These crispy, golden Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls are loaded with tender beef, onions, peppers, and melted provolone cheese for the ultimate handheld comfort food. This air fryer recipe delivers the perfect crunch with a gooey, savory center. You'll learn how to make cheesesteak eggrolls with easy ingredients for weeknight dinner ideas or party appetizers everyone will love. Pin this homemade egg roll recipe now so you'll always have the best crispy Philly cheesesteak egg rolls recipe ready to serve with your favorite dipping sauce!
When I was 18 or 19, I planned a big trip to Philadelphia for my mom, my sister, my niece, and myself. We were going to see all the monuments including the Liberty Bell, then walk to Ben Franklin's grave, Betsy Ross's house, and then Elfreth's Alley which is the oldest block in the city.
The whole route looked very small and very walkable on the map.
It was neither small nor walkable for 4 extremely out of shape fat people in the middle of summer. We were dying by the time we got back to the car.
Near the end of the journey, we walked through Philly's Chinatown and asked a local (who was hauling a mattress up through a second story window) for a restaurant recommendation. He told us Ho Sai Gai was the best, so that's where we went.
At Ho Sai Gai, we had cheesesteak egg rolls, and they were amazing. It's been more than 20 years since that dinner, and I have never forgotten those egg rolls.
So at long last, I made them at home.
Why is this the best Philly Cheese Steak Egg Roll recipe
This recipe is versatile. Don't like onions or peppers? Replace them with mushrooms. Prefer chicken? Chicken cheesesteaks are a thing. I made my cheesesteak egg rolls in the air fryer, but you can also make them in the oven!
These appetizers use common, simple ingredients. There are a few staple ingredients you may have in your pantry/fridge and a few less common ones (egg roll wrappers) that you can find at most grocery stores.
These philly cheese steak egg rolls taste amazing! The crispiness of the egg roll wrapper blends with the creamy richness of the melted provolone and flavorful steak slices are out of this world flavor combination. Add in the caramlized onions and peppers, dipped in horseradish aolioi, and you have a combination that your guests will go crazy over!
These bite-sized appetizers are very easy! This recipe is as easy as layering a few ingredients, rolling them up, and air frying. That's it!
What you'll need to make Philly cheesesteak egg rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.
- Olive oil - You'll use this to sauté the onions and peppers. You could use butter, avocado or sunflower oil, or even bacon grease if you have some.
- Green bell pepper - You could use any color pepper, although green is traditionally used in Philly cheesesteaks. You'll want to remove the seeds and membranes from the pepper and dice it into very small pieces.
- Onion - I like to use sweet Vidalia onions, but you could use any onion you have. As with the pepper, you'll want to finely dice the onion.
- Fresh garlic, pressed - If you don't have a garlic press, I would recommend grating the garlic on a microplane grater.
- Thin sliced steak pieces such as Steak-Umms or something similar - A package is usually 9 ounces, so this is 2 boxes. These are paper thin slices of beef that are frozen uncooked and pink. When you cook them, they turn brown and release a lot of grease. You'll want to drain the grease before adding the filling to the egg roll wrappers.
- Steak seasoning - Traditional Philly cheesesteaks use steak seasoning which you can buy in the baking aisle of the grocery store. It includes quite a bit of salt, so I would not recommend adding additional salt to the steak when you cook it. If you aren't tied to the traditional cheesesteak flavor, you could try fajita seasoning, taco seasoning, cajun seasoning, or BBQ seasoning instead.
- Egg - This is for an egg wash to seal the egg rolls shut.
- Provolone cheese - This is typically sold in a circle. You'll want to cut those circles in half to make half rounds.
- Egg roll wrappers - These can typically be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
How to make Philly cheesesteak egg rolls
How to air fry egg rolls
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pepper and onion and sauté until soft. Press garlic into the skillet and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add sliced beef steak and seasoning to the veggies and cook until the steak is done.
- Remove filling (cooked steak and veggies) from the heat and dump onto paper towels to drain off the grease. Allow the mixture to rest and cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush egg wash onto the edges of one egg roll wrapper.
- Immediately add ¼ cup of steak mixture to the center of each wrapper, top with a half round of Provolone cheese, then fold and seal with additional egg.
- Place wrapped egg roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Repeat with the rest of the wrappers.
- Preheat your air fryer to 350ºF.
- Place the egg rolls in a single layer in the air fryer basket with space between them and spritz with cooking spray. Don't overcrowd them or they won't cook properly.
- Air fry the egg rolls at 350º for 7 minutes, then turn the heat up to 395º and air fry for 2 minutes more cooking time. When they are done, they will be golden brown and crispy.
- Repeat for the rest of the egg rolls, working in batches as necessary.
Air frying tips
Remember that all air fryers are different. My air fryer tends to cook a little more quickly than other models for whatever reason. The filling is all precooked, so food safety is not a concern, but you will want to air fry the egg rolls until they are crispy and golden brown. You may need to cook them longer, but do so in 2-minute increments so that they don't burn.
Also, keep in mind that the first batch will require the most time, even if you preheat the air fryer (which you should always do). The air fryer will retain the heat, and subsequent batches may need a minute or two less to achieve the same results.
