TGI Fridays Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls (Copycat Recipe)

TGI Fridays Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls are the appetizer you order before you’ve even looked at the menu — shaved steak, sweet peppers, caramelized onions, and melty provolone rolled into a crackly wrapper and served with a cool, sharp horseradish dipping sauce. This copycat recipe gets you all of it at home in about 40 minutes, for a fraction of what the restaurant charges.

I’ve made a lot of versions of this filling over the years, from Philly cheesesteak calzones to cheesesteak empanadas, and the egg roll wrapper might still be my favorite vessel for it. It crisps harder than dough, it seals completely so none of the cheese leaks out, and it takes minutes to cook.

You can deep fry these, air fry them, or bake them. All three methods are below.

What Are TGI Fridays Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls?

TGI Fridays Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls are a restaurant appetizer that takes the filling of a classic Philly cheesesteak — thin shaved beef, onions, bell peppers, and melted cheese — and wraps it in an egg roll wrapper instead of a hoagie roll. They’re fried until deep golden, sliced on the diagonal, and served standing up with a creamy horseradish sauce.

The mashup works because everything a cheesesteak needs is already inside. The wrapper gives you the crunch a soft roll never could, and because it’s sealed on all sides, the cheese stays molten right up until you bite through it.

That horseradish sauce is the part most copycat recipes leave out, and it’s the part that makes the appetizer taste like the restaurant. Sharp, cold, and tangy against a hot, rich filling — don’t skip it.

Why You’ll Love This Copycat Recipe

• Cheaper than the appetizer. One pound of steak makes about 10 egg rolls.
• It actually tastes like the restaurant version. Shaved steak instead of ground beef is the difference between “close” and “that’s it.”
• 40 minutes start to finish. Most of that is cooking the filling and rolling.
• The dipping sauce takes four minutes. Stir five things together and let it chill while you cook.
• They freeze perfectly. Roll a double batch, freeze half, and you’ve got a game-day appetizer ready to go.
• Three cooking methods. Deep fry for the closest match, air fry for less oil, bake for a big crowd.

Ingredients for Copycat TGI Fridays Cheesesteak Egg Rolls

Full measurements and the printable recipe card are at the bottom of this post.

• Shaved steak or thinly sliced ribeye — The single most important ingredient. Look for pre-shaved steak in the meat case, sometimes labeled sandwich steak. No luck? Freeze a ribeye or sirloin for 30 minutes and slice it paper-thin against the grain. It’s the same cut I reach for in my Blackstone Philly cheesesteak.
• Yellow onion — Diced small and cooked until sweet and golden.
• Green bell pepper — Classic Philly. Dice it the same size as the onion so the filling rolls evenly.
• Provolone cheese — Deli-sliced provolone, chopped. White American melts even smoother if you want that glossy cheesesteak pull.
• Cream cheese — A few tablespoons stirred into the warm filling. It binds everything so the filling doesn’t crumble out when you slice the egg roll.
• Worcestershire sauce — A splash deepens the beefy flavor.
• Garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper — Simple seasoning. The steak and onions do the work.
• Egg roll wrappers — The refrigerated ones near the produce or tofu section. Keep them under a damp towel while you roll.
• Neutral oil — Canola, vegetable, or peanut.

For the creamy horseradish sauce

• Mayonnaise and sour cream — The base.
• Prepared horseradish — Start with a tablespoon, add more to taste. This is the whole point of the sauce.
• Dijon mustard, lemon juice, pinch of salt — Cuts the richness and wakes it up.

How to Make TGI Fridays Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls

Step 1: Make the horseradish sauce first

Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, Dijon, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Taste and add more horseradish if you want more heat. Cover and refrigerate — it improves as it sits.

Step 2: Cook the peppers and onions

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the diced onion and bell pepper with a pinch of salt and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and the peppers have softened. Transfer to a bowl.

Step 3: Sear the shaved steak

Turn the heat to medium-high and add a little more oil. Lay the shaved steak in a single layer and leave it alone for a minute to get some color, then break it up and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until no pink remains. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire.

Drain off any liquid in the pan. Wet filling is the number one cause of soggy, split egg rolls.

Step 4: Build the filling

Return the vegetables to the skillet and turn off the heat. Stir in the cream cheese until it melts and coats everything, then add the chopped provolone and stir just until it starts to melt.

Spread the filling on a sheet pan and let it cool at least 15 minutes. Hot filling steams the wrappers from the inside and tears them.

Step 5: Roll the egg rolls

Set a wrapper on a clean surface in a diamond orientation, one corner pointing at you. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of filling into the center in a horizontal log.

Fold the bottom corner up over the filling and tuck it under snugly. Fold in the left and right corners like an envelope. Wet the top corner with a finger dipped in water, then roll upward, keeping it tight, and press to seal.

Keep the finished rolls and unused wrappers under a damp towel as you work.

