Philly Fan or Not, You’ll Love These Crispy Cheesesteak Egg Rolls

Believe it or not, there was actually a time on this earth before the cheesesteak (my version of B.C.). But, when Pat Olivieri griddled that first steak in 1930, he unlocked a new direction for meat-eating humankind. 

Then, progress stopped. For the next 60ish years, the cheesesteak received little improvement—why mess with a perfect sandwich of tender, well-marbled steak, sautéed onions, and melty provolone cheese served in a soft but sturdy hoagie roll? It ruled Philly’s culinary world with an iron-rich fist. That is, until just before the turn of the new millennium, when something else started appearing up on menus throughout Philly: the cheesesteak egg roll.

There’s debate over who first had the brilliant idea of rolling a cheesesteak’s gooey, grease-slicked (in the best of ways!) filling inside an egg roll wrapper and deep-frying it until golden and crunchy. These egg rolls first started popping up on restaurant menus in Philly in the mid-1990s at restaurants like the downtown Four Seasons, Davio’s on Rittenhouse square, and Stephen Starr’s first restaurant, The Continental. At this time they also became a staple at many corner-store Chinese-American take-out restaurants in Philly and South Jersey. As a born and bred Philadelphian, I sampled many versions in my youth, and I can attest they were all fantastic in their heyday.

Regardless of who invented the first one, the cheesesteak egg roll, like most revolutionary inventions, quickly spread in popularity. Today, versions can be found on menus at nationwide chain restaurants, including The Cheesecake Factory and TGI Friday’s. But, there’s no need to dine out to enjoy them. Gooey, rich Philly cheesesteak egg rolls are relatively easy to prepare at home with my recipe below. Fresh and crispy right out of the fryer, they’re better than any restaurant version.

The Cheesesteak Filling

I’m not messing with perfection here. Yes, I am indeed calling for the cheesesteak filling from my own Philly cheesesteak recipe. In that recipe I write at length about the best cut of beef to use (always ribeye) and tips for slicing it razor thin at home. If slicing at home, make sure to partially freeze the beef for about an hour to firm it up, which will make slicing it thinly much easier. You want the steak to be fully firm when slicing, but you also want your knife to be able to slice through it without damaging the blade, so make sure it isn’t frozen solid. And most importantly, use a sharp knife.

For those who aren’t so sure their knives and skills are sharp enough or who just want to save time, another great option is buying thin pre-sliced ribeye, which can be found at some supermarkets like Wegmans and many Asian food markets such as H-Mart; you may also be able to find a butcher who will do it for you.

When it comes to the cheese in the filling, I’m team provolone all the way, but you can substitute with other Philly classic cheeses like basic American cheese, Cooper Sharp cheese, or even Cheez Whiz. Just be sure to substitute by equal weight. Folding all the cheese into the meat and onion mixture as it finishes cooking ensures the cheese coats every thin beef slice as it melts. Think of the cheese as an oozy, delicious fatty coat of arm that protects the cooked steak, preventing it from drying out when the egg rolls are fried.

Shaping the Egg Rolls

Rolling these egg rolls is just like any flat-starch-around-moist-filling roll (think burritos, spring rolls, even blintzes): you have to keep things nice and tight. Loosely rolled egg rolls will fall apart as they fry, or at the very least, leave you with greasy pockets in the finished product. Not a good thing.

In this recipe, I’ve taken some of the guesswork out of the wrapping process by providing an exact amount (a quarter cup) of filling for each egg roll. And while there’s no substitute for practice and experience, my directions for wrapping the egg rolls should help you get started—you’ll find yourself wrapping perfect egg rolls that fry up juicy and crisp in no time. Perhaps the most important part when shaping is to use your fingers to moisten the entire border of the wrapper with a thin film of water right before you start rolling each egg roll. This small amount of water will glue the wrapper together.

