Cheeseburger Spring Rolls with Burger Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Everything you love about a diner cheeseburger — seasoned beef, melted American cheese, griddled onion, tangy pickle — packed into shatteringly crisp fried spring rolls. The trick is cooking the filling first and chilling it hard: a cold, firm filling means the wrappers seal tight, fry golden in three minutes, and never blow out in the oil. Served with a thick, tangy burger sauce for dunking.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp finely chopped dill pickles
• 1 tsp pickle brine
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1 lb ground beef, 80/20
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1/3 cup finely chopped dill pickles, patted dry
• 6 slices American cheese, torn into small pieces
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

• 12 spring roll wrappers (8-inch, wheat-based, thawed)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp water
• 6 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
• flaky salt, for finishing
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional, for a burger-bun look)

Instructions

1. Make the burger sauce first so it can chill: whisk the mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, chopped pickles, pickle brine, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne in a small bowl until smooth. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Add the diced onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly browned at the edges.
3. Add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Season with the kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Cook 7 to 9 minutes, mashing the beef into fine crumbles, until no pink remains and the bottom of the pan is browned.
4. Stir in the Worcestershire and yellow mustard and cook 1 minute more. Tilt the pan and spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat — excess grease is the #1 cause of blowouts. Remove from heat.
5. Spread the beef on a rimmed sheet pan in a thin layer and refrigerate 20 minutes, until no longer steaming and cool to the touch (below 70°F). Do not skip this: warm filling melts the wrappers and steams them open in the fryer.
6. Scrape the cooled beef into a bowl. Fold in the dried chopped pickles, torn American cheese, and shredded cheddar. Press and squeeze the mixture with a spatula so it clumps together, then chill another 15 minutes, until firm enough to scoop into a compact log. Divide into 12 equal portions (about 1/4 cup each).
7. Whisk the flour and water into a smooth paste for sealing. Working with one wrapper at a time on a dry surface, set it as a diamond with a point facing you. Place a portion of filling in a 4-inch log across the lower third. Fold the bottom point up over the filling, fold both sides in tightly like an envelope, then roll up snugly, brushing the top point with flour paste to seal. Keep the roll tight with no air pockets. Repeat with remaining wrappers, keeping the stack covered with a damp towel.
8. Chill the finished rolls on a parchment-lined tray, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes (or up to 4 hours) to set the seams.
9. Pour the frying oil into a heavy 4-quart pot to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 350°F on a clip-on thermometer. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan nearby.
10. Fry 3 to 4 rolls at a time, seam side down first, for 3 to 4 minutes total, turning once, until deep golden and blistered. Keep the oil between 340°F and 360°F, adjusting the burner between batches. Transfer to the rack, sprinkle immediately with flaky salt and a few sesame seeds.
11. Rest 3 minutes — the cheese inside is molten. Cut each roll in half on a sharp diagonal and serve hot with the chilled burger sauce.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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