These delicious and crispy air fryer Reuben egg rolls are the perfect way to use up leftover corned beef. Take that leftover St. Patrick’s Day feast and turn it into crunchy, cheesy egg rolls instead. They’re a great appetizer, snack, or even an easy lunch.
Air fryer Reuben egg rolls are such a great way to use up leftover corned beef, so you don’t even feel like you’re eating leftovers. That said, they work great with deli corned beef and pastrami, so you can make them any time you have a craving.
I love that you can wrap a big batch of these up and then cook them as needed. They store great in a Tupperware in the fridge, and I’m sure you could freeze them too.
Since these egg rolls only take about 10 minutes (or less) to cook, it makes them perfectly easy to whip up for a snack, app, or even lunch. Leave some for your kids (or spouse) to heat up when they’re hungry. It’s so convenient!
12 Egg roll wrappers (or 36 wonton wrappers for mini egg rolls)
½ pound corned beef, shredded or thinly sliced
6 slices swiss cheese, cut into approximately ½” squares
¾ cup sauerkraut (drained)
6 Tablespoons Thousand Island dressing (plus additional for dipping)
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations
Egg roll wrappers can be swapped for the smaller wonton wrappers for mini egg rolls. Both are found in the refrigerated section with Asian foods. Alternatively, rice paper or spring roll wrapper may be used
Instead of corned beef, you can use pastrami, beef brisket, or sliced turkey instead
Swiss cheese is most common, but you can use other varieties of swiss or sub in another mild cheese like mozzarella or Monterey Jack if desired
The sauerkraut may be substituted for regular or pickled cabbage, or coleslaw. If you’re using sliced turkey, adding coleslaw here makes a Rachel variation.
For the Thousand Island dressing, you may swap in Russian dressing, “secret” burger sauce, French dressing, or even ranch in a pinch
How to Cook Reuben Egg Rolls in an Air Fryer
In a medium mixing bowl, combine corned beef, cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing. Stir to combine and evenly distribute everything
Using your fingers, wet the outside perimeter of your egg roll wrapper
For a full size egg roll, place about 3T of the filling mixture near one corner of the wrapper. For a wonton (mini egg roll) wrapper, use 1T instead
Fold the closest corner of the wrapper over top of the filling, and press down to secure it against the base of the wrapper
Next, fold the right and left sides of the wrapper inwards so they meet in the middle
Roll the filling pouch forward, up over the remaining top corner
Repeat until all egg rolls are rolled
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
Place the egg rolls in the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer
Spritz the top of the egg rolls with a little olive oil or similar to give them extra browning (optional)
Cook for 8-10 minutes at 400°F, stopping halfway through to flip egg rolls and reapply oil if desired, until outside is browned
Yes, you can freeze Rueben egg rolls for up to a month.
There’s no need to defrost them ahead of time. Simply add 5 extra minutes to cooking time in your air fryer to account for cooking them from frozen.
How Do You Reheat a Reuben Egg Roll?
To reheat an already cooked Reuben egg roll, cook in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes at 400°F to warm through.
Make sure to flip them halfway to prevent one side from getting soggy.
What is the Best Dipping Sauce for Reuben Egg Rolls?
The best dipping sauce for Reuben egg rolls is traditionally Thousand Island or Russian dressing.
Other less common alternatives are: French dressing, ranch dressing, secret burger sauce, horseradish sauce, cheese sauce, spinach and artichoke dip, or mustard.
Recipe Expert Advice
You don’t have to cut your ingredients up if you don’t want to. Use a half slice of cheese and a slice of beef in each egg roll. However, cutting it into smaller pieces helps distribute more evenly so you get a little of everything in each bite, and it’s easier to eat because the meat is less chewy
If you swap wonton wrappers to make mini egg rolls like I did, it’s a 3:1 ratio versus full size egg rolls. So, you’ll get about 36 mini or 12 large. If you’re adjusting your ingredient amounts to make more or less, adjust accordingly
Make sure when adding the filling, you do not mound or pack the Tablespoon. Doing so will cause you to overstuff the egg roll. Just a loose, even scoop works best
Should you overpack it accidentally, the best way to fix it is by wrapping it again. Wet another wrapper, place the first egg roll on seam side down in place of filling, and wrap it again. This should prevent it from falling apart
It is normal for some of your egg rolls to leak slightly during cooking. They still taste great!
