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A favorite restaurant copycat these Southwest Egg Rolls are full of flavor, done from start to finish in under 30 minutes these are a delicious appetizer for any occasion.
I love Chili’s and these Southwest Egg Rolls are one of my favorite apps to get when we go there. They are absolutely delicious and I can eat them just as a meal.
HERE IS WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING:
“OMG! This filling is so good! We made half the amount of egg rolls (because it was just my hubby and i) and will be using the rest of the filling for tacos or a salad or as is! So glad we decided to use this recipe for our Super Bowl appetizer with the egg roll wrapper! GREAT RECIPE!” – Carrie
But like I have said time and time again, we don’t always like to spend the money or drive to get restaurant food so we love making copycat recipes at home.
These crispy Southwest Egg Rolls are a spot on copycat recipe in my opinion! They taste so good and you will not want to put them down, and they may become your go-to appetizer.
It’s always great to have a recipe up your sleeve that’s a huge hit wherever you serve it.
These are great for dinner with tacos or for a night with friends when you are doing an appetizer spread. There is no reason not to make these!
With so much flavor, how could you say no? Delicious recipes like this one don’t come around every day.
Appetizers are one of my favorite things and I will build a whole meal just around them and these Southwest Egg Rolls are usually one of the ones that we make.
Some of our other favorite aPPETIZER RECIPES we have on our site include: Hush Puppies, Chili Cheese Fries and Pico de Gallo.
Jump to:
- WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- HOW TO MAKE SOUTHWEST EGG ROLLS:
- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
- CAN I USE A DEEP FRYER?
- WHAT KIND OF CHICKEN IS BEST FOR THIS RECIPE?
- DO I HAVE TO USE PICKLED JALAPENOS?
- WHAT DO I SERVE THIS WITH?
- ANY ADDITIONS?
- ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
- HOW TO STORE:
- DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Copycat Southwest Egg Rolls Recipe
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- This makes a nice large batch that you can double if you’d like.
- They are quick and easy to throw together.
- Serve them alongside any of your southwest themed meals!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Chicken
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Black beans
- Corn
- Red bell pepper
- Baby spinach
- Scallions
- Pickled jalapeños
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- Egg roll wrappers
- Peanut oil for frying
HOW TO MAKE SOUTHWEST EGG ROLLS:
- In a large bowl add the chicken, cheese, black beans, corn, bell pepper, spinach, scallions, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- In a small bowl add some water.
- Start slowly heating your deep fryer to 375°F. Or, you can add about 3-4 inches of oil in a dutch oven to 375°F.
- On a clean work surface, place 1 egg roll wrapper with one corner pointing at you. Add ¼ cup of the mixture in the bottom middle of the wrapper. Roll the bottom corner up tightly to secure the filling. Fold over the left and right sides over the filling. With a fingertip, trace some water along the last exposed corner of the wrapper. Continue to tightly roll until completely sealed
- Place the rolled egg rolls on a parchment lined sheet tray.
- Once the oil is to temperature and all the egg rolls are wrapped, place a few egg rolls carefully into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. You do not want to crowd the pan so you must do this in batches.
- Carefully take the egg rolls out of the oil and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil. Then, place the egg rolls on a wire rack over a sheet tray to catch and potential drips. This step also helps the egg rolls to stay crunchy.
- Repeat until all the egg rolls are cooked. Cut them on a diagonal and serve with avocado ranch or your favorite dipping sauce.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
CAN I USE A DEEP FRYER?
Yes absolutely! Just like in a pan you will want to heat the oil to the same temperature and you will want to cook in batches.
If you aren’t a fan of trying to keep a constant temperature of the oil on the stove then a deep fryer can absolutely be used.
WHAT KIND OF CHICKEN IS BEST FOR THIS RECIPE?
Use rotisserie, leftover chicken, or any cooked chicken. I find leftover grilled chicken tastes the best.
DO I HAVE TO USE PICKLED JALAPENOS?
You can use 1 fresh small seeded diced jalapeno in place of the pickled.
The pickled jalapeno gives the mix a little extra zing/acid but it is not necessary.
WHAT DO I SERVE THIS WITH?
Avocado ranch is the sauce they serve with the crispy egg rolls at Chili’s.
Other dipping sauces that would be good are salsa, sour cream, ranch, pico de gallo, or even good just by themselves.
ANY ADDITIONS?
Crispy southwest egg rolls can certainly handle a wide variety of flavors.
- Green chiles: For extra southwestern egg roll recipe vibes, chop them up and stir into the filling mixture.
- Red onion or additional green onions: If you really love that onion taste, toss some in for extra crunch.
- Cream cheese: Adding a few tablespoons into the filling makes for a creamier bite—like a spin on philly cheesesteak egg rolls but with delicious southwest flavors.
- Lots of pepper jack cheese: Swap or combine with the Monterey Jack to kick up the spice.
