tongs to place the egg rolls into the hot oil. Fry egg rolls in batches until golden brown, turning once the bottom side turns golden. Take them out of the fryer and onto the prepared wire rack.
• 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.
• There is one way to make them ahead and that it to par-fry them ahead of time, just until the wrappers bubble. Take them out into the paper covered wire rack and let them cool. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and wrap it completely air-tight. The next day, simply finish frying them for a few minutes until golden and crispy.
• 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

Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 1mg

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Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in December 2015.