https://sweetandsavorymeals.com/cheesecake-factory-avocado-egg-rolls-copycat-recipe/Cheesecake Factory Egg Rolls Recipe
Abeg, let me tell you something.
When I first saw these avocado egg rolls on social media? I laugh. I tell myself, “Bubby, this one must be a joke.”
Because me? I grew up eating real egg rolls. My mama taught me. Vietnamese style. Pork. Mushroom. Cabbage. Fish sauce that smell up the whole kitchen. You roll them tight. You fry them dark. You dip in nước chấm. That is egg roll.
So avocado inside wrapper? With sweet sauce? I say nah. This one na food for people who no dey cook.
Then my cousin come to party with takeout box.
I say “let me just taste small.” One bite.
Bubby, I shut my mouth quick quick.
The outside crunchy like nothing else. The inside creamy but still chunky. Not smooth like guacamole. Chunky. And that sauce? Sweet. Sour. Nutty. I no fit explain am.
I eat two more without saying a word to anybody.
So I go home. I tell myself “I must crack this recipe.”
Weeks I spend. Burn wrapper. Make filling too wet. Overstuff until egg roll burst in oil like bomb. One time my sauce taste like sour mud. I almost give up.
But I no give up. And now I get am.
Come and see.
First thing: avocado
You think you know avocado. You don’t. Most people buy avocado wey be like rock or like baby food. Both of them wrong.
You need the one for middle. Press am with your thumb. E should give small but no collapse.
If e too soft? Your filling be like soup. Your egg roll go burst for oil. I do this one three times before I learn.
If e too hard? You go mash and mash and mash and still get big chunks wey no want to break.
You need three avocado. Cut them open. Remove seed. Scoop the flesh put inside bowl.
But don’t mash yet. Wait small.
The filling. This one no be guacamole.
See, people make big mistake here. They start smashing avocado like they want to make dip for party. They end up with green paste. That one na wrong.
You want chunks. Big enough to see. Big enough to feel when you chew.
So do this:
Cut your red onion very fine small small. If you leave big pieces, that onion go bite your tongue and no be sweet.
Chop your cilantro. Use the stem too. No waste am.
Dice your sun-dried tomato and cherry tomato.
Mince two garlic clove small small.
Throw everything inside the bowl with your avocado chunk.
Add one teaspoon ground cumin. Squeeze half lime. Add salt and pepper. If you want heat, add chipotle sauce. That one up to you.
Now mash. But gentle. Use potato masher or fork. Mash small, then stop. Mash small again, then stop. You still want see pieces. That is when you stop.
Taste am. Add more salt if need. Add more lime if need. Set aside.
That tamarind sauce. E be like magic.
I try these egg roll without sauce one time. Never again. Dry. Boring. Wasted.
The sauce na the thing wey make people fight for last piece.
Get your food processor. Add:
- One tablespoon tamarind puree
- Quarter cup whole cashew
- One tablespoon soy sauce
- One tablespoon honey
- Two teaspoon rice vinegar
- One teaspoon sesame oil
- Quarter cup fresh cilantro
- One tablespoon avocado oil
Now pulse am. No just hold the button and turn everything to dust. Pulse. You want am semi-smooth with small bits of cashew floating around. That texture matter.
Let am sit for five minutes before you serve. I no know why this work. Maybe the cashew soft small. Maybe the flavors just need to rest. Just do am.
Now rolling. This one na patience.
Lay your egg roll wrapper like diamond for your board. No be square. Diamond.
Take one to two tablespoon of filling. No be more than that. Don’t be greedy. Spread am into log shape for bottom third of wrapper. Make am about two inch wide.
Fold the bottom corner over the filling. Then fold left and right side like you dey close envelope. Roll am tight toward the top corner. Dip your finger for water and wet that top edge before you press am shut.
The water important. Dry wrapper no stick. Wet wrapper stick. Simple.
Repeat until you finish filling. You go get about six egg roll.
Please. I beg you. No overstuff. I learn this one the hard way. Overstuffed egg roll go burst for oil. Then you go just dey eat fried avocado chunk with spoon. That one no be egg roll. That one be sorrow.
Frying. This one wey everybody dey fear.
Get heavy pan. No be that thin nonstick wey scratch easily. Pour about one inch of neutral oil. Avocado oil. Vegetable oil. Canola. Any one dey work.
Heat am to 350 degree. If you no get thermometer? Drop small piece of wrapper inside oil. If e sizzle and float immediately, you ready. If e sink, wait more. If e burn for two second, your oil too hot. Reduce am.
