These reuben egg rolls take everything you love about a classic deli-style Reuben (corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and thousand island) wrapped up in a crispy, golden egg roll wrapper. They're savory, cheesy, perfectly tangy, and incredibly satisfying.
Served with a quick homemade thousand island dipping sauce (you can also go for a russian dressing if that's your go-to for reuben's), these make a delicious, crowd-pleasing appetizer for game days, holidays, or any time you're craving something crispy and comforting.
It's the perfect way to use up any leftover corned beef from St. Patrick's Day, right alongside these reuben hand pies, cheesy, reuben dip, or corned beef fritters! Or, go all in on the holiday and make some shepherd's pie potatoes right alongside them.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Crispy and cheesy - the egg roll wrappers fry up perfectly crisp around the melty swiss and savory, salty corned beef and it all comes together with the dip!
Classic reuben flavor - sauerkraut and caraway add that signature deli-style taste to these crispy egg rolls.
"Frying" options - while I love to go for the deep-fried option, these also bake up perfectly crisp in the oven or air fryer!
Ingredients
- Corned beef. Use leftover corned beef or go grab some from the deli. I like to order it thick-sliced if you have to get it from the deli!
- Swiss cheese. Use sliced swiss cheese and chop it up for the best melt-factor. Pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt as well (it contains additives).
- Sauerkraut. Any variety you like will work, just squeeze it out super well.
- Caraway seeds. This imparts that "rye bread" flavor. It's optional, but I definitely recommend it!
- Egg roll wrappers. Store-bought wrappers work perfectly and can usually be found in the refrigerated section by the produce or specialty items.
- Flour. This mixes with water to create a paste to "glue" the wrappers together after rolling. It helps prevent any spillage during the frying process.
- Neutral oil. Canola oil or vegetable oil are perfect for frying up the eggrolls until totally crisp.
- Thousand island dip. I prefer this over russian dressing, so you can use or make whichever you prefer!
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Corned beef: swap for pastrami, or even turkey pastrami for a lighter version.
- Swiss cheese: use gruyere, provolone, or mozzarella.
- Add-ins: try a thin smear of spicy brown mustard on the inside of the wrapper for extra zing!
How to Make This Recipe
One: Mix together all ingredients for the thousand island dip and refrigerate.
Two: Mix together all prepped ingredients for the egg roll filling.
Three: Add flour paste to all edges of the egg roll wrapper.
Four: Add reuben filling to the center of the wrapper.
Five: Wrap the egg roll completely to seal.
Six: Repeat with all egg rolls. Cover with a damp paper towel and work in batches.
Seven: Add a few egg rolls to the hot oil at a time, frying in batches.
Eight: Remove the egg rolls when very golden and let them drain and dry on a wire rack or paper towels. Serve warm with the dip!
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Expert Tips
- Squeeze the sauerkraut dry. Too much moisture will make them soggy or can even burst the rolls.
- Don't overfill. A small log of filling rolls neatly (without cracking) and stays sealed during cooking.
- Seal well. Press gently along the seams, or even add an extra swipe of flour paste to ensure it's fully closed.
- Use an oil thermometer. Oil that's too hot will burn the wrappers before the inside is melty, and too cool will make them greasy.
- Fry in batches. Overcrowding lowers the oil temperature and leads to soggy rolls.
Testing Notes
- I made a lot of mistakes while making these crab rangoon egg rolls, so I knew what to do this time around.
- The versions with the caraway seeds tasted much more akin to a classic reuben. I think grinding up the seeds a bit can incorporate them more subtly if you don't love the big seeds.
- Some egg roll wrappers cracked during the rolling process. If that happened, I just gave it an extra wrap and they turned out great.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Freeze on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for 3 months. Fry directly from frozen until deeply golden.
Yes. Assemble the egg rolls and refrigerate for up to 2 days before frying. Keep covered with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap. You will need to check on the damp paper towel a few times and replace it.
Storage
Refrigerator: store cooked egg rolls for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Reheat: fry, air fry, or bake at 400°F until crisp again (wrappers won’t be as crackly as freshly fried).
Freezer: freeze assembled, uncooked egg rolls for up to 3 months. Fry straight from frozen.
What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Reuben Egg Rolls
Equipment
- Heavy bottomed pot
- Large sheet pan
- Paper towels
- Metal tongs
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Thousand Island Dip
- ¼ cup minced yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons minced dill pickle
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Egg Rolls
- ¾ lb corned beef roughly chopped
- ½ lb swiss cheese roughly chopped
- 1½ cups sauerkraut drained and squeezed dry (measure, then squeeze)
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds optional - replicates the rye bread flavor
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons water
- 10-12 eggroll wrappers
- 1 qt Canola or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Dip
- Mix together all ingredients for the dipping sauce and store covered in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.¼ cup minced yellow onion, 2 tablespoons minced dill pickle, ¾ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Egg Rolls
- In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the reuben filling.¾ lb corned beef, ½ lb swiss cheese, 1½ cups sauerkraut, 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- Mix together the flour and water until a paste forms.3 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons flour
- Working one wrapper at a time, place one wrapper down and add 3 tablespoons of filling (in a log shape) to the bottom third of the diamond. Brush all the edges with the flour paste.10-12 eggroll wrappers
- Fold the bottom corner over top of the filling, then fold the left and right sides on top. Finish rolling the wrapper upwards into a log and run your fingers along the seams to be sure it’s sealed.
- Transfer the egg roll to a baking sheet and cover with damp paper towels. Repeat with the remaining wrappers until the filling is gone.
- Add 2-3 inches of oil to a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and heat the oil until it reads 350℉ on an oil thermometer.1 qt Canola or vegetable oil
- Fry the egg rolls in batches of 3-4 (don’t overcrowd) for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and bubbles form. Rotate the egg rolls during the cooking process for even browning.
- Note: use a splatter screen if you have one, they will begin splattering once they are close to done).
- Remove to a wire rack or paper towel-lined baking sheet and continue until all egg rolls are cooked.
- Serve warm with the thousand island dipping sauce.
Notes
To air fry the egg rolls, brush all over with olive oil or a neutral oil, and air fry at 400℉ for 7-10 minutes, turning over at half. Air fry in batches so the rolls aren't touching each other. To bake the egg rolls in a conventional oven, add the egg rolls to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush all over with olive oil or neutral oil and bake in a preheated 425℉ oven for 12-18 minutes, turning them over at half. For both methods, start the cooking process with the seams down.
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