Southwestern Eggrolls (Just Like Chili's)

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These Southwestern Eggrolls are just like the popular appetizer at Chili’s, made with chicken, spinach, corn, and black beans. Now you don’t have to go out to get them.

One of my favorite appetizers from anywhere is Chili’s Southwestern Eggrolls. They are so good. Dipped in an avocado cream sauce, they are practically irresistible.

Why You’ll Love It

These crispy eggrolls offer the flexibility to serve as a delightful appetizer but are also satisfying enough to be a main dish.
These Southwestern egg rolls are a hit thanks to their delicious blend of flavors that are simply irresistible and bursting with Southwestern-inspired goodness.
A homemade version that mirrors the irresistible appeal of Chili’s Southwest Egg Roll recipe, this copycat creation captures the essence of the original with its delectable blend of flavors and textures. This rendition allows you to savor the beloved taste of Chili’s right in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Seasonings – Cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Cooking oil – Vegetable oil or your favorite cooking oil.
Chicken – Chicken breast fillet works the best, though you could use chicken thigh.
Corn – Canned or fresh
Black beans – Rinsed and drained.
Bell pepper – Red bell pepper finely chopped.
Onion – white or yellow onion finely chopped.
Spinach – Frozen spinach thawed, pressed and chopped.
Jalapeno – Diced. For more heat leave the ribs and seeds in and for less heat remove the ribs and seeds.
Cilantro – Fresh cilantro, minced.
Monterey jack cheese
Wonton wrappers – You can usually find them in the produce section of the grocery store. You can also use 4 – 6 inch flour tortillas in a pinch.
Dipping sauce – Ranch dressing, avocado, and milk.

Equipment Needed

2 – Large Skillets
2 – Small bowls
Wire rack
Blender or food processor

Tips For A Great Outcome

Everything should be roughly the same size so it all cooks evenly and makes the roll easy to close.
Do not to overstuff the wrapper, or it will be difficult to roll it up.
Make sure the frying oil stays between 350-375° F(190°C) for the best outcome.
If baking, put the eggrolls on a baking sheet in the oven for 8-10 minutes per side, at 375°(190°C) F.

How to Make Southwestern Eggrolls like Chili’s

Step 1: Mix Up the Spices

Combine the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a bowl and mix them up, so it’s ready to go.

Step 2: Chop up Ingredients

Finely chop the chicken, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno so they are in very small pieces. Once the spinach is completely thawed squeeze all of the water out of it and chop it as well. Everything should be roughly the same size so it all cooks evenly and makes the roll easy to close.

Step 3: Saute

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When warm add the vegetable oil and chicken and sauté until it’s nearly cooked through. Then add all the chopped ingredients, along with the corn, black beans, and the spice mix. Stir it all together.

Allow it to cook for about 3 minutes, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Next, add the cheese and stir to combine. Allow it to slowly melt into the mixture.

Step 4: Stuffing the Eggroll Wrappers

The next step is to add the filling to the wonton wrappers (or flour tortillas – pictured; more on that choice later). Just be sure not to overstuff the wrapper, or it will be difficult to roll it up.

To roll, place the wrapper on a flat surface, fold the left and right edges over the ingredients on each end. Fold the flap closest to you over the top of the ingredients. Press the flap firmly against the filling and roll the wrap up tightly (like a sleeping bag).

Once the wrapper is filled and rolled, give it a light squeeze to compact the ingredients together. This helps keep the ingredients together when you cut them in half, so filling isn’t fall out.

Step 5: Frying or Baking the Eggrolls

Some people firmly believe you need to put the prepared eggrolls in the freezer for a few hours before deep frying them. This can reduce the uptake of oil when frying. I don’t personally do this, but you can experiment with it if you like. If the oil in your fryer is at the proper temperature (350-375° F(190°C)), then freezing isn’t necessary.

If you have a deep fryer, you can pop these in the bubbling oil for about 4-5 minutes. Keep an eye on them and remove them when they are a nice golden brown color.

If you’re using a skillet, add enough cooking oil (vegetable, canola, peanut) to the pan to form at least an 1/8 inch base. Test the temperature of the oil before beginning. If you’re baking these eggrolls, put them on a baking sheet in the oven for about 8 minutes per side at 375° F(190°C). They should also begin to turn golden brown before you remove them.

The Dipping Sauce

At Chili’s, they serve these Southwestern Egg Rolls with an avocado cream sauce. The easiest way to make this sauce is by combining ranch dressing with avocado and pureeing it in the blender.

I prefer to make my own ranch dressing with the powdered mix, mayonnaise, and milk, rather than buying it pre-made, but however you like to do it is fine. Just combine the two in a blender or food processor and mix it up until it’s smooth. Then serve it on the side. You can also serve these with a pico de gallo salsa, yum yum sauce, cilantro lime sauce, or bbq sauce.

Variations of an Eggroll

There are actually quite a few ways to make these awesome chicken eggrolls, so you can make adjustments based on your preferences. For example, I leave out the spinach because I’m allergic to it. Leaving out, or substituting, an ingredient or two doesn’t drastically affect the outcome.

Another adjustment I make once in a while is using flour tortillas for the wrap instead of eggroll wrappers. I always have flour tortillas around the house, so it’s possible to make these even when I don’t have eggrolls wrappers on hand.

I personally use wonton wrappers for making small eggrolls for appetizers or snacks, and I use flour tortillas when I’m making these as a meal, because they hold more. I also will fry the wonton wrappers, and bake the flour tortillas.

Finally, you can choose to fry or bake these southwest eggrolls. At Chili’s they’re deep fried. If you’re trying to achieve the same affect, you’ll also want to fry them. I’m just as happy to bake them, and it’s healthier without all the oil added in. It’s really all about your preferences.

What to Serve it With

As an appetizer, you can serve these Southwestern Eggrolls alongside homemade guacamole or a Bacon Jalapeno Cheeseball. If you’re serving it as a main meal, which I end up doing more often than not, it can be served with a Bacon and Jalapeno Corn Salad or Elote (Mexican street corn).

Questions About the Recipe

What’s in a Southwest egg roll from Chili’s?

The exterior shell is a wonton wrapper (or flour tortilla). Inside you’ll find chicken, corn, black beans, red bell pepper, spinach, jalapeno peppers, Monterrey Jack cheese, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Can I bake these eggrolls instead of frying them?

Yes. If baking, put the eggrolls on a baking sheet in the oven for 8-10 minutes per side, at 375°(190°C) F.

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