Sometimes you have to get a little down and dirty. For me, that means fried food. I try to eat healthy most of the time and cut myself a little slack using the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent conscious, healthy, and smart food decisions. Twenty percent whatever goes. My girlfriend, May, shared this idea with me. She was telling me how she rolls up and fries her own cheesesteak egg rolls. What?! When I’m in a mood, there’s this place down the road that makes them, and I devour the whole plate. When May told me she makes them at home, I couldn’t wait to fill up my Instacart with shaved beef and egg roll wrappers. This is one of those things that when you make it, you look in the mirror and say, “Damn, I’m good.” They’re so easy! If you can saute, roll, and fry, you can make your own too. It’s the little devil sitting on my one shoulder telling me I want the egg rolls, but then the little angel sitting on my other shoulder asks, “Is there a way we can make these somewhat healthy?” So I experimented and made them in the air fryer. And guess what? They turned out GREAT! But if you don’t have an air fryer, I include instructions on frying them in a skillet or deep fryer. Any way you make them, you’re gonna be psyched you did.
Recipe for Cheesesteak Egg Rolls:
Ingredients:
1 ½ tablespoons butter
3/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
14-ounce beef shaved steak
Kosher salt, to taste
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ freshly ground black pepper, and more to taste
8 egg roll wrappers
4 slices white American cheese, halved
2 tablespoons water
Olive oil cooking spray
Ketchup, for dipping (optional)
Directions:
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and bell pepper. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Put in a small bowl and set aside.
Using the same skillet over medium heat, add the beef shaved steak. Add the onion powder, garlic salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until done, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees.
To assemble the egg rolls, lay them on a flat surface. Scoop steak into the middle of each egg roll wrapper, dividing into eighths. Next, add the sautéed veggies, dividing into eighths. Lastly, place a slice of cheese over each. Work one at a time to roll them up. Put one egg roll in front of you with the corner pointing toward you. Fold the bottom corner up over the mixture. Using the water, brush it across the left, right, and entire top corner. Next, fold the left and right corners toward the center. Roll it up and press lightly to seal it.
Lightly spray all sides of your eggs rolls with cooking spray and place them in the air fryer. Don’t overcrowd. Make sure they’re not touching with space between each. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to do a couple of batches. Cook for 3 minutes. Flip. Cook until golden brown, about another 3 minutes. If they don’t seem done, add an extra minute of time until they’re golden brown. Serve warm with ketchup for dipping.
Alternate cooking directions: Heat an inch of oil in a large skillet or preheat a deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Fry the egg rolls until they’re golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.
