Egg rolls are the perfect vessel for turning just about any leftover food into something new and different our taste buds seek out for a change of flavor. You can stuff them full of meats and veggies before frying them until crispy golden brown umami heaven in a just a few steps and minutes. Today's recipe, Reuben Egg Rolls, can be used to finish off those St. Patrick's Day corned beef leftovers or really any time of the year because they are just that tasty! Paired with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, once fried these Reuben Egg Rolls can be dipped in a homemade spicy Thousand Island dressing for the ultimate Reuben experience. Whether you love egg rolls, Reuben sandwiches, or just need to finish off the leftover corned beef, this recipe is the one for you....Let's Get Cooking!
While you certainly can use store-bought Thousand Island dressing, my homemade version has a ton more flavor with a bit of heat rounding out the perfect dipping sauce for these Reuben Egg Rolls. In order to make the sauce, finely dice the white onion and combine it with mayonnaise, sweet relish, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, and sugar in a bowl. Mix well before seasoning with a dash of salt and pepper. These flavors will better combine after some time resting in the refrigerator so cover the bowl or transfer the dressing to a jar with sealable lid. I do suggest making this Thousand Island dressing the day before to give all those flavors ample time to fuse together for the perfect dipping sauce!
With the dipping sauce out of the way, we can move onto the egg roll filling. Dice the corned beef and Swiss cheese into small pieces. If you are using leftover corned beef, simply break it down into tiny cubes. You can also used sliced corned beef from your local deli if you just have a hankering for a Reuben Egg Roll one random day. Stack the slices and cut them into small pieces. Either block-style or sliced Swiss cheese works for this recipe and should be diced into similar sized pieces. Remember, you are filling an egg roll, so the smaller the better, but not so small you lose all that wonderful texture.
The last component of any great Reuben sandwich is the sauerkraut. It provides that pickled vinegar/fermented component that offsets the rich and fatty corned beef making a well-balanced flavor profile. Any sauerkraut will do so make your own or use store-bought, but spend a few minutes and drain all the excess liquids. Go as far as placing the sauerkraut in a paper or kitchen towel and squeezing all the juices until the shredded cabbage is practically dry. No one wants a soggy, sad egg roll so do not skip this step! Once completely drained, add it to the bowl with the corned beef and cheese and mix everything together.
Now I hope by this point in everyone's lives they can roll a burrito or egg roll, but just in case the process is outlined in the recipe card and pictured below. Depending on your rolling skills, you should be able to get about 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling into each wrapper. The main point is to get it full and tightly wrapped as possible. Add the filling, bring the bottom corner up and over, fold over and tuck in the sides, and finish rolling the remainder of the wrapper. Whisk an egg white to dip your fingers and run along the final seam to close each egg roll. You don't want these coming apart in the fryer and making a huge mess. Speaking of which, start preheating your oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit while you make all the egg rolls.
Fry the Reuben Egg Rolls, in batches of 2 to 3, for about 3 to 4 minutes, until golden, brown, and delicious! You can also use an Air Fryer set to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to lightly spray each egg roll on all sides with some cooking oil and leave space between to help crisp them up. Depending on your Air Fryer, each batch should take about 8-10 minutes.
Drain any excess oil and serve these Reuben Egg Rolls hot with that chilled, spicy Thousand Island Dressing we made earlier. Like I said, these are great for using up leftovers, but every once in a while, they are nice to swap out with a traditional Reuben sandwich using deli meat. Enjoy these Reuben Egg Rolls whenever you like, as a snack or finger food for a family get together or barbecue. Be sure to make a big batch because once people get a taste of these delicious egg rolls, they will be quickly asking for more. The next time you crave a Reuben sandwich or have leftover corned beef, get in the kitchen and make a batch of these for everyone to enjoy....Just Keep Cooking!
REUBEN EGG ROLLS
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