Reuben Egg Rolls

Corned Beef – You can use deli sliced corned beef or cook your own. Check out my super easy recipe for the BEST 3-Ingredient Oven Baked Corned Beef or the Instant Pot Corned Beef.

Egg Roll Wrappers – You can find these in the refrigerated section of just about all grocery stores.

Swiss Cheese – You can get shredded Swiss cheese or get a block grate it yourself, for the very best flavor and consistency.

Sauerkraut – Make sure to drain and squeeze it before combining with other ingredients.

Egg White – This is used just to help seal the egg roll wrapper and keep it closed while it fries.

Thousand Island Dressing – use the dressing in both, the egg roll filling mixture and as a dip on the side.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Prepare the ingredients. Gently whisk the egg white in a small bowl and set it aside. Dice the corned beef as fine as you can, squeeze the juices out of the sauerkraut, and grate cheese if you’re using a block.

Mix it all together. Combine the corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and some thousand island dressing in a mixing bowl and mix everything until it’s evenly incorporated throughout (1).

Prepare for frying. Start preheating the oil to 350°F over medium heat. Prepare a cooling rack by lining it with a couple of paper towels to help soak up the excess oil.

How To Roll the Egg Rolls:

Place egg roll wrapper on a diamond. Spread about 2 tablespoons of Reuben filling in a line, leaving about an inch on each side (2).

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

Carefully roll up the egg roll (5). Repeat with remaining egg rolls while the frying oil is heating up (6).

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 (7). 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 (9) and onto the prepared cooling rack (10). 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.

How to Air Fry or Bake Reuben Egg Rolls

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

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.

More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

• Corned Beef Hash
• Reuben Loaded Roasted Potatoes
• Dublin Coddle
• Irish Stew
• Shepherd’s Pie

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.