These Island Egg Rolls with Cilantro Dipping Sauce Are a Flavorful Spin on a Takeout Favorite
Egg rolls are a Chinese takeout restaurant staple. Contrary to the name, they don’t contain eggs but instead are packed with shredded cabbage, carrot, and chopped pork. But @ayannacancook’s air fried island egg rolls aren’t your traditional egg rolls: She adds a Caribbean twist to the deep-fried appetizer and packs them with a range of flavors.
Start the filling by sautéing diced onions. Once the onions are glistening, you add lean ground beef and jerk seasoning (Ayanna uses the hot & spicy variation of Walkerswood traditional Jamaican jerk seasoning, so I’ll be doing the same). Once the ground beef is browned, add thyme and cooked yellow rice and black beans.
Once the filling is done, lay out the egg roll wrapper and sprinkle a bit of shredded pepper Jack cheese. Next, neatly place a couple of spoonfuls of the filling in the middle of the wrapper and top with a slice of sweet plantain and more shredded cheese. You’ll want to spread a thin layer of beaten eggs around the edges to help them stick together before you fold the wrapper.
Once the egg rolls are wrapped, place them in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 8 to 9 mins, turning them halfway. Egg rolls and duck sauce go hand in hand, but Ayanna calls for a subdued cilantro dipping sauce that nicely complements all the flavors packed in the egg roll.
Traditional egg rolls can be found next to a plate of lo mein or fried rice, but you might want to try this particular recipe with rasta pasta or a jerk chicken rice bowl.