Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls

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These Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls live up to the hype, with no shortage of melty cheese, sweet onions, and beef!

Prep Time1

Cook Time45

Total Time1 45

Course: Appetizers and Snacks

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 297kcal

Author: Kaitlin

Ingredients

1½ pounds beef such as thinly shaved hot pot beef (usually beef chuck rolls), ribeye, chuck roast, or boneless loin tri tip
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion finely diced
¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper (or use poblano pepper, jalapeño, or serrano if you want some heat!)
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
16 egg roll wrappers
1-1½ pounds thinly sliced American cheese enough for 1 thick slice or 2 thinner slices per egg roll
1 egg beaten
Neutral oil for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Assemble the egg rolls:

If the beef isn’t already thinly shaved, thinly slice it against the grain. This is much easier when the beef is partially frozen. With the slices in a pile, and run your knife through them to roughly chop.
1½ pounds beef
In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and peppers. Let them cook down until softened and translucent. Add the beef and let it brown (no need to crisp it up). Season with the garlic powder, salt, black pepper, white pepper, and dark soy sauce. Stir to combine, cook for a few more minutes, and remove from the heat. Let the mixture cool slightly and transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large sweet onion, ¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper, 1½ teaspoons garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon white pepper, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
To assemble your egg rolls, prepare a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Lay out an egg roll wrapper in a diamond formation, with the point facing you. Fold a slice of cheese into fourths (in half and then in half again) so you have a long piece of cheese. Place that on the center of the egg roll wrapper. Pile about a ¼ cup of the beef mixture onto the cheese. Place another folded piece of cheese on top of the beef mixture. If you don’t want as much cheese, just omit the second slice of cheese.
16 egg roll wrappers, 1-1½ pounds thinly sliced American cheese
Pull the bottom corner of the wrapper over the beef and cheese, tucking it in tightly. Fold the sides over the filling, brush the top half of the exposed wrapper with egg wash, and wrap up the egg roll tightly.
1 egg
Place seam-side down on the parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to assemble all 16 egg rolls.

Cooking Option 1 - Deep-frying

In a medium deep pot, deep-fry the egg rolls in batches of three or four for 4 minutes in 325-340°F (160-170°C) oil. There may be some cheese that leaks out into the oil. Remove it with a fine-mesh sieve between batches.
Neutral oil

Cooking Option 2 - Pan-frying

Heat ½ cup oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Shallow-fry the egg rolls, flipping them on each side to brown, and then on the bare narrow sides too to get them uniformly crispy. When compared to deep-frying, they won’t be quite as crunchy when you bite into them, but this method uses much less oil.
As the egg rolls are done cooking, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. To serve, cut a few in half with a sharp serrated knife first to avoid burning your mouth.

Notes

If you’re looking for a dipping sauce, I love these with my favorite vinegar-based hot sauce (e.g., Louisiana Crystal). I bet they’d also be tasty with my dad’s Chinese hot mustard. If you’re a steak sauce lover, you could try that as well! Word on the street is they’re good with Ranch dressing. As for a creamy dressing, my mind turns to our Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing.

Any uneaten egg rolls can be cooled and then frozen in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. To reheat, bake them in the oven at 350°F/175°C, or air-fry them at 350°F/175°C—for 10 to 15 minutes, until crispy.

Nutrition