Description
Crispy egg rolls filled with savory ground beef and melted cheese, served with a homemade Big Mac sauce that perfectly captures the iconic flavor of the classic burger.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Egg Rolls:
- 1 lb ground beef (90/10 lean-to-fat ratio)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped super fine
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 12 oz cheddar cheese
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 12 egg roll wrappers
- Oil for pan frying (or oil spray if air frying
For the Big Mac Sauce:
- 4 tbsp Thousand Island dressing (or French dressing)
- 1/4 cup pickles, finely diced (or dill pickle relish)
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the finely chopped onions to the pan. Stir frequently and cook until most onions have a light brown color (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add the minced garlic to the pan and continue cooking the onions and garlic for another minute until fragrant.
- Once the onions and garlic are golden brown, add your ground beef, salt, and pepper. Break up the meat with a spatula as it cooks.
- Cook the meat until fully browned with no pink remaining, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Slowly add in about 1 cup of cheese. Let it melt using the residual heat of the meat mixture, stirring to combine.
- Let the mixture cool slightly (about 5-10 minutes) while you set up your egg roll wrapping station.
- Fill a small bowl with water for sealing the egg rolls. Open your egg roll wrappers package and keep a slightly damp paper towel over them to prevent drying out.
- Lay an egg roll wrapper on a flat surface with one point facing toward you (diamond orientation). Add 1.5 tablespoons of filling in the lower middle area, then sprinkle a little more cheese over the meat mixture.
- Fold up the bottom point over the filling, then fold in both side points. Dab water on the top point and roll up to seal completely.
- Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, setting each completed egg roll aside.
- For pan frying: Add enough oil to come up half an inch in a large skillet and heat to medium (about 350°F).
- Once the oil is hot, carefully add egg rolls to the pan without overcrowding.
- Fry until golden brown on one side (about 2-3 minutes), then flip and fry the other side.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- For air frying: Spray each egg roll thoroughly with cooking spray, ensuring even coating.
- Place in air fryer basket without overcrowding.
- Cook at 390°F for 8-10 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
- For the Big Mac Sauce: While the egg rolls are cooking, finely dice the pickles (skip if using relish).
- Mix the diced pickles with the Thousand Island dressing in a small bowl.
- Serve the hot egg rolls immediately with the sauce for dipping.
Notes
- For extra flavor, add a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to the beef mixture while cooking – it adds that authentic burger umami taste
- Make sure your egg roll wrappers stay covered with a damp paper towel while working – they dry out quickly and won’t seal properly if they do
- Don’t overfill your egg rolls or they may burst during cooking – about 1.5 tablespoons of filling is perfect for standard-sized wrappers
- For a crispier texture when air frying, lightly spray the egg rolls again halfway through cooking after you flip them
- The Big Mac sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, which actually improves the flavor as it allows the ingredients to meld
- The cheese continues to melt after cooking, so let the egg rolls rest for 1-2 minutes before serving to prevent mouth burns from molten cheese
- If your Big Mac sauce seems too thick, you can thin it with a little pickle juice for extra flavor rather than water
- Egg roll wrappers are different from spring roll wrappers – make sure you’re using the thicker, wheat-based egg roll wrappers for this recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Pan-Fried or Air Fried
- Cuisine: Fusion
Keywords: fusion appetizers, party food, game day snacks, burger egg rolls, homemade Big Mac sauce, air fryer appetizers, make-ahead finger food, dipping sauce