Air Fryer Pizza Rolls are everything you remember loving about the traditional frozen pizza rolls... but even better! They are filled with melty mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and air fried until they are perfectly brown and crispy.
I think it's obvious that pizza rolls in the air fryer are the perfect game-day food or party app. When I was testing the recipe though, they were also a great option for lunch for the kids! They're so simple to make that they can also work as an easy after school snack.
My Air Fryer Pizza Roll recipe is inspired by premade frozen pizza rolls that you buy at the grocery store. When coming up with the recipe though, I wanted to up level them and make them appealing to both kids AND adults. Wrapping them in an egg roll wrapper definitely accomplished that!
Air fried pizza rolls would go really well with some of my other party appetizers like my Pinwheel Sandwiches, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries and my Ground Turkey Quesadilla.
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Recipe Highlights
- Party apps! They're the perfect game day or party appetizer!
- Few ingredients! Homemade pizza rolls are made with only 7 simple ingredients.
- Easy to customize! Not a fan of pepperoni? Leave it out and add some veggies instead!
- Great for grown ups! These are the perfect "grown up" version of the pizza roll that is still simple enough for the kids!
Ingredients
- Egg roll wrappers - I have only tested these out with the Nasoya egg roll wraps which also happen to be vegan. This is the brand that is most commonly available at all of the grocery stores near me.
- Mozzarella cheese - I purchased pre-shredded mozzarella cheese for a time-saving convenience. You can certainly shred your own though!
- Pizza Sauce - If you don't have pizza sauce then marinara sauce is the perfect substitute. I like to always keep a few jars of pizza sauce on hand in my pantry though because there are so many different ways to make a quick "pizza." You don't need traditional pizza dough to make a pizza. You can make pizza with sandwich wraps, English muffins, bagels, portabella mushrooms and now you know how to make them with egg roll wraps too!
- Pepperoni - A shelf stable pepperoni is also handy to keep in the pantry. The Applegate brand of pepperoni does not need to be kept in the refrigerator until it is opened. Applegate is my preferred brand!
- Garlic powder & oregano - Dried garlic powder and dried oregano increase the flavor of these pizza rolls (air fryer). If you don't have these ingredients on hand though, then you can easily leave them out.
- Olive oil - The olive oil is used at the end of pizza roll assembly. I lightly rub the outside of the rolls with olive oil before they go in the air fryer.
*See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment needed
- Air fryer - This is obvious since this is an air fryer recipe. Here is the air fryer that I currently use. So far I love it! We have a big family so I knew I needed a bigger unit (6 quarts). It's easy to clean and is doing it's job!
- Medium-sized mixing bowl
- 2 small bowls
- Cutting board and chopping knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
How to make
- Mix the shredded mozzarella, chopped pepperoni, pizza sauce, garlic powder and dried oregano in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Put the olive oil in a small, separate bowl. The olive oil will be used to oil the outside of the egg rolls before they go into the air fryer. You'll also need to have a small bowl of water to dip your fingers in to moisten the top edge of the egg roll right before you finish rolling it up. This will help the egg roll wrapper stay closed.
- The photos below fully demonstrate how to fill and roll your pizza roll. Resist the urge to overstuff the wrapper. I found that 3 loosely filled, level tablespoons was the perfect amount.
- When you get to the final step in the stuffing and rolling process, lightly moisten your fingertips with water. Brush the water on the outer edges of the egg roll wrapper. Then complete your roll and press the edge to seal it up.
- Before putting the pizza rolls into the air fryer, lightly brush the top, bottom and sides with olive oil. You can use a pastry brush or your fingertips.
- Place the pizza rolls into your air fryer in an even layer with a little bit of space between each roll. Cook the rolls at 380°F for 6 minutes. Open the air fryer up, turn the rolls over and continue cooking them for another 2 minutes. You will probably have to cook your pizza rolls in two batches.
Variations
The different pizza flavor combinations you can create with the filling are endless!
- Spicy - Add chili pepper flakes!
- Vegetarian - Add peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, black olives or spinach!
- Kid friendly - Keep it simple and stick with plain cheese.
- Meat lovers - Add sausage, pepperoni, ham and bacon.
- Specialty - Recreate your favorite specialty pizza like buffalo chicken or BBQ chicken pizza.
Expert tips
- Do not overfill the pizza rolls! Less is definitely more in this situation. As they cook, the cheese expands a bit as it melts and all the ingredients warm up. With too much filling in there, it will start to seep out of the edges. I found that 3 level, loosely packed tablespoons was the ideal amount.
- Let the pizza rolls cool down for about 10-15 minutes before eating! They are incredibly hot and steamy on the inside and the sauce is piping hot!
- Don't forget to preheat your air fryer if you have an air fryer model that requires preheating!
Storage and reheating
How to store: Store leftover pizza egg rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
How to reheat: Reheat in the air fryer, microwave on the stovetop in a small frying pan.
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📖 Recipe
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Air Fryer Pizza Rolls {Homemade}
Air Fryer Pizza Rolls are everything you remember loving about the traditional frozen pizza rolls... but even better! They are filled with melty mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and air fried until they are perfectly brown and crispy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: appetizer, lunch
- Method: air frying
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese - shredded
- 1 cup pepperoni slices - diced
- ⅔ cup pizza sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 12 egg roll wrappers
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the cheese, pepperoni, pizza sauce, garlic and oregano.
- Pour the olive oil into a small bowl and set aside. Pour about ¼ cup of water into another small bowl and set that aside too.
- Start stuffing and rolling the pizza rolls. See the photos in the post for step-by-step visual instructions.
- Place 1 roll, laid flat and turned so that it is no longer a square and is now a diamond shape.
- Scoop 3 level, loosely packed tablespoons of filling onto the egg roll wrapper. Place it in the bottom ½ of the wrapper.
- Roll the pizza roll by first folding the bottom corner up towards the center. Then fold the left corner to the center followed by the right corner.
- Start rolling the egg roll. Before rolling the final edge over, moisten your fingertips with water, wet the edge of the egg roll wrapper and then seal the edges shut.
- Continue stuffing and rolling the pizza rolls until you have rolled all 12 rolls. Brush the tops, bottoms and sides of all of the pizza rolls with olive oil.
- Some air fryers require preheating. Make sure to preheat your air fryer first if your air fryer requires it. Place the pizza rolls in the air fryer. The pizza rolls should be in a single layer and spaced apart. Cook them at 380°F for 6 minutes. Flip them over and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. You will most likely need to cook them in batches. I have a 6 quart air fryer and had to cook them in 2 batches.
- Let cool before serving. They will be very hot!
Notes
- Let cool before serving.
- Preheat your air fryer if your air fryer requires it.
- Do not overstuff the egg rolls. Less is more.
- I used a 6 quart air fryer and had to cook these in 2 batches.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have never tried to cook the boxed version of pizza rolls. A quick search on Google shows that the cooking temperature and time is very similar to what I have listed in this recipe.
You may have not cooked them long enough or you may have overfilled your air fryer.
You may have over stuffed them and caused the sauce and cheese to seep out of the edges.
Katie says
These are so yummy and fun to make!