If you've ever been to a Chinese restaurant, I'm sure you've been stuck the next day trying to figure out how to reheat egg rolls that you have leftover. There are multiple different ways you can use depending on the equipment you have and effort you put in. Regardless of your method of choice, we'll provide you with step-by-step instructions to help you along the way!
A typical meal of Chinese food usually consists of a serving of orange chicken or sesame chicken, with green beans and rice on the side. But if you're like me, then you always grab an appetizer of egg rolls along the way. Unfortunately, you don't always finish them because everything else tastes so good.
Reheating the leftover egg rolls can be tricky if not done the right way. Follow along with this article to find the reheating method that works best for you.
How to Reheat Egg Rolls in the Air Fryer *Best Method*
For me personally, this is the best way for getting crispy egg rolls as if you were at the restaurant. Air fryer egg rolls are blasted with swirling hot air, which ensures even heating throughout and are ready in a pretty short amount of time. You can use a toaster oven that has an "air fry" setting if you don't have an air fryer.
- Put the cold egg rolls in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Make sure they are evenly spaced if you have multiple.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes at 375-400 degrees F or until the egg roll wrapper is golden brown. The cooking time will depend on the size of the egg rolls and how many rolls you have, so check periodically every 5 minutes.
- While you're waiting, lay a paper towel over your leftover to-go container from the restaurant or a clean plate. The reheating process will bring out some of the excess oil and the paper towel can help remove it.
- Once it's ready, pull out the hot egg rolls using kitchen tongs and place it over the paper towel on the plate. Use the edges of the paper towel to dab them to get even more oil. Let it sit for 1 minute to cool and enjoy with your dipping sauce!
How to Reheat Egg Rolls in the Oven
Similar to the air fryer, using the oven method is an excellent way for reheating egg rolls, especially if you want that nice crispy texture.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Put the egg rolls on the baking tray and throw them in the oven once it's hot and cook for 10-15 minutes. Check periodically and flip them at the halfway mark.
- Once it's ready, carefully pull out the baking sheet using oven mitts or a cloth towel and put it on the stove and let it cool for a minute.
- Place your reheated egg rolls on the plate with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
How to Reheat a Bloomin Onion in the Microwave
The microwave method is the easiest way to reheat your leftovers. It won't give the best results, but as a last resort it is a great way to save time for a quick lunch or midday snack.
- Place your egg rolls on a microwave-safe plate and put them in the microwave.
- You'll want to heat in intervals to make sure it heats evenly throughout and to avoid overheating in some areas. Cook it for about 30 seconds the first time. Then shuffle them around the plate and cook for another 30 seconds. If it needs more, flip it over again and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Remove the plate from the microwave and let it sit for a minute before enjoying allowing the hot oil to cool. Sit down with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
How to Reheat a Bloomin Onion on the Stove
Reheating your soggy egg rolls on the stove is a little bit more work but still an effective method for getting good results.
- Put the egg rolls into the pan and start to cook on medium heat. There's no need to add any extra oil because there's plenty in the outer shell already.
- After every 3 minutes, slightly rotate the egg roll a quarter turn using metal tongs or a fork. Imagine the egg roll is a square and turn it on each of its sides.
- Once you've cooked them a total of 12 minutes and the shell is golden brown, transfer to a plate. Let it cool for 1 minute, then enjoy!
How to Reheat a Bloomin Onion in the Deep Fryer
Deep frying egg rolls is not the easiest option, but it is great if you want them to taste brand new and restaurant quality.
- Start by pulling out your deep fryer and pour in enough oil that it meets the fill line on the inside of the deep fryer. Turn on the deep fryer to 400 degrees or on high heat.
- Once the deep fryer has indicated that it's ready, gently drop the egg rolls into the hot oil.
- While that is cooking, take a couple sheets of paper towel and lay it over your leftover to-go container from the restaurant or a clean plate. The paper towel will help remove the excess oil.
- After 3-5 minutes, grab the egg rolls with metal tongs and check the color and crispiness.
- Once they're hot and crispy, pull them out and place them on the paper towels that are on the plate. You can even grab a few extra and dab the tops and sides to remove even more oil.
- After they have sat for 1 minute, it is ready to serve. Grab your leftover sauce and enjoy!
How to Properly Store Leftover Egg Rolls
If you don't plan on eating your leftover egg rolls within the next day, you should definitely transfer them from the to-go container you got from the restaurant and into a better option.
Take out the plastic wrap from the cabinet and wrap up the egg rolls a few times over. Then put them in a glass or plastic airtight container with a lid that has a good seal and store that in the fridge.
If you don't know when you will want your egg rolls again, prepare them for storage the same way but put them in the freezer. They should last for up to a couple months.
How to Reheat Frozen Egg Rolls
You can use the air fryer, oven, microwave, or stove top pan to reheat egg rolls from frozen. Do NOT deep fry frozen egg rolls, the moisture will react with the oil and will cause dangerous reactions.
For any of the other four methods, double the recommended heating time as a good starting point and check periodically. As stated before, the precise cook time will vary based on the thickness of the egg rolls and how many you have.
Tips for Making your Leftover Egg Rolls Better
- More Sauce! One of the best parts about eating egg rolls is the dip that comes with it! Before leaving the restaurant, be sure to order more. If you didn't, there are plenty of articles online explaining how to make it. Or you could just use a store-bought sweet chili sauce or sriracha that you have in the fridge.
- Start Reheating from Room Temperature: By pulling out your egg rolls 15 mins prior to reheating, you're giving it time to warm up naturally which will help with the overall reheating process. Don't worry if you didn't do this, reheating from cold will still work just fine, it will just take a little bit longer.
- Don't Overcook! The worst thing that could happen is you burn your egg rolls during the reheating process and ruin them. Be sure to pay close attention throughout the time its heating up to ensure it turns out perfect.
5 Methods on How to Reheat Egg Rolls
5 Ways to Reheat Egg Rolls
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- egg rolls
Instructions
- Put the cold egg rolls in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Make sure they are evenly spaced if you have multiple.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes at 375-400 degrees F or until the egg roll wrapper is golden brown. The cooking time will depend on the size of the egg rolls and how many rolls you have, so check periodically every 5 minutes.
- While you're waiting, lay a paper towel over your leftover to-go container from the restaurant or a clean plate. The reheating process will bring out some of the excess oil and the paper towel can help remove it.
- Once it's ready, pull out the hot egg rolls using kitchen tongs and place it over the paper towel on the plate. Use the edges of the paper towel to dab them to get even more oil. Let it sit for 1 minute to cool and enjoy with your dipping sauce!
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