Southwestern Egg Rolls

This copycat recipe for Southwestern Egg Rolls is easy, cheesy, and even better than Chili’s version! It’s easy to make in the air fryer, but can also be pan fried or baked in the oven. The egg rolls are filled with delicious southwest flavors and ingredients like chicken, beans, corn and lots of pepper jack cheese!

They’re perfect for a game day appetizer, party snack, or made into a homemade sampler platter with other delicious recipes like boneless buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks and sliders!

I still remember the day we got a Chili’s restaurant in my hometown of Edmond, Oklahoma. I was in middle school and it really felt like we had hit the big time! Everyone else in town must have also been excited, because I remember there being a 2 hour wait on the weekends when it first opened. I went on to work at that Chili’s as a hostess in high school. I can tell you that the wait times were still over an hour when I was a hostess on the weekends!

One of my favorite things to eat at Chili’s were the appetizers. Of course, we always started with chips and salsa, but on special occasions, we would order the sampler platter. The grand daddy of all appetizers!

While the Chili’s sampler platter has changed a bit since my high school days, I still always order it if I find myself at a Chili’s. After a friend recently returned from deployment, he requested to go to Chili’s (one of his favorites!) for lunch.

Of course, I ordered the sampler platter, with southwestern egg rolls, boneless wings and mozzarella sticks. While it was delicious, I knew I could make a sampler platter even better at home, and in the air fryer, so also healthier!

The first “sampler platter” recipe was for boneless wings. Next up, I tested out these Southwest Egg Rolls. After testing and perfecting the recipe, I had our friend who loves Chili’s try the recipe. He said that they taste even better than Chili’s! That’s when I knew they were ready for the big time. So today, I present to you, better-than-Chili’s copycat Southwestern Egg Rolls!

Ingredients

• Olive oil – or another neutral-flavored vegetable oil.
• Red onion – or yellow onion will also work, just make sure that it’s finely minced.
• Red bell peppers – you can also use another color of bell pepper. Once again, just make sure that it’s finely minced.
• Jalapeno peppers – if you don’t like spice, you can leave these out. If you really like spice, you can replace these with serrano peppers.
• Frozen spinach – if you only have fresh spinach, simply cook it down on the stove until it’s wilted, then you can use it in this recipe.
• Chicken breast – if you already have cooked chicken from another recipe or rotisserie chicken, that’s perfect, simply dice it up, or shred it, and use it in this recipe. If you need to cook the chicken first, you’ll need 1 cup of cooked, diced chicken, which is approximately 1/2 pound raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
• Black beans – drained and rinsed from a can. You only need 1/2 cup, so save the rest to add to salads, nachos or tacos throughout the week. Or make more of these delicious egg rolls!
• Corn kernels – canned corn, or fresh corn, removed from the cob, can both be used in this recipe. If using canned corn, drain and rinse it from the can. Like the beans, you’ll only need 1/2 cup, so save the rest to add to other recipes throughout the week.
• Fresh cilantro – if you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can leave it out, or substitute in fresh parsley.
• Taco seasoning – click the link for my homemade taco seasoning recipe. It’s easy to mix up in 5 minutes, with 8 pantry-staple ingredients, like chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and paprika. You can also purchase premade taco seasoning in the spice aisle at the grocery store. Or use this southwest seasoning for a more smoky flavor.
• Pepper jack cheese – this is the perfect cheese to melt into these egg rolls to add just a hint of spice and so much delicious, cheesy flavor. You can also use Monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese, if you prefer.
• Flour tortillas – for this recipe, you’ll need 6 inch flour tortillas, these will usually be labeled as “fajita tortillas”.
• Avocado ranch dressing (optional) – this dipping sauce is perfect for these southwest chicken egg rolls, and what you’ll find them served with at Chili’s. But if you want to switch things up, you can also try this Poblano Sauce, Cilantro Lime Sauce or Creamy Avocado Salsa.

Instructions

I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Cook the chicken.

If you don’t already have cooked chicken available, you’ll want to start by cooking a chicken breast.

1. Place the chicken breast on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap.
2. Use a meat tenderizer, or rolling pin, to pound the chicken until it’s about 1/2 inch thick. This will both tenderize the chicken and help it cook quicker.
3. Rub the piece of chicken with 1 tablespoon taco seasoning.
4. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the piece of chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
5. Remove from the heat. Place the cooked chicken on a cutting board and dice it into small pieces.

Prepare the filling.

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. If you just cooked the chicken on the stove, you can use the same skillet.
2. Add minced red onion, bell pepper and jalapenos, and cook for 4 minutes.
3. Add thawed frozen spinach, black beans, corn, diced chicken, cilantro and taco seasoning.
4. Turn the heat on the stove off and toss to combine all of the ingredients.
5. Add shredded pepper jack cheese to the skillet and toss it with the other ingredients until they’re fully combined.

Assemble the egg rolls.

1. Wrap the flour tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute. This will make them softer, more pliable, and easier to roll up and around the filling.
2. Spoon approximately 1/2 cup of the egg roll filling into the middle of a tortilla.
3. Fold the ends of the tortilla over the filling, then roll the tortilla up and around the filling in the middle.
4. Repeat with the remaining 11 tortillas, until you have 12 southwestern egg rolls assembled.

Air fry the egg rolls

1. Place the egg rolls in an air fryer basket seam-side down, with enough room around the egg rolls for air to move. I am using a 5.8 quart air fryer, and can fit 6 in the air fryer at one time.
2. Spray the egg rolls with nonstick cooking spray, then cook at 400°F for 4-5 minutes.
3. Open the air fryer, flip the egg rolls, spray with cooking spray and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.

Bake the egg rolls

If you prefer to bake the egg rolls in the oven, instead of using the air fryer, follow these instructions.

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. If your oven has a convection setting, I recommend using that.
2. Place the egg rolls, seam-side down, on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray.
3. Place the egg rolls in the oven and cook for 6-7 minutes.
4. Remove the egg rolls from the oven, flip, spray with cooking spray and cook for an additional 6-7 minutes, or until golden brown.

Pan fry the egg rolls

If you prefer to pan fry the egg rolls in oil, follow these instructions.

1. Add enough canola oil (or vegetable oil) to a large skillet, so that you have 1/2 inch of oil in the bottom of the pan. The amount of oil will vary depending on how large of a pan you’re using. I recommend starting with 1 cup of oil, then adding more if needed.
2. Place the pan of oil on the stove over medium-high heat.
3. Once the oil is hot, add the egg rolls in batches, making sure there’s room around each egg roll. If you overcrowd the pan, they won’t cook properly.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and bubbling on the outside of the egg roll.
5. Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg rolls from the oil when they’re golden brown and transfer them to a wire rack, with paper towels underneath the rack. This will allow any excess oil to drip off the egg rolls through the wire rack, and will keep them nice and crispy while you pan fry the remaining batches of egg rolls.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.