These southwest egg rolls have been tested again and again to get that just-right balance of crispy exterior and creamy, flavor-packed filling. No soggy wrappers or bland bites here! I fine-tuned everything from the spice blend to the filling-to-wrapper ratio so each egg roll fries up golden and shatteringly crisp while staying perfectly melty inside.
Plus, if you don’t want to deep fry them, you can follow one of my other cooking methods—baking them in the oven or air fryer! Any way you cook them, they are perfect for dipping in a homemade avocado ranch sauce. My well-tested recipe and tricks take this copycat recipe from good to arguably even better than the original.
A reader, Carrie, says: “These are SO much better than Chili’s! I made them for a party and cooked the filling and sauce ahead of time. Just assembled and fried them before serving, and they were fantastic.” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Between the spiced chicken and veggie filling and crunchy fried wrapper, there’s a lot to love about this easy recipe.
- Easy to prep ahead: Got a party coming up? Make a batch and freeze them up to a month in advance so you can easily serve these as a party app.
- Three cooking methods: If you want your Southwest egg rolls to be extra crispy and golden, deep-frying is the way to go. That said, you can air fry or bake them instead if you’d prefer to lighten things up!
- Customize the filling ingredients: Add a different protein, swap in different cheeses or veggies, make them extra spicy… the options are nearly endless!
Southwestern Egg Roll Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients you need to make this easy recipe for southwestern egg rolls. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Cooked chicken breast — for the filling, you can cook chicken breast using my air fryer chicken breast or roasted chicken recipe, or use leftovers you have from another meal. A rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is also a great, easy option!
Can of black beans — canned beans mean our southwest egg roll filling comes together in a flash. Feel free to use Instant Pot black beans or others you have cooked fresh, but make sure any kind is well-drained. You can also use other types of beans, like pinto beans, if that’s what you have on hand!
Vegetables — for the filling, you will sauté red onion, bell peppers, corn, and fresh spinach to go with the beans. This combination gives you a classic southwestern flavor, but feel free to swap out items based on what you have. Yellow, orange, or red bell pepper offers a sweet pop of flavor. Green bell peppers can also be used and will give the filling a more earthy taste. For a slightly spicier take, a poblano pepper is a great alternative.
Jalapeño — optional, but add it if you want a kick of spiciness in the filling. The majority of capsaicin (the compound that tastes “spicy”) lives in the white membranes and seeds inside the pepper. For less heat, remove them first before mincing the pepper.
Monterey Jack cheese — mild, melty, and easy to find. Have fun experimenting with other types of cheese if you like!
Spices — I like a mix of cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. For a shortcut, feel free to use taco seasoning. Just note that most taco seasoning packets are quite salty, so hold off on any additional seasoning until you taste the mixture first.
Egg roll wrappers — these can be found in the refrigerated aisle of the grocery store, typically near either the tofu or the bagged salads. Wonton wrappers will also work, but they’re smaller, so you’ll need to adjust how much filling you add.
Avocado-ranch dipping sauce — this sauce easily blends together with ranch dressing, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Cilantro and southwestern flavors are a match made in heaven. If you’re not a fan, use Italian parsley or chives instead for a vibrant color and fresh herby taste.
Vegetable oil — for frying, it’s important to use a neutral-flavored, high-smoke-point oil. You can also use peanut oil for a neutral-tasting frying oil.
Can I Use Tortillas Instead Of Egg Roll Wrappers?
Some recipes suggest using flour tortillas, but after testing this recipe, I found that egg roll wrappers give you a much better result. They’re thinner and more delicate, which allows them to fry up light, crisp, and perfectly golden with that slight chewiness you expect from a great egg roll.
Tortillas, on the other hand, tend to be thicker and can come out a bit bready, which takes away from the signature crispy texture we’re after.
3 Easy Ways To Customize The Filling
The best part about making these copycat Chili’s southwestern egg rolls at home is that you can adjust the filling to suit your preferences or your pantry:
- Vegetarian egg rolls: Omit the chicken in favor of extra beans or extra-firm tofu that has been pressed and crumbled.
- Use a different protein: Ground turkey, pulled pork, leftover taco meat, or even chopped shrimp all work well.
- Make them spicier: For a bit more kick, try swapping in pepper jack cheese. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the spice mix and/or swap in a serrano, fresno, or habanero pepper for the jalapeño.
Pro Tips For Crispy Southwest Egg Rolls
Keep the wrappers covered while shaping. All you need is a damp paper towel or a damp kitchen cloth to prevent the edges from drying out.
Don’t overfill the egg rolls. While it can be tempting to stuff your wrappers to the brim, resist the impulse. Overfilling can cause the egg rolls to burst in the oil, leaking out all the goodness.
Keep the oil temperature steady. Aim for about 350°F. Avoid overcrowding the pan, which can cause the temperature to drop and lead to greasy, soggy egg rolls instead of crisp, golden ones. You may need to adjust your burner periodically while frying the egg rolls.
How To Make Southwest Egg Rolls
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making southwest chicken egg rolls. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Make the Sauce: Add the ranch dressing, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, lime juice, and salt to a blender or small food processor. Blend for about 1 minute, until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. (It’ll stay fresh and vibrant for 1–2 days if made ahead.)
2. Make the Filling: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Once hot, add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the spinach, corn, and jalapeño (if using) and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the spices (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper), and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Remove from heat, then stir in the black beans and chicken until evenly combined.
4. Shape the Egg Rolls: Working with one egg roll wrapper at a time, position it like a diamond (one corner pointing toward you).
5. Lightly brush the two upper edges with water. (This helps the wrapper stick to itself so the egg rolls stay sealed when frying.) Keep the remaining wrappers covered with a damp towel so they don’t dry out.
6. Spoon about ¼ cup of the filling into the center of the wrapper and top with 1 to 1½ tablespoons of grated cheese. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling.
7. Fold in the sides toward the center. Roll tightly toward the top corner, pressing gently to seal. Set aside and keep covered with a damp towel, then continue filling and shaping the rest of the rolls.
8. Fry the Egg Rolls: Pour oil into a large pot until it’s about 1 inch deep. Attach a thermometer and heat over medium until it reaches 375°F. Fry 3–4 egg rolls at a time for about 3 minutes total, turning occasionally, until the wrapper is golden brown, bubbly, and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate, then serve the hot egg rolls with the dipping sauce.
Alternative Cooking Methods: Air Fryer & Baking
Don’t want to deep fry the egg rolls? You can make air fryer southwest egg rolls or baked southwest egg rolls with two easy cooking methods. Here’s how:
Air fryer method: Once the egg rolls are assembled, preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Place as many of the egg rolls as you can fit in the air fryer basket while leaving about 1 inch of space between them. (You will likely need to cook in 2 or 3 batches.)
Lightly brush them with vegetable oil or spray lightly with cooking spray. Air fry for 7 minutes, then flip the egg rolls, and continue cooking for 5 to 6 minutes more or until golden brown and crispy (about 12 minutes total). Continue cooking the rest of the egg rolls. Check out my air fryer egg rolls recipe for more tips!
Oven method: Preheat the oven to 375°F when you start the recipe. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray or brush it with vegetable oil. Once the rolls are shaped, place them on the greased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
Brush the egg rolls lightly with vegetable oil or spray them with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip each egg roll and continue baking for about 5 minutes or until they are golden and crispy.
Southwest Egg Rolls Recipe
Equipment
- 2 Large skillet
- Large Pot
- Spider or slotted spoon, for frying
Ingredients
For the Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce:
- ½ cup ranch dressing (120g)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves (25g)
- ¼ cup sour cream (60g)
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Egg Rolls:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for frying
- 1 cup finely chopped red onion (120g)
- 1 bell pepper red or green, finely chopped (160g)
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach (90g)
- 1 cup corn, canned, frozen and thawed, or fresh (125g)
- 1 jalapeno seeded and minced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (15 ounce/425g) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1½ cups cooked chicken breast chopped, (210g)
- 20 egg roll wrappers (450g)
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (226g)
Instructions
For the Dipping Sauce:
- In a blender canister or small bowl of a food processor, combine the ranch dressing, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, lime juice, and salt. Puree on medium-high speed for about 1 minute, until smooth and the cilantro is finely chopped. Place the sauce in a bowl or jar, cover, and chill until ready to serve. The sauce will stay vibrant for a day or two if you want to make it in advance.
For the Egg Rolls:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil, then onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Add the spinach, corn, and jalapeno (if using), and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently, until the spices are fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in the black beans and chicken.
- Working with one egg roll wrapper at a time, position the wrapper in front of you with a corner pointing up, so that it makes a diamond shape. Brush the two sides pointing to the top with water. (Keep the wrappers in their package or covered with a damp paper towel or kitchen towel while you work. Otherwise, they can dry out and become brittle.)
- Spoon ¼ cup of the chicken mixture in the center of the wrappers. Top each with 1 to 1½ tablespoons of grated cheese. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling. Fold the two side corners over the filling to meet each other in the middle, then roll up to the top corner and gently press to seal. Set aside, covered with a damp towel as you roll the remaining egg rolls.
Fry the Egg Rolls:
- In a large pot, add enough oil until it is 1 inch deep. Attach a candy or deep fry thermometer, and heat the oil 375°F over medium heat. Meanwhile, line a plate or tray with a few layers of paper towels.
- Fry 3 to 4 egg rolls at a time, for about 3 minutes total, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon or spider. Remove them from the oil and drain on the paper towels for a few minutes. Serve while the rolls are hot and crispy with the avocado ranch dipping sauce.
Notes
- To cook in the air fryer: Working in batches, place the egg rolls in the air fryer basket, leaving an inch between them. Brush lightly or spray with oil. Air fry in batches at 350°F, flipping after 7 minutes, until golden brown and crispy, about 12 minutes total.
- To bake: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the egg rolls on a greased sheet tray about 1 inch apart. Brush lightly or spray with oil. Bake for about 15 minutes, flipping over after 10 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- My herby Green Goddess Dressing would also make a delicious dipping sauce!
Nutrition
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
Make-ahead: You can make these ahead by filling and shaping the egg rolls, then freezing them in a single layer until solid. Cook straight from frozen, adding an extra 3 to 4 minutes to the frying or baking time. Don’t thaw them before cooking, which can make them soggy and cause splattering in hot oil.
Storing leftovers: Store leftover southwest egg rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 2 to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat at 350°F in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes or in the air fryer for about 5 minutes, until heated through and crispy again.
More Appetizer Recipes To Try
My Cowboy Caviar is a fresh, zesty dip made with beans, corn, and crisp veggies tossed in a bright lime dressing. Scoop it with chips or serve alongside grilled chicken or fish!
Hush Puppies are golden, bite-sized fritters that are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, with just the right hint of cornmeal sweetness and savory onion flavor.
For another Chili ’s-inspired snack, Mozzarella Sticks are crispy and golden on the outside with a perfectly gooey, melty cheese center. An easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer that rivals any restaurant version!
Air Fryer Potato Skins are ultra crispy with fluffy interiors and topped with melty cheese and classic fixings. They’re a guaranteed hit!
Homemade Pita Chips are light, crunchy, and perfectly seasoned, making them a simple homemade upgrade that’s perfect for dipping into hummus, salsa, or your favorite spreads.
If you’ve tried this Southwest Egg Rolls recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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