Step 6: Fry, air fry, or bake

Deep fry (closest to TGI Fridays): Heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F. Fry 3 or 4 at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden. Drain on a wire rack, not paper towels — a rack keeps the bottoms crisp.

Air fryer: Preheat to 375°F. Brush or spray the rolls all over with oil, arrange in a single layer without touching, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway. This is the same method I use for my air fryer lasagna egg rolls and cheesy ham and pickle egg rolls, and it works every time.

Oven: Preheat to 425°F. Place the rolls seam-side down on a wire rack set in a sheet pan, brush generously with oil, and bake 18 to 20 minutes, turning once.

Step 7: Serve them like the restaurant

Rest 2 or 3 minutes, then slice each egg roll in half on a sharp diagonal and stand the halves up on the plate. Serve hot with the horseradish sauce.

Pro Tips for Perfect Cheesesteak Egg Rolls

• Use shaved steak, not ground beef. Ground beef makes a good egg roll, but it doesn’t taste like a cheesesteak. If you only have ground beef on hand, my original air fryer cheesesteak egg rolls are written for it.
• Drain the filling. Liquid left in the pan soaks the wrapper from the inside out.
• Cool the filling completely. Warm filling means torn wrappers and blowouts in the oil.
• Three tablespoons of filling is enough. It feels stingy and it isn’t. Overstuffed rolls burst.
• Roll tight. Trapped air expands with heat and splits the seams.
• Hold the oil at 350°F. Too cool and they soak up grease; too hot and the outside browns before the cheese melts.
• Fry in batches. Crowding drops the oil temperature fast.

Recipe Variations

• Make it a sandwich — The same filling is excellent on a bagel, the way I do it in these Philly cheesesteak bagel sandwiches.
• Chicken cheesesteak egg rolls — Swap in thin sliced chicken breast seasoned with paprika and garlic.
• Mushroom and Swiss — Add sliced cremini with the onions, use Swiss instead of provolone. Cook the mushrooms until fully dry first.
• Spicy cheesesteak egg rolls — Stir chopped pickled cherry peppers into the filling, or add hot sauce to the dip.
• Cheez Whiz style — Skip the provolone and cream cheese and use thick cheese sauce for a South Philly take.
• Low carb — Skip the wrappers entirely and spoon the filling into Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers instead.

How to Make Ahead, Freeze, and Reheat

Make ahead: Assemble the egg rolls up to 24 hours in advance, arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray, cover tightly, and refrigerate.

Freeze: Freeze the assembled, uncooked rolls in a single layer until solid, about 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep 3 months. Cook them straight from frozen — no thawing — and add 3 to 4 minutes.

Leftovers: Store cooked egg rolls in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 4 to 5 minutes to bring the crunch back. The microwave will make them limp.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of steak is in TGI Fridays Philly cheesesteak egg rolls? Fridays doesn’t publish their spec, but the flavor and texture line up with thin shaved beef. Shaved ribeye or sirloin gets you closest at home.

What sauce comes with TGI Fridays cheesesteak egg rolls? A creamy horseradish sauce. The version in this recipe — mayo, sour cream, prepared horseradish, Dijon, and lemon — is the closest match I’ve landed on.

Can I use spring roll wrappers instead of egg roll wrappers? Use egg roll wrappers. They’re thicker and give you the substantial, blistered crust you want. Spring roll wrappers are much thinner and produce a delicate, flaky shell that isn’t right here.

Why did my egg rolls burst open? Nearly always one of three things: the filling was too hot, there was too much of it, or the seam wasn’t sealed with water. Rolling tighter fixes most blowouts.

Can I make cheesesteak egg rolls in the air fryer? Yes — 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway, with a good coat of oil on the outside. They won’t be quite as bubbly as deep fried, but they’re excellent.

Can I make these gluten free? Gluten-free egg roll wrappers exist but are fragile and hard to find. Rice paper works as a substitute, though the texture comes out chewier than crisp.

What else can I serve them with? Warm cheese sauce, chipotle mayo, or garlicky ranch all work alongside the horseradish.

Can I use pre-cooked steak? Yes. Leftover cheesesteak filling from something like Instant Pot Philly cheesesteak sliders rolls right into wrappers — just chop it small and make sure it’s cold and well drained.

More Egg Roll Recipes

Once you’ve got a package of wrappers open, it’s hard to stop. If you’re staying on the savory side, air fryer loaded mashed potato egg rolls are the closest cousin to these — creamy, cheesy, and just as good with a dipping sauce — and air fryer breakfast egg rolls turn eggs and sausage into something you can eat with one hand on the way out the door. For dessert, the wrapper crisps up like a churro: try air fryer apple pie egg rolls rolled in cinnamon sugar, air fryer cherry cheesecake egg rolls for something a little richer, or air fryer cookie dough egg rolls if you want the one the kids ask for on repeat.