Calling all cheeseburger and spring roll lovers - this crispy cheeseburger spring rolls recipe is about to blow your taste buds away!
Imagine biting into a crispy, golden spring roll filled with seasoned juicy beef mince (ground beef), melted mozzarella cheese, and tangy tomato sauce (ketchup) - it's like a cheeseburger in a crunchy, handheld package.
This easy creative twist on a classic Chinese dish is perfect for parties, game day, or just as a delicious snack or appetizer. You won't be able to resist this mouth-watering combination of flavours and textures.
So, get your taste buds ready and prepare to impress your friends with this incredible cheeseburger spring rolls recipe!
For more party foods, also check out my ultra crispy honey lemon chicken wings, crispy honey chilli chicken bites, san choy bow and flaky spinach and ricotta rolls!
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Ingredients
- Spring roll pastry - super thin wheat flour pastry that is similar to filo pastry. Available at most Asian supermarkets and to my Aussie readers, these are also available at Woolies and Coles!
- Mozzarella cheese - I'm a huge advocate of grating one's own cheese as it just melts better (ready-grated cheeses contain anti-caking ingredients, making them a little grainy) plus, it's the more economical choice! Other alternatives: cheddar, American cheese or pizza cheese (if using ready-grated cheese).
- Deep frying oil - opt for neutral-tasting oils with a high smoke point such as grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
Cooking instructions
Making cheeseburger spring rolls are super straightforward. Similar to making my easy pork wontons, simply season the meat and then wrap.
This Asian fusion recipe is even easier than my traditional Chinese vegetable spring rolls (as more prep is involved but worth it)!
Prepare the filling
To start, season beef mince with garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
Mix well to ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed.
Now, the last step is to grate the cheese before you're ready to start wrapping!
You can use other cheese varieties to your liking such as cheddar, American cheese, or even pizza cheese. I prefer mozzarella for the cheese-pull factor!
Spring roll pastries are sold and stored in the freezer.
Since these pastries are very thin, they defrost very quickly. You'll need to peel each pastry sheet off as you go (don't worry, they're supposed to be stuck together!).
Important: when rolling a cheeseburger spring roll, keep the remaining stack of pastry covered under a clean, damp tea towel. This will prevent them from drying out (which can happen very quickly).
Now that we've got everything ready, here comes the fun part.
Wrap the cheeseburger spring roll
Place a spring roll pastry sheet onto the working surface diagonally, with a corner pointing towards you.
Spoon ~1 tablespoon worth of beef mixture onto the corner that's pointing towards you, about halfway down the middle of the pastry. Shape the beef mixture into a thin log.
Add ~1.5 tablespoon worth of cheese along the beef log then top with tomato sauce. If desired, squeeze a few drops of English mustard sauce.
Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper up and over the filling, tucking it in tightly to create a snug roll.
Fold the left and right corners of the wrapper in toward the centre, then continue to roll the wrapper tightly upward.
With one hand holding down the almost-rolled pastry, use the other hand to dampen the remaining unfolded top corner with a little water. Roll over and seal the cheeseburger spring roll closed.
Repeat this process until you've used up all of the filling ingredients or pastry sheets. Whichever comes first.
This recipe makes about 40 golden crispy rolls.
Deep fry until golden
Preheat oil in a heavy-based pot (I use a cast iron pot as it's sturdy and well-insulated). Once the oil has reached about 160°C - 180°C (320°F - 360°F), it's ready.
If you don't have a food thermometer, wait until you can see some gentle ripples in the bottom of the oil and test with a wooden chopstick. If it sizzles as soon as it touches the oil, then it's ready.
Fry the cheeseburger spring rolls in the hot oil, in batches, until they are golden crispy on the outside, and cooked on the inside. About 4 minutes.
Remove the spring rolls from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
Serve the cheeseburger spring rolls hot, with additional tomato sauce (ketchup) and mustard for dipping if desired.
As you can see in the above picture marked #10, there are brown bits all over the crispy rolls and inside the frying oil. These are fried cheese that has oozed out of the rolls during the frying process. I found no matter how well I roll the spring rolls, some cheese inevitably oozes out.
These bits of cheese are delicious to eat but if you wish, you can simply brush them off with a spoon, chopstick, or your finger before serving. Just wait until they're cool enough to handle!
It's important to scoop out the floating bits of cheese from the oil before frying the next batch using a slotted spoon or a stainless steel mesh skimmer. This will prevent any burnt, unappetizing cheese in the oil.
Ideal party appetizer
This fun recipe with a twist is great for serving a crowd when you've got guests coming over. Below are a few more party-friendly appetizers:
Useful tips and tricks
- Cover spring roll pastries when not used with a clean damp towel. This will prevent them from drying up (which can happen very quickly!)
- Keep a safe distance away from the stove when deep frying for safety. This is a precautionary step especially when handling hot oils. Also, as the small amounts of cheese ooze out when frying, the oil may spit a little.