Make sure to spritz the egg rolls with cooking spray after you place them in the air fryer. If you don't put a little oil on them, they won't brown nicely and will likely stay white even after they've gotten crispy. The oil makes them look nicer.
Tips for the best cheese steak egg rolls
When you are working with egg roll wrappers, it is best to cover them with a clean and damp (not dripping wet) kitchen towel. They will dry out quickly if left uncovered, and you can't roll them up once they're dried out. They will break.
Don't overfill the wrappers. I like ¼ cup of filling in mine, but if your wrappers are smaller than mine, you will want to use less. If you put too much filling in the egg rolls, they will pop open during cooking. If you're concerned about them popping open, you can always place them on the baking sheet or in the air fryer basket seam side down or stick a toothpick through the edges. That will help them stay together.
Substitutions & variations
These egg rolls can be varied in so many ways! This is a traditional Philly cheese steak recipe but you can make something new with adding shredded chicken, ground beef, or shaved turkey. Or make it vegetarian by sautéing mushrooms with vegan cheese or lentils.
Storing leftovers
You can prepare the filling ahead of time, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and then wrap and cook the egg rolls later.
All egg rolls are best served straight from the air fryer, but they will keep for a few days in the fridge. Place fully cooled egg rolls in an airtight freezer bag or freezer container with a paper towel (to absorb moisture) and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat, put the egg rolls back into the air fryer at 350ºF for a few minutes, until heated through.
You can wrap and cook the egg rolls and freeze them for up to 3 months. Place the entire baking sheet in the freezer, and once the egg rolls are frozen solid (and dry to the touch), wrap each one individually in foil, then put them into an airtight container or zippered freezer bag for up to 3 months.
To reheat frozen egg rolls, air fry them at 350ºF for 5 minutes, then turn and air fry until they are heated through. If you don't have an air fryer, you can bake them at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through. There is no need to thaw them before cooking.
What you cannot do is wrap the egg rolls and then put them in the fridge without cooking them. Egg roll wrappers become slimy and gross and fall apart if they are used and then not cooked.
You must cook the egg rolls immediately after wrapping them, or you might as well discard the whole thing.
I love to eat these Philly Cheesteak Egg Rolls with Horseradish Aioli (link to the recipe).
- mayonnaise
- horseradish the prepared stuff that comes in a jar
- garlic pressed
- chives snipped
- lemon juice freshly squeezed
- salt
- black pepper
Check out more delicious sauce recipes:
- Lemon Garlic Aioli
- Honey Sriracha Mayonnaise
- Cajun Remoulade Sauce
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Cheese sauce - I don't have a recipe for this, but queso, nacho cheese, or another flavor of cheese sauce would be tasty.
Check out more delicious appetizer recipes:
- 25+ Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers, Dips, & Snacks
- Cranberry Brie Appetizer Bites with Puff Pastry
- 26 Best Easy Super Bowl Appetizers
- Cold Shrimp Avocado Cucumber Bites
- Mexican Black Bean, Corn, & Avocado Salsa
- Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
- Air Fryer Potato Chips
- Touchdown Taco Dip
- Quick & Easy Pizza Dip
- Mild Frank's RedHot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Frank's RedHot Buffalo Chicken Dip in the Instant Pot
- Classic Cheddar Cheese Sausage Balls
Recipe
Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large green bell pepper seeds and membranes removed, diced small
- 1 medium onion diced small
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 18 ounces thin sliced steak Steak-Umms or something similar, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoons steak seasoning
- 1 large egg
- 8 ounces Provolone cheese slices cut in half rounds
- 1 package egg roll wrappers
Instructions
Oven instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. (See below for air fryer instructions.)
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pepper and onion and sauté until soft. Press garlic into the skillet and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add steak and seasoning to the veggies and cook until the steak is done.
- Remove filling from the heat and dump onto paper towels to drain off the grease. Allow the mixture to rest and cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush egg wash onto the edges of all the egg roll wrappers. Immediately add ¼ cup of steak mix to the center of each wrapper, top with a half round of Provolone cheese, then fold and seal with additional egg. Place wrapped egg rolls on the prepared baking sheet.
- When all egg rolls are wrapped, spray the tray with nonstick spray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until wrappers are golden brown.
- Serve immediately with dipping sauce. See notes below for sauce recommendations.
Air fryer instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pepper and onion and sauté until soft. Press garlic into the skillet and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add steak and seasoning to the veggies and cook until the steak is done.
- Remove filling from the heat and dump onto paper towels to drain off the grease. Allow the mixture to rest and cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush egg wash onto the edges of all the egg roll wrappers. Immediately add ¼ cup of steak mix to the center of each wrapper, top with a half round of Provolone cheese, then fold and seal with additional egg. Place wrapped egg rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat your air fryer to 350ºF.
- Place the egg rolls in a single layer in the air fryer basket with space between them and spritz with cooking spray. Don't overcrowd them or they won't cook properly.
- Air fry the egg rolls at 350º for 7 minutes, then turn the heat up to 395º and air fry for 2 minutes more. When they are done, they will be golden brown and crispy.
- Repeat for the rest of the egg rolls, working in batches as necessary.
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