Tips for Frying Success

Now it’s time for the frying fun. I’ve attempted to shallow-fry these cheesesteak egg rolls in a skillet multiple times, and the results were always subpar: uneven browning with speckled, greasy, soggy patches on the exterior. For the best results, deep-frying is in order. I strongly recommend a clip-on thermometer for deep-frying, which makes constant monitoring of the oil temperature easy. As soon as you add the egg rolls, the oil temperature will drop drastically, and you’ll need to adjust the heat to keep it as close to 350℉ (175°C) as possible, ideally within a 25℉ range. At this temperature range, the wrapper will turn golden and crunchy at the same rate the filling becomes hot and melty. 

The Finishing Touch

Oftentimes, cheesesteak egg rolls are accompanied by a selection of condiments for dipping, which can include ketchup, a range of aioli-like dressed-up mayo dips, or even just plain spicy mustard. My favorite pairing is a melty cheese sauce, because let’s face it, when you’re eating what is essentially a deep-fried cheesesteak, a little more gooey, delicious cheese isn’t going to hurt. 

For the Cheesesteak Filling: If using a whole steak, trim and cut steak crosswise with grain into roughly 3-inch wide sections, then set on large plate and freeze until firm but not frozen solid, about 1 hour. If using pre-sliced steak, skip to chopping instructions in Step 2.

Using a sharp knife such as a slicing knife or chef’s knife, shave steak as thinly as possible on a biased angle against the grain. Mound shaved meat on cutting board and chop coarsely with knife, about 5 times for store-bought sliced meat or 10 times for hand-sliced.

Heat an empty 10-inch cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add oil to skillet and heat until just smoking. Add meat and onion in an even layer and cook, without stirring, until both are well browned on one side, 4 to 6 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring frequently to move and pull apart the meat slices, until meat and onions are browned and meat is no longer pink, 2 to 4 minutes.

Stir in provolone or American cheese, Parmesan cheese (if using), salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and mixture is well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes.

For the Egg Rolls: Fill small bowl with water; set aside. Working with 1 egg roll wrapper at a time, orient wrappers on counter so 1 corner points toward edge of counter. Place 1/8 of the cheese steak filling (about a packed 1/4 cup filling per egg roll) on lower half of wrapper and mold it with your fingers into neat cylindrical shape. Using your fingertips, moisten entire border edges of wrapper with thin film of water.

Fold bottom corner of wrapper up and over filling and press it down on other side of filling. Fold both side corners of wrapper in over filling and press gently to seal. Roll filling up over itself until wrapper is fully sealed. Leave egg roll seam-side down on counter and cover with damp paper towel while shaping remaining egg rolls.

Line large plate with triple layer of paper towels. In a large Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot, add frying oil (oil should measure about 1 1/2 inches deep). Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350℉ (175℃). Using a spider skimmer or tongs, carefully lower 4 egg rolls one at a time, seam-side down, into hot oil and cook until deep golden brown, 4 to 8 minutes, flipping egg rolls about halfway through frying for even cooking. Adjust burner if needed to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350℉ (160 to 175℃). Using a spider skimmer or tongs, carefully transfer fried egg rolls to prepared plate. Return oil to 350℉ (175℃) and repeat frying with remaining 4 egg rolls. Transfer to a prepared plate with other egg rolls. Serve with your preferred dipping sauce.

Special Equipment

10-inch cast iron or nonstick skillet, instant-read or deep-fry thermometer for temping oil, large Dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot, spider skimmer or tongs

Notes

You may also use store-bought pre-sliced well-marbled steak found at some supermarkets, including Wegmans, H-Mart, and other Asian markets. If using pre-sliced steak, still run a knife through the mound of meat about 5 times at the end of Step 2.

If you have a cast iron flat griddle pan or plancha, this is the time to use it for cooking the filling. If necessary, center over two burners for even heating.

Provolone cheese can range from mild to very sharp. Go with your personal preference, but whatever you choose, the cheese should be sliced thinly and melt easily. You may also substitute with an equal weight of Cheez Whiz, American cheese, or Cooper Sharp—a classic for cheesesteaks.

This recipe can easily be doubled. Cook the filling in a 12-inch skillet and fry the egg rolls in additional batches.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Assembled egg rolls can be frozen for cooking at a later date: Freeze egg rolls on plate, then transfer to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Do not thaw before cooking; increase cooking time by about 2 minutes.

Egg rolls are best served fresh and leftovers do not store well.