This Reuben egg rolls air fryer recipe is a great way to use up leftover corned beef, but is also great anytime of year with deli meat. Nice, crispy egg roll wrappers give way to salty meat, melted cheese, acidic kraut, and creamy dressing. It’s the perfect bite!
Whether you go with full sized rolls or make the smaller mini egg rolls with wonton wrappers, they all come out delicious! Enjoy them as a snack or appetizer, or pair them with some sides for a complete meal. Yum!
12Egg roll wrappers(or 36 wonton wrappers for mini egg rolls)
½Poundcorned beefshredded or thinly sliced
6Slicesswiss cheesecut into approximately ½” squares
¾Cupsauerkraut(drained)
6TbspThousand Island dressing(plus additional for dipping)
Nonstick or oil spray(optional)
Instructions
In a medium mixing bowl, combine corned beef, cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing. Stir to combine and evenly distribute everything
½ Pound corned beef, 6 Slices swiss cheese, ¾ Cup sauerkraut, 6 Tbsp Thousand Island dressing
Using your fingers, wet the outside perimeter of your egg roll wrapper
12 Egg roll wrappers
For a full size egg roll, place about 3T of the filling mixture near one corner of the wrapper. For a wonton (mini egg roll) wrapper, use 1T instead
Fold the closest corner of the wrapper over top of the filling, and press down to secure it against the base of the wrapper
Next, fold the right and left sides of the wrapper inwards so they meet in the middle
Roll the filling pouch forward, up over the remaining top corner
Repeat until all egg rolls are rolled
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
Place the egg rolls in the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer
Spritz the top of the egg rolls with a little olive oil or similar to give them extra browning (optional)
Nonstick or oil spray
Cook for 8-10 minutes at 400°F, stopping halfway through to flip egg rolls and reapply oil if desired, until outside is browned
Serve with additional dressing for dipping
Notes
You can use regular egg roll wrappers or the smaller wonton wrappers for mini egg rolls. Both are found in the refrigerated section with Asian foods. Alternatively, rice paper or spring roll wrapper may be used
Instead of corned beef, you can use pastrami, beef brisket, or sliced turkey instead
Swiss cheese is most common, but you can use other varieties of swiss or sub in another mild cheese like mozzarella or Monterey Jack if desired
The sauerkraut may be substituted for regular or pickled cabbage, or coleslaw. If you’re using sliced turkey, adding coleslaw here makes a Rachel variation.
For the Thousand Island dressing, you may swap in Russian dressing, “secret” burger sauce, French dressing, or even ranch in a pinch
If you don’t want to cut your ingredients up, use a half slice of cheese and a slice of beef in each egg roll. However, cutting it into smaller pieces helps distribute more evenly so you get a little of everything in each bite, and it’s easier to eat because the meat is less chewy
If you swap wonton wrappers to make mini egg rolls like I did, it’s a 3:1 ratio versus full size egg rolls. So, you’ll get about 36 mini to 12 large. If you’re adjusting your ingredient amounts to make more or less, adjust accordingly
Make sure when adding the filling, you do not mound or pack the Tablespoon. Doing so will cause you to overstuff the egg roll. Just a loose, even scoop works best
Should you overpack it accidentally, the best way to fix it is by wrapping it again. Wet another wrapper, place the first egg roll on seam side down in place of filling, and wrap it again. This should prevent it from falling apart
It is normal for some of your egg rolls to leak slightly during cooking. They still taste great!
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand of ingredients, substitutions, additional sauces, and total quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