- Scoop out bits of cheese in the frying oil in between batches to prevent unappetizing burnt cheese. This is best done using a stainless steel fine mesh strainer.
- Reheat in the oven or air fryer if needed. In the rare instance of any leftovers, simply store in airtight containers and reheat at 220°C (430°F) for about 5 minutes or until crispy and hot again.
FAQs
About 4 minutes on high heat or until golden crispy and cooked on the inside.
Yes, you can! You can reuse the deep frying oil about 3 to 4 times until it's best to discard it. Make sure to always strain the oil well before storing it for use at a later time.
Absolutely! Simply bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and crispy. Details of alternative cooking methods are below.
Alternative cooking methods
For a healthier option, you can use the following method.
- Oven-bake method: line cheeseburger spring rolls on a lined baking tray and brush with oil. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven at 220°C (430°F) for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden and crispy. I did not turn them halfway through and they still turned out crispy all over. Bear in mind, cheesy goodness will inevitably ooze out from the ends but is totally delicious!
- Air fryer method: brush cheeseburger spring rolls with oil then place in a preheated air fryer in a single layer. Air fry at 200°C (390°F) for 10 minutes or until golden on both sides and crispy. Flip halfway to ensure crispy on both sides.
Having tried the alternative methods, I find the deep frying method yields the crispiest result.
Make ahead
Got a party to host? Want a stash of cheeseburger spring rolls in the freezer at the ready?
Great news, you can roll these up in advance and store them in the freezer.
Just like you would for Chinese spring rolls:
- Line rolled spring rolls neatly in a large, lined baking tray or board that can fit in your freezer. Make sure there is a little space between each roll so they do not stick together (important!). Freeze for about 1 hour (or until frozen/hard).
- Now you're good to place the frozen spring rolls stacked in air-tight containers or freezer-friendly zip-lock bags and freeze until needed.
To cook, do not thaw, simply deep fry, air fry or oven bake frozen.
Made this recipe? Let me know your thoughts or questions by dropping a note in the comments section below.
I'd love to hear from you. 🙂
- Gen
📖 Recipe
Cheeseburger Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- ½ kg (1 lb) beef mince (ground beef)
- 40 sheets spring roll pastry
- 250 g (2 cups) mozzarella cheese grated, substitute: cheddar, American cheese or pizza cheese
- Tomato sauce (ketchup), in a squeeze bottle
- Mustard sauce optional, in a squeeze bottle
- Deep frying oil eg. sunflower oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
Beef seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
To serve
- Tomato sauce (ketchup)
- Mustard sauce (optional)
Instructions
Wrap cheeseburger spring rolls
- In a large mixing bowl, combine beef mince with seasoning ingredients. Mix until well combined.
- To wrap a cheeseburger spring roll, place a spring roll pastry sheet onto the working surface diagonally, with a corner pointing towards you. (note 1)
- Spoon ~1 tablespoon worth of beef mixture onto the corner that's pointing towards you, about halfway down the middle of the pastry. Shape the beef mixture into a thin log. Add ~1.5 tablespoon worth of cheese along the beef log then top with tomato sauce and mustard sauce (if using).
- Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper up and over the filling, tucking it in tightly to create a snug roll.
- Fold the left and right corners of the wrapper in toward the centre, then continue to roll the wrapper tightly upward.
- With one hand holding down the almost-rolled pastry, use the other hand to dampen the remaining unfolded top corner with a little water. Roll over and seal the cheeseburger spring roll closed.
- Repeat for remaining rolls.
Deep fry (see notes for alternative methods)
- Preheat oil in a heavy-based pot to about 160°C - 180°C (320°F - 360°F). I use a cast iron pot as it's sturdy and well-insulated. (note 2)
- Fry the cheeseburger spring rolls in the hot oil, in batches, until they are golden crispy on the outside, and cooked on the inside. About 4 minutes. Remove the spring rolls from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. (note 3)
To serve
- Serve hot, with additional tomato sauce (ketchup) and mustard for dipping if desired.
Notes
- Oven-bake method: line cheeseburger spring rolls on a lined baking tray and brush with oil. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven at 220°C (430°F) for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden and crispy. I did not turn them halfway through and they still turned out crispy all over. Bear in mind, cheesy goodness will inevitably ooze out from the ends but totally delicious!
- Air fryer method: brush cheeseburger spring rolls with oil then place in a preheated air fryer in a single layer. Air fry at 200°C (390°F) for 10 minutes or until golden on both sides and crispy. Flip halfway to ensure crispy on both sides.
- Line rolled spring rolls neatly in a large, lined baking tray or board that can fit in your freezer. Make sure there is a little space between each roll so they do not stick together (important!). Freeze for about 1 hour (or until frozen/hard).
- Now you're good to place the frozen spring rolls stacked in air-tight containers or freezer-friendly zip-lock bags and freeze until needed.
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