Air Fryer Cheeseburger Egg Rolls Recipe

You know that feeling of indecision when, just a minute ago, you were absolutely certain that you had a hankering for a cheeseburger, but then somehow the word "egg roll" has now made its way into your consciousness? Sure, that may seem oddly specific at this very moment, but, trust us, it's a thing. Well, at least it's a thing when you've been introduced to the seductively savory, delightfully crunchy world of the air fryer cheeseburger egg roll, as we have been, courtesy of recipe developer Stephanie Rapone. 

According to Rapone, she developed this recipe because her husband "loves the cheeseburger and pizza egg rolls at Disney World." But, not all of us can make a quick trip over to the happiest place on Earth, so this homemade version will have to do. Luckily, this recipe is pretty delicious, combining the savory goodness of a cheeseburger with the crispy goodness of an egg roll wrapper. And, as the title points out, these egg rolls are air fryed, which will cut down on some excess oil and calories that traditional frying brings about. Combined with Rapone's creamy and tangy dipping sauce, these cheeseburger egg rolls are the tastiest meal you never know you needed!

To make Rapone's recipe for air fryer cheeseburger egg rolls, you'll be relying on eggroll wrappers, of which you will need 10. For the egg roll's cheeseburger stuffing, you'll need vegetable or canola oil, ground beef, some white or yellow onion, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and American cheese (Rapone uses Velveeta). For the dipping sauce, you'll need mayonnaise, ketchup, dill pickle relish, sugar, and red wine vinegar. You'll also want to have some nonstick spray on hand when it comes time to air fry.

Start by peeling and chopping the onion in half, and then in half again, and so on until you've reduced the entire onion into a nice generous pile of roughly minced pieces. Then, grab a medium-sized skillet, add the oil, and heat over medium until shimmering. At that point, add the ground beef, the chopped onion, the Worcestershire sauce, and the salt and pepper to create the cheeseburger filling for your egg rolls. Crumble the meat with a spatula, and allow this mixture to sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally. 

While you are waiting for the cheeseburger filling to cook through, take out your American cheese, and using a box grater, grate six ounces worth. Once the ground beef mixture has cooked through, turn off the heat, and allow the mixture to cool right in the pan for five minutes. At that point, it's time to add the grated cheese. So, do that, and stir the mixture to combine thoroughly (the cheese should be melty throughout the meat mixture). 

Since we're pretty close now to frying up these egg rolls, turn your air fryer to 360 F, in order to allow it time to preheat. While you're waiting for the oven to preheat, you'll have time to work with the egg roll wrappers to make your egg rolls. Start by grabbing a small dish or cup of water. Lay down an egg roll wrapper with one point close to you (so that it looks like a diamond-ish shape as you look down at it on your work surface). Wet the edges with water, using your fingertip. Place three to four tablespoons of filling just off center. Tuck the corner over and roll about half way. Fold in the sides, then roll the rest of the way and press lightly to seal. Repeat this process with all the wrappers and filling.

Spray the egg rolls thoroughly with nonstick spray. Place them in a single layer in your air fryer and cook for seven minutes. Flip and cook another two minutes. You will likely need to do this in two to three batches, depending on the size of your air fryer. While your cheeseburger egg rolls are cooking, make the dipping sauce by combining the mayonnaise, ketchup, sugar, red wine vinegar, and dill pickle relish in a small bowl. "The dipping sauce makes a great dressing," Rapone notes. Let the egg rolls rest for at least five minutes before eating, then you're ready to dig in. "I love making a salad with iceberg lettuce, chopped up bacon, tomato, cucumber, avocado, and cheddar cheese to go with it," Rapone says. Of course, you could easily just eat these cheeseburger egg rolls on their own, and they'd be perfectly delicious!