Southwestern Egg Rolls (Chili’s Copycat)

This post was originally published on A Food Lover’s Kitchen.

These Southwestern Egg rolls 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 is Chili’s Southwestern Eggrolls. They are so good. Dipped in an avocado cream sauce, they are practically irresistible. That’s why I had to learn how to make them at home. They can be baked or fried to your liking.

» You might like Spring Rolls vs Egg Rolls: What is the Difference? and Roasted Poblano Chili Corn Salsa.

What’s in a Southwestern Eggroll?

I don’t have an inside peek at the Chili’s southwest eggroll recipe, but I have spend a lot of time deconstructing it to figure out all the essential ingredients.

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. Yes, it’s a lot of ingredients, and that’s not all it takes. I never said this was an easy recipe!

How to Make Southwestern Eggrolls like Chili’s

This recipe all starts with a simple spice mix. These chicken eggrolls have a flavorful chili powder and cumin spice.

The second rule is that the chicken shouldn’t be fried straight out of the refrigerator. If added to the oil cold, it will lower the temperature of the oil and lead to a less crispy exterior. So let the chicken sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before breading.

Mix up the spices

Combine all these spices in a bowl and mix them up, so it’s ready to go.

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Chop up the Ingredients

You’ll need to finely chop a few of the ingredients so they are in very small pieces. Everything should be roughly the same size so it all cooks evenly and makes the roll easy to close. The things that need chopped are:

• Chicken breast
• Bell pepper
• Onion
• Spinach
• Jalapeno peppers
• Cilantro

Mix Everything Together

Start with a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and then saute the chicken until it’s nearly cooked through. Then add all the ingredients from above, including 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.

Stuff the Eggrolls

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.

Fry or Bake 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 degrees F), 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 1/8in 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 degrees. 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, if you don’t like creamy sauces.

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.

Make Ahead Instructions

If you want to make these Southwestern Egg Rolls ahead of time, you can prepare them all the way through the rolling stage and then either refrigerate them in an air tight container, or freeze them. Freezing them is the preferred method unless you are going to be cooking them less than 24 hours later.

You can freeze as many of these eggrolls as you like, then just take out what you need to cook each time. That’s a great way to prep for meals ahead of time. The air fryer is a great way to cook them quickly, without having to heat the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you substitute tortillas for egg roll wrappers?

Chili’s Southwestern Egg Rolls are actually made with tortillas instead of egg rolls wrappers. This is the way I prefer to make them. They soak up less oil, and they become nice and crispy without the chewiness of egg roll wrappers. You can use either, so feel free to use what you have on hand.

How do I make Chili’s dipping sauce?

There is a dipping sauce that is served with these egg rolls at Chili’s. You can make it at home with 1/4 cup smashed, fresh avocado (about half of an avocado), 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tbs buttermilk, 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp dried parsley, 1/8 tsp onion powder, dash dried dill weed, dash garlic powder, dash pepper.

Can I make these in the air fryer instead?

One of the best kitchen appliances for frying foods to crispiness without all the oil of deep frying is the air fryer. You can definitely make these eggrolls in the air fryer. Place them with the seam down in the air fryer basket. Cook on 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes, until crispy and browned.

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Continue to Content

Yield: 2 Servings

Southwestern Egg Rolls (Chili's Copycat)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes

Total Time: 36 minutes

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.

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Ingredients

For the seasoning:

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Eggrolls:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus extra for frying
• 1 chicken breast fillet about 6 oz
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/3 cup canned or fresh corn rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper finely chopped
• 1/4 cup onion finely chopped
• 1/4 cup frozen spinach thawed, pressed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons jalapeno peppers diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro minced
• 6 wonton wrappers (or 4 6" flour tortillas)

For the dipping sauce:

• 3 tablespoons Ranch dressing
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 tablespoon milk or water

Instructions

1. Combine the spices in a bowl and mix well.
2. Finely chop the chicken, red bell pepper, onion, and cilantro in very small pieces. Everything should be roughly the same size.
3. The spinach should be thawed and squeezed of water, so it’s very dry. Then chop it finely as well.
4. Use a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil and saute the chicken until it’s nearly cooked through. Then add all the filling ingredients and the spice mix. Stir it all together.
5. Allow it to cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then turn the heat to medium-low. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Allow it to slowly melt into the mixture.
6. Add the filling to the wonton wrappers (or flour tortillas). Be sure not to overstuff the wrapper.
7. 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.
8. Once the wrapper is filled and rolled, give it a light squeeze to compact the ingredients together.
9. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet until it reaches 375 degrees. Add the eggrolls to the pan and fry on all sides for approximately 3 minutes. Keep a watchful eye so it doesn’t burn.
10. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Slice in half at a diagonal to serve.
11. To make the dipping sauce, add Ranch dressing and avocado to a blender or food processor. Blend for one minute. Serve in a small bowl.

Notes

Make sure the frying oil stays between 350 and 375 degrees F for the best outcome.

If baking, put the eggrolls on a baking sheet in the oven for 8-10 minutes per side, at 375 degrees F.

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Laura

Laura is the founder and editor of the travel blogs Savored Sips and Savored Journeys. She is dedicated to sharing the best information about drinks found around the world.