Add three egg roll at a time. No crowd the pan. They need space. If you pack them together, they go stick and cook uneven.
Fry for two to three minute for first side. Flip. Two to three minute for second side. They should be golden brown. No be dark brown.
There’s no raw meat inside. So you no dey cook for safety. You dey cook for crunch and color. That’s all.
Take them out. Put them on paper towel lined plate. Let them rest for two to three minute before you cut. The filling dey hot like fire. I don burn my mouth plenty times. No be like me.
Serve am quick quick
These egg roll get short life. Within ten minute of frying, the wrapper still crispy and the filling still warm. After that, the steam inside go start to soften the shell.
Cut each roll diagonally with sharp knife. One clean motion. No dey saw back and forth. That one go crumble the wrapper.
Put sauce for small bowl for side. Garnish with extra cilantro if you have. Serve immediately.
Things wey I learn wey I no want you to suffer
If your filling too wet? You use soft avocado. Next time buy firmer one. There’s no fix once e don enter bowl except you add more dry ingredient. But that one go change taste.
If your egg roll burst? You overstuff. Or your oil too hot. Or you no wet the edge proper. Next time: less filling. lower heat. wet wrapper.
If oil too hot? Wrapper go turn dark brown but inside still cold. Drop the heat. Keep am between 325 and 350.
If oil too cold? Egg roll go soak up oil like sponge. They come out greasy and sad. Nobody want to eat that one.
If sauce too thick? Add small water. If sauce too thin? Add more cashew. But to be honest, the recipe as I write am already work. Just follow am.
Can you make ahead?
Filling? Yes. You can keep am for fridge up to six hour. Put plastic wrap directly on top of the filling so avocado no turn brown.
But no roll them ahead of time. I try that one. The moisture from filling go soak into wrapper. When you fry am, e go come out soft instead of crispy.
Roll. Fry. Serve. In that order. No cut corner.
Leftovers?
If you get leftover? Wahala. But okay.
Put am for airtight container for fridge. E go last two days.
To reheat: No use microwave. I dey warn you. Microwav go give you chewy rubbery wrapper and sad filling.
Use oven at 375 degree for eight to ten minute. Flip once halfway.
Or use air fryer at 350 degree for three to four minute.
E no go be as good as fresh. But e go still do.
What to serve with am
Keep am simple. You no need ten side dish.
Cucumber salad. Slice cucumber thin. Mix rice vinegar, small sugar, small salt. Let am sit for ten minute. The cold sourness go cut through the fried richness perfect.
Coconut rice. Cook jasmine rice with coconut milk instead of half the water. E be sweet and creamy and turn this snack into full meal.
Pickled vegetable. Carrot and daikon soak for vinegar and sugar. You fit buy am for any asian shop or make am yourself for twenty minute.
And please. No serve mango sticky rice as side. That one na dessert. Keep your food separate. I can’t believe I have to explain this one.
Questions wey people dey ask me
I no get tamarind puree? Mix one tablespoon lime juice with one teaspoon brown sugar. E no be the same but e go work for small small.
Why my egg roll burst? You overstuff. Or oil too hot. Or you no seal edge proper. Next time: less filling, lower heat, wet wrapper.
I fit bake instead of fry? Yes. Brush the assembled egg roll with oil. Bake at 425 degree for twelve to fifteen minute. Flip once halfway. E no be as crispy as fried but e still good and less messy.
This one be vegan? Swap honey for maple syrup or agave. Check your egg roll wrapper. Most of them dey vegan but read the label to be sure. Some brand use egg.
How I know when oil ready without thermometer? Drop small piece of wrapper inside oil. If e sizzle and float to top for two second, you good. If e burn immediately, turn down heat. If e sink, wait more.
Last thing before you start
I spend weeks failing this recipe. My first batch too wet. My second batch burst. My third batch the sauce taste like something from the gutter.
But the batch wey work? People for party no believe say I cook am for my house. They think I go buy am from Cheesecake Factory.
That na cooking. You go fail. You go learn. You go try again. And eventually you go get something wey sweet.
So go make these. Burn one. Overstuff one. Seal one wrong and watch am burst. Then get am right.
When you finish, come back to ogehubkitchen.com and drop comment. Tell me if yours burst or not. I dey read every single one. Even the ones wey just say “Bubby mine exploded.”
And if you want more recipe wey no get fluff, no get fake perfect photo, no get AI nonsense? Follow me on Pinterest and YouTube. I dey post the stuff wey too rough for blog there.
