I was scrolling through Pinterest last week (the single best way to procrastinate) when a photo of these pizza rolls jumped out at me. I mean, pizza rolls! I haven’t given them much thought in, oh, 15 years, but seeing that picture immediately took me back to that time. Pizza rolls were a staple of our high school years. I couldn’t cook to save my life, but I could operate the microwave so pizza rolls were a very popular after-school snack. Even though half the filling inevitably oozed out while they cooked, they were so quick and easy we turned to them over and over again.
I honestly can’t remember the last time I had pizza rolls and I’d be lying if I said I was ever tempted by them when I pass through the frozen foods in the grocery store, so making this recipe wasn’t about satisfying a craving. I just think it’s really fun to attempt homemade versions of foods that are typically store-bought. Just to see if it’s possible, you know?
This recipe is deceptively simple, if not a little time-consuming thanks to all the assembly going on. A quick tomato mixture is made, then combined with cheese and basil to comprise the filling. Wonton wrappers are used to enclose the filling and then the pizza rolls are frozen briefly before being fried. Like I said, assembly takes some time, but once you get in a groove it’s not bad. And these can be frozen for a month so make a whole bunch at once and then pull them out as you need them!
When I told Shane I was making these pizza rolls, his eyes lit up. If I liked pizza rolls back in the day, he *loved* them. And this homemade version absolutely exceeded his high expectations! Once fried, the wrappers are super crisp while the filling hidden inside is gooey, cheesy and flavorful. We both had to restrain ourselves from grabbing one after another so there’d be enough left to photograph and share here. These pizza rolls would be a great appetizer at your next party or a fun snack to enjoy on game day (or Oscar night – did you guys watch? I was so glad to see Argo win Best Picture!).
A few quick notes about the recipe: First, it calls for pre-shredded cheese – the one you buy in a bag. I normally advise against using it but the folks at America’s Test Kitchen actually tested this recipe with freshly shredded cheese and in the end decided the bag stuff was well-suited to this recipe. The agents used to keep it from clumping actually help hold the filling together so just go with it π I was super nervous the filling would leak out when I fried the rolls, but I didn’t have a single issue here. Also, while these were at their best just a few minutes after they were fried, we still thought they were quite good at room temperature.
Updated to add: There have been a few questions about baking these instead of frying them. While I didn’t try it, America’s Test Kitchen did and said they turned out chewy rather than crispy on the outside (you can see their comment here). If anyone has luck with baking them, please come back and let us know π
Homemade Pizza Rolls
from America’s Test Kitchen Feed
{Note: the original recipe also included 1/2 teaspoon of ground fennel, which was intended to lend some sausage flavor without actually adding sausage. I didn’t have any on hand, and the filling was plenty flavorful without it, but I’ll leave the decision up to you.}
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained well (juice reserved) and chopped fine
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups (8 oz) shredded 6-cheese Italian blend
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
5-6 dozen wonton wraps
vegetable oil for frying
Add the oil to a 12-inch nonstick skillet and set over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture is a deep rust color. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds, or just until fragrant. Mix in the chopped tomatoes and the reserved juice. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, then continue cooking until it has thickened and reduced to a thick paste. This will take about 10 minutes, and when it’s done, you should have about 1 cup. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.
Meanwhile, line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a fine mesh sieve, dust about half of the cornstarch onto the parchment.
Add the cheese and the basil to the chilled tomato mixture and stir to combine. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper. To assemble: Place the wonton wraps on a plate and cover with a damp towel (this will prevent them from drying out). Fill a small bowl with water and set on your work surface. Working with a few wrappers at a time, lay them on your work surface. Add 1 teaspoon of filling to the center of each wrapper. Dip your finger in the water, and moisten the edges of one of the wrappers. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up and over the filling, then continue to roll toward the opposite edge. When you finish, the seam should be on the bottom. Gently press your fingers on either side of the filling to work out any air, then press the edges to seal completely. This is optional but the sides will be a bit long, so feel free to trim them down (I did). Transfer to the prepared baking sheet (seam side down). Repeat the sealing process with the other wrappers then continue to fill and seal using the remaining filling and wrappers. (Note: place additional sheets of parchment dusted with the remaining cornstarch between layers of pizza rolls on the baking sheet.)
Once you’ve assembled all of the rolls, cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for at least 30-60 minutes (until they are firm) or up to 1 month.
Meanwhile, set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Top the rack with a layer of paper towels. Add enough vegetable oil to a pot to measure about 1 1/2 inches deep – you can do this in a large Dutch oven or a smaller pot but just be aware that you should fry fewer rolls at a time in the smaller pot so as not to overcrowd and drop the oil temperature too much. Set the pot over medium to medium-high heat and heat the oil until it measures 375 F on a candy thermometer. Add the pizza rolls (how many depends on how big a pot you used) and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring and flipping them over a few times so both sides brown evenly. Try to maintain the oil temperature between 350 and 375 F – adjust the heat under the pot as necessary. Use a spider strainer to transfer the pizza to the wire rack you prepared earlier to allow any excess oil to drain. Return the oil to 375 F before frying the next batch of rolls. Continue until they’ve all been fried.
The rolls will be very hot when they come out of the oil so let them cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve as is or with marinara sauce for dipping.
Makes 5-6 dozen
I saw these too, but it was too much trouble to save the recipe. Thanks so much for having the Print Friendly widget on your recipe pages. I have the bookmarklet, but too often it doesn’t save the photo or I have to do a heap of editing to cut out ads, empty space, comments, etc.
I was culling dozens of recipe site feeds in my reader the other day, looking through past posts to see if they had enough decent recipes to warrant my time. I’ve done it several times over the last few months and each time I get to your site, I think “This one is a keeper!”
These look so addicting to have around the house!
This is one of those times that I wish I had the won-ton wrappers in the house to make these now! I used to have them in the house all the time and I stopped getting them. I always ended up using them to make nutella won tons which really take away from the healthness of keeping them in the house (although yummy if you have any extra wonton wrappers). I guess I will add them to the list. I love America’s Test Kitchen!!!
My brother and I used to eat boxes and boxes of these. I don’t think I’ve had one in over 20 years, but maybe it’s time to remedy that. This sounds fantastic!
These sound wonderful! And I love that you used wonton wrappers!
What!?? I love pizza rolls! Yours look so perfect and professional. And yes- I did love Argo- glad it won!
Oh my god they look so perfect! I’d love a stash of these in my freezer just like old times.
These look like so much fun! Perfect snack for a game day, too!
These were delicious, thanks for making them!
I definitely had my share of pizza rolls as a kid and looking back, they weren’t that great but had so much potential! These look like the perfect bites!
Usually I reserve pizza rolls for hang overs, but this recipe seems like a wonderful keeper for any day of the week! Do you think they could be baked instead of fried?
I saw these last week, too! Pizza rolls were always a favorite after-school or nighttime snack in high school, I’m glad you made them and liked them!
I used to loooove pizza rolls, so I’m beyond excited to see this post. YUM!
I wonder how these would bake up in the oven? Just to save on calories. If I try it, I’ll comment back and let people know!
Oh Tracey, why do you do this to me!! This sound incredible. I grew up on pizza rolls. I simply adore this homemade version!
These look fantastic. Definitely will be trying them soon.
I love it! My Hubby is going to be so excited…he ADORES pizza rolls. He begs to get them every time we end up in the freezer section at the store, but we only actually buy them maybe once a year. Pinning!
@Anna and Tracy – I added a note to the post above about baking instead of frying π
I do not know what the original ones taste like because I do not live in america but these look so moreish.
For baking I think you use filo or brik pastry in stead of wonton wrappers. High temp and a wire rack should make them nice and crisp.
Love this! There was a point in my marriage where I would eat a salad and my husband would eat pizza rolls for WAY too many evenings. These look delicious.
I’m pretty sure if I made these my roommate would love me forever. She lives off of hot pockets and the like π
Pizza rolls are such a blast from the past! No doubt the homemade version is better than frozen. If I do try these, I’ll bake them. I recently made your Baked Crab Rangoon recipe and we loved it – I definitely wouldn’t mistake baked for fried, but they were still delicious!
Yes, pinterest is code for procrastinating in my language too!
These look WAY better than the processed version!
Tracey, I LOVE pizza rolls. In fact, if I could picket the Costa Rican grocery stores for another frozen food to import (thankfully we’ve got Ben & Jerry’s) it would be Totino’s pizza rolls. Thank you so very very VERY much for sharing this recipe. I never fry foods, but would definitely make this teensy tiny exception. Yum!
I love pizza rolls! These look pretty darn fabulous!
Pretty much in love with these, and how easy their are! Definitely going to happen next time we do a big appetizer night!
these are way way way too fun!
Thanks for posting this I have three kids I use to buy pizza rolls for them till they were recalled one summer years ago haven’t bought them since I miss them they are great with hot sause on them so I will get the stuff to make them from home thanks again
I made these this weekend and baked them at 400 F for 11 minutes, flipping 6 minutes in. The pizza rolls became brown and crispy!
These turned out great!! We did bake them and they still turned out great, crispy not chewy. Just spray the bottom of your pan and place the pizza rolls seam side down and then spray the pizza rolls. Baked at 425 for 12 mins and then turned them and baked an additional 3 mins. My son loved them and says they are better than the store bought ones! YAY! Thanks so much for the recipe!