Everything tastes better wrapped in an egg roll wrapper! These air fryer tuna melt egg rolls are an Asian-twist on the American classic tuna cheese melt. The crunchiness of the celery and onion paired with the herby dill and parsley flavors complement the sweet and acidic gherkin pickles, which makes for a flavor-packed tuna melt egg roll! These egg rolls are high in protein and made healthy-ish, using an air fryer instead of a deep fryer! Yep--that means no pot of oil needed!
These cheesy air fryer tuna melt egg rolls are inspired by my viral pizza egg rolls. They're great for any party, game day, or gathering! These are a little "guilt-free" because they're higher in protein, so technically they're "better for you," right?
I made assembling these tuna melt egg rolls even easier by ordering my groceries from Hungryroot (affiliate link). I schedule delivery to my door the day prior to an event. Then, I just made the filling the night before and they'll be ready for rolling in the morning!
Note: I specifically grabbed my favorite egg roll wrappers from the Asian market near me but you can use any egg roll wrapper available near you!
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Ingredients
- Canned tuna: This makes the recipe easy and high in protein. Choose good quality canned tuna, soaked in olive oil or avocado oil. I'm using the SafeCatch Ahi Wild Yellowfin Tuna in Avocado Oil which packs a whooping 36 grams of protein per tin. Be sure to drain it well, so the egg roll won't be soggy!
- Egg Roll Wrapper: I usually use the Wei Chuan Spring Roll Shells because they get the crispiest in the air fryer, but I was unable to find them for this recipe. They're light and not doughy like other egg roll wrappers, but any egg roll wrapper can work!
- Red Onion: Diced small enough but not too fine that they become mushy.
- Celery: To add a nice crunch to the tuna texture.
- Mayonnaise: For a little creaminess and some tangy fat. It is also the base for our sauce, which will help with the dryness that often comes with canned tuna.
- Gherkin Pickles: The slight sweetness in the gherkins balance out the acidity.
- Cheddar Cheese: A cheddar cheese stick is ideal since I've found that they are less likely to ooze out but still melt just enough to get that gooey center we're looking for.
- Lemon: Adds brightness and acidity to the sauce.
- Parsley and dill: Adds a fresh herby flavor.
- Kosher Salt: Salt to taste. You may need to reduce the salt if using iodized or other types of salt.
- Pepper: I like to use a mix of red pepper flakes and ground black pepper for a nice kick.
- Oil: To brush the egg roll wrappers, so they can get crispy!
- Egg: An egg wash will ensure a good seal on the egg roll wrappers.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment You'll Need
- Air fryer or a convection oven to ensure crispiness, with minimal oil
How To Make Air Fryer Tuna Melt Egg Rolls
Step 1: In a bowl, add tuna, mayonnaise, gherkins, celery, onion, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, dill, and parsley.
Step 2: Mix everything together, using a fork to break up the tuna into smaller pieces.
Step 3: To assemble, place an egg roll wrapper on a dry board, angled so one of the corners is pointing down towards you. Take the bottom corner and fold it ⅓ of the way to the top of the egg roll wrapper.
Step 4: Place the tuna mixture and the cheddar cheese stick on the folded corner.
Step 5: Fold the right corner of the egg roll wrapper towards the center, so it is on top of the tuna and cheese mixture. Do the same for the left side.
Step 6: Pinch the bottom of the egg roll wrapper while you begin tightly rolling the egg roll wrapper up until there is an inch of egg roll wrapper remaining.
Step 7: Mix together the egg and water to make an egg wash and brush the egg wash on the top corner of the egg roll wrapper. Continue rolling to seal shut.
Step 8: Generously spray or brush oil onto all of the egg rolls and air fry at 400F for 5-6 minutes until golden and crispy, flipping halfway.
Step 9: Make the sauce by mixing together the mayonnaise, pickle or lemon juice, ketchup and diced gherkins. Top the egg rolls with Parmesan cheese, as desired and enjoy immediately with sauce!
Top Tip
Drain and dry all ingredients in the filling. Pat dry the pickles so they aren't too damp. Pat dry the celery and herbs. Thoroughly drain the tuna. This will ensure the egg roll wrapper won't get soggy, which will ensure a crispier egg roll!
Variations and Substitutions
- Wrapper: Make this a tuna melt wrap by substituting the egg roll wrapper with your favorite tortilla or a just a tuna cheese melt by adding it in between two slices of your favorite bread! For a gluten-free wrap, substitute with gluten-free rice paper.
- Lemon: If you don't want to buy a whole lemon for this, you can substitute with pickle juice.
- Pickles: Regular pickles will be a little too acidic in place of sweet gherkins and bread and butter pickles will be too moist. I personally would not substitute out sweet gherkins but let me know in the comments if you do!
Storage
Do not pre-roll these egg rolls, since they will not hold up well. Roll them right before cooking and be sure to refrigerate the filling separately in an air tight container in the fridge, up to 5 days.
FAQ
I have not tried this with other tinned fish, aside from different types of canned tuna. If you do, please let me know how it is in the comments!
Excess moisture in the egg rolls will cause the egg rolls to expand when cooking, which results in egg rolls exploding. Be sure to pat dry any excess moisture before rolling. The filling should be rather dry and crumbly.
MORE RECIPES TO TRY
If you loved this, be sure to check out my other tinned fish recipe!
Air Fryer Tuna Melt Egg Roll
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 5 oz canned tuna drained, pat dry
- 1 large celery stalks finely diced, pat dry
- 3 tablespoon sweet gherkins finely diced, pat dry
- 3 tablespoon red onion finely diced, pat dry
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon parsley finely minced, pat dry
- 1 teaspoon dill finely minced, pat dry
- 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
- 8-10 egg roll wrappers
- 5 oz cheddar cheese sticks halved
- Parmesan cheese optional, for garnishing
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Sauce
- 3 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon pickle juice or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon sweet gherkin finely diced
Instructions
- In a bowl, add tuna, mayonnaise, gherkins, celery, onion, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, dill, and parsley.
- Mix everything together, using a fork to break up the tuna into smaller pieces. It should be fairly crumbly and dry.
- To assemble, place an egg roll wrapper on a dry board, angled so one of the corners is pointing down towards you. Take the bottom corner and fold it ⅓ of the way to the top of the egg roll wrapper.
- Place the tuna mixture and the cheddar cheese stick on the folded corner.
- Fold the right corner of the egg roll wrapper towards the center, so it is on top of the tuna and cheese mixture. Do the same for the left side.
- Pinch the bottom of the egg roll wrapper while you begin tightly rolling the egg roll wrapper up until there is an inch of egg roll wrapper remaining.
- Mix together the egg and water to make an egg wash and brush the egg wash on the top corner of the egg roll wrapper. Continue rolling to seal shut.
- Generously spray or brush oil onto all of the egg rolls and air fry at 400F for 5-6 minutes until golden and crispy, flipping halfway.
- Make the sauce by mixing together the mayonnaise, pickle or lemon juice, ketchup and diced gherkins. Top the egg rolls with Parmesan cheese, as desired and enjoy immediately with sauce!
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