- Cayenne pepper: A pinch if you want more heat—just watch out for super spicy if kids are eating!
- Lime juice: A quick squeeze in the filling for extra freshness.
- Fresh cilantro or fresh parsley: Stir a bit into the mixture for a burst of herby flavor.
- Tortilla chips: Crush them coarsely and add to the mix for crunch (kind of like adding “crumbled tortillas” to the base).
- Small can of diced tomatoes: If you like it juicy, drain them first so the filling isn’t too wet.
- Favorite dipping sauce: Drizzle chipotle ranch or creamy avocado ranch sauce right on top before rolling.
ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
Feel free! Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Rotisserie chicken if you don’t have leftover cooked chicken—just shred it and mix it in.
- Cheddar cheese if you prefer its sharper flavor or can’t find Monterey Jack at the grocery store.
- Vegan egg rolls approach: swap chicken for black beans and skip the cheese altogether, or use a plant-based cheese.
- Minced jalapeno peppers in place of pickled for a fresher, slightly different heat in the filling.
HOW TO STORE:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, after that they become too soggy.
To reheat: if they are whole egg rolls you can pop them back in a heated fryer until heated through for a couple minutes.
If they are cut, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place them cut side up onto a wire rack over a sheet tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes until hot. I don’t recommend freezing these.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Make sure you grab egg roll wrappers and not wonton wrappers.
- Multiple different sauces can be used for dipping, see my suggestions above.
- Other filling ideas: cilantro lime rice, spanish rice, or cooked quinoa.
- Other cheese: cheddar, Pepper Jack cheese, or Colby Jack.
- We do not recommend freezing these.
- You can add or take out any veggies or chicken that you wish, this is a good base recipe to work off of.
- Other veggies that would be good but need to be small diced: avocado, red cabbage, any colored peppers, kale, mushrooms, or any canned beans including cooked lentils. You want to stay away from any watery vegetables like tomatoes so the filling doesn’t become soggy.
Love a good restaurant recipe but don’t want to make the trip or pay the prices?
You have to make these Southwest Egg Rolls ASAP. You won’t regret it!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried these SOUTHWEST EGG ROLLS let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Copycat Southwest Egg Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ¾ cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup canned corn drained
- ¾ cup small-diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh baby spinach
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- egg roll wrappers
- peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the chicken, cheese, black beans, corn, bell pepper, spinach, scallions, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken, 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, ¾ cup canned black beans, ¾ cup canned corn, ¾ cup small-diced red bell pepper, ½ cup finely chopped fresh baby spinach, 2 scallions, 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- In a small bowl add some water.
- Start slowly heating your deep fryer to 375°F. Or, you can add about 3-4 inches of oil in a dutch oven to 375°F.peanut oil for frying
- On a clean work surface, place 1 egg roll wrapper with one corner pointing at you. Add ¼ cup of the mixture in the bottom middle of the wrapper. Roll the bottom corner up tightly to secure the filling. Fold over the left and right sides over the filling. With a fingertip, trace some water along the last exposed corner of the wrapper. Continue to tightly roll until completely sealedegg roll wrappers
- Place the rolled egg rolls on a parchment lined sheet tray.
- Once the oil is to temperature and all the egg rolls are wrapped, place a few egg rolls carefully into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. You do not want to crowd the pan so you must do this in batches.
- Carefully take the egg rolls out of the oil and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil. Then, place the egg rolls on a wire rack over a sheet tray to catch and potential drips. This step also helps the egg rolls to stay crunchy.
- Repeat until all the egg rolls are cooked. Cut them on a diagonal and serve with avocado ranch or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Make sure you grab egg roll wrappers and not wonton wrappers.
- Multiple different sauces can be used for dipping, see my suggestions above.
- Other filling ideas: cilantro lime rice, spanish rice, or cooked quinoa.
- Other cheese: cheddar, Pepper Jack cheese, or Colby Jack.
- We do not recommend freezing these.
- You can add or take out any veggies or chicken that you wish, this is a good base recipe to work off of.
- Other veggies that would be good but need to be small diced: avocado, red cabbage, any colored peppers, kale, mushrooms, or any canned beans including cooked lentils. You want to stay away from any watery vegetables like tomatoes so the filling doesn’t become soggy.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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I see you say not to freeze. Why not? Do you think I could freeze them if I don’t fry them first?
So glad you liked them, thanks so much!
OMG! This filling is so good! We made half the amount of egg rolls (because it was just my hubby and i) and will be using the rest of the filling for tacos or a salad or as is! So glad we decided to use this recipe for our Super Bowl appetizer with the egg roll wrapper! GREAT RECIPE!
These were so freaking good! Id say better than the original
Yes, you would need to spray them well with olive oil spray and air fry at 400*F for 6 minutes, flip and air fry an additional 6 minutes.
Can you make this in an Air Fryer?