Cheeseburger Summer Roll Recipe

Healthy Cheeseburger Summer Roll

How to Make a Rice Paper Burger with Beef, Cheese, Pickles & Veggies

A tasty cheeseburger summer roll filled with ground beef, cheese, pickles, and spinach—all wrapped in rice paper! Inspired by traditional Vietnamese summer rolls, but with an American-inspired burger filling. Learn how to make a refreshing rice paper burger and how to wrap summer rolls with ease.

If you’re looking for fun summer recipes for parties or picnics, this cheeseburger summer roll is a great way to change things up. It’s got all the deliciousness of a cheeseburger, rolled up in a fresh, new way! Plus, by swapping out the bun for rice paper, summer rolls are a lower carb wrap option that can also be keto friendly.

Simply prep your burger filling ingredients, then wrap them up in pieces of rice paper. Coat each cheeseburger summer roll in sesame seeds for some authentic burger bun flair, and serve with ketchup and mustard for dipping! Filling, refreshing, satisfying, and super easy to customize. Delicious enjoyed warm or cold—and great for on-the-go meal prep lunches!

Are summer rolls healthy?

Summer rolls can absolutely be a part of a healthy lifestyle—if you enjoy eating them! As always, I think it’s important to acknowledge that “healthy” is a subjective term that can have different meanings to different people. On my journey to Food Freedom, I’ve found that labeling foods as “healthy” is less helpful to me than terms like “nutritious” or “enjoyable” or “I like it!”

Yes, many folks think of summer rolls as healthy because they’re lower in carbs and calories than their deep-fried cousins, spring rolls and egg rolls. To me, this means summer rolls are less tasty and less comforting in comparison—but also easier to make at home! These cheeseburger summer rolls are a fun, refreshing lunch that’s easy to pack and enjoy cold. (But, I’ll still choose a deep fried spring roll or egg roll when I’m out to eat.)

What’s the difference between a spring roll and a summer roll?

Generally, spring rolls are warm, crunchy, deep-fried rolls filled with meat or veggies. Summer rolls are raw, lighter, veggie-filled rolls wrapped in translucent rice paper and served cold. The name “summer roll” was popularized by some Vietnamese restaurants in the U.S. as a seasonal twist on “spring rolls.” (What we call “Vietnamese spring rolls” in the U.S. are called gỏi cuốn, meaning “salad rolls,” in southern Vietnam.)

How to Make a Cheeseburger Summer Roll

To make this cheeseburger summer roll recipe, the process is as simple as prepping your filling ingredients, layering them into the rice paper, and then rolling it up! You’ll first need to cook through your ground beef so it’s ready to go. Then, the most important element is knowing how to roll summer rolls properly so they’re tightly packed and sealed.

How to Roll Summer Rolls

• Submerge a sheet of rice paper in a pot of warm water and spin for 15 seconds.
• Place wrapper onto a flat, dry surface with its textured side facing up, smooth side down.
• Add desired filling ingredients into the center of the wet rice paper.
• Fold 2 edges of the rice paper inward, then fold up the bottom edge and roll it up snugly.
• Roll completed summer rolls in sesame seeds to coat before serving with ketchup and mustard.

Healthy Summer Roll Ideas

Unlike deep fried spring rolls, the beauty of summer rolls is how versatile your fillings can be! From cooked meats to raw veggies to sweet fruits—you can wrap all sorts of tasty foods into rice paper wrappers for a refreshing, summertime snack. Check put some of these easy summer roll recipes for inspiration:

• Smoked Salmon Summer Rolls with cream cheese
• Turkey BLT Summer Rolls with avocado
• Chickpea Salad Summer Rolls
• Fruity Caprese Summer Rolls

How do you pack summer rolls?

In my experience, these rice paper burgers are best enjoyed fresh, or they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. To prevent them from sticking together—particularly for on-the-go-packed lunches—it’s best to wrap each summer roll individually in plastic wrap first.

To see how this cheeseburger summer roll is made, watch my Back to School Bento Box Lunches video!