Crispy Southwest Egg Rolls (that you can bake or fry!) served with a creamy cilantro dipping sauce. These could be my favorite party appetizer of all time, (and they’re freezer friendly)!

Southwest egg rolls on a plate with creamy cilantro dipping sauce.

This was one of the very first recipes I shared on my blog, back in 2013.  They were completely inspired by my love for the Tex Mex egg rolls appetizer from The Cheesecake Factory.  I took one bite of them and knew I wanted to recreate them at home. So they joined the ranks of my many restaurant copycat recipes.

I’m seriously in love with these little egg rolls. You could serve them for dinner, as a side, or as an appetizer.

I have to tell you, if I had to pick just one party appetizer as my absolute favorite, this would be it! These southwest egg rolls are always a hit.

The crispiness of the egg roll wrapper, combined with the southwest filling and creamy cilantro dipping sauce (I could eat that stuff with a spoon!) just can’t be beat!

Filling ingredients for southwest egg rolls including chicken, black beans, corn, bell peppers, onion and spices.

I also really love that I usually already have everything I need to make the filling and dipping sauce, so all I need to buy are the egg roll wrappers.

Start with cooked, chopped chicken and throw in a can of black beans, some corn, bell pepper, onion, spices, and shredded cheese.

Process photos for how to fill and roll an egg roll wrapper

With one end of an egg roll wrapper pointing towards you, spoon some filling on top.

Fold the wrapper tightly over the filling mixture.  Fold in the sides, tightly, and continue rolling the wrapper tightly all the way to the end.  Brush the ends of the wrapper with a little bit of water to help it stick together.

The creamy cilantro dipping sauce that I’ve paired with these is out-of-this world good! You can make it several days in advance, if you want to. You could also serve it with other things, like spooned on top of taco salad .

All you need to do is blend together some cream cheese, cilantro, salsa and sour cream. Delicious!

Creamy cilantro dipping sauce for southwest egg rolls

My preferred method for cooking these is pan-frying them. I don’t typically deep fry because it makes a mess, uses so much oil, and is un-heathy. By pan-frying them I still get the same crispiness that I love.

You can also bake them, although they won’t be quite as “crispy”. They’ll still taste great!

Southwest egg roll dipped in creamy cilantro sauce

Serve them warm, with creamy cilantro dipping sauce. Freeze leftovers for another day!

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Recipe

Southwest egg rolls on a plate with creamy cilantro dipping sauce.
Prep 20 mins
Cook 10 mins
Total 30 mins
Save Recipe

Ingredients
  

For the Egg Rolls:

  • 20 egg roll wrappers
  • 15 ounce can black beans , rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1 bell pepper , diced, any color
  • 1/4 cup onion , diced
  • 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (about 1 breast), cooked and chopped small
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
  • Oil for pan frying or deep frying (optional)

For the Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce:

Instructions
 

  • Add all of the dipping sauce ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more salsa, if needed, to thin the mixture, or to taste. Refrigerate.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine black beans, corn, bell pepper, onion, chicken, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper. Taste and add more seasonings if needed, to your liking.
  • Stir in shredded cheese.
  • Open egg roll wrappers and place a damp rag over them to keep them from drying out.
  • Grab one wrapper and place it on your counter with one corner pointing towards you.
  • Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling on the egg roll wrapper.  Take the wrapper end that is pointing towards you and fold it over the filling mixture.  Fold in the sides of the wrapper, and then continue rolling the wrapper tightly all the way to the end.  You can brush the ends of the wrapper with a little bit of water to help it stick together.
  • Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Choose your cooking method:

    To Pan Fry:

    • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 Tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil.  
    • When the oil is hot, place a few egg rolls at a time into the pan. Cook them, rotating often, until toasted on all sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm, with dipping sauce.

    To Deep Fry:

    • In a deep stock pot, heat about 1 quart of vegetable oil to 350 degrees F (medium high heat). Cook egg rolls, turning in the oil to cook evenly, for about 90 seconds, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm, with dipping sauce.

    To Bake:

    • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line egg rolls, seam side down, on baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart. Spray them with nonstick cooking spray, or brush the tops lightly with oil.
    • Bake for 10-15 minutes or until egg rolls are golden. You can then broil them for a few seconds or so on each side to make them crispier, if you want. Serve warm, with dipping sauce.

    Notes

    To Make Ahead:
    You can make the filling and sauce several days ahead of time and store in the fridge.
    You could also prepare the egg rolls completely, and allow them to cool completely. Then store them, covered, in the fridge. Re-heat them on a very hot skillet or on the stove, toasting them on all sides.
    To Freeze:
    Prepare and cook egg rolls completely. Allow them to cool completely.
    Wrap each egg roll in tinfoil or wax paper and place them in a freezer ziplock bag.
    When ready to eat you can deep fry or pan fry them, frozen, adding an extra minute or two for deep fry, and several extra minutes for pan frying, until warmed through and crispy. To bake, bake them from frozen, adding 6-8 minutes to baking time.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 329mgPotassium: 163mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 400IUVitamin C: 8.9mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 1mg

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    *Nutritional label does not include oil for frying

    Nutrition Facts
    Southwest Egg Rolls
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    115
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    4
    g
    6
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    10
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    16
    mg
    5
    %
    Sodium
     
    329
    mg
    14
    %
    Potassium
     
    163
    mg
    5
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    14
    g
    5
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    1
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    5
    g
    10
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    400
    IU
    8
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    8.9
    mg
    11
    %
    Calcium
     
    38
    mg
    4
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Have you tried this recipe?! 
    RATE this recipe and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

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    About The Author

    Lauren Allen

    Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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    Comments

    1. Why is this so darn easy and wonderful to my taste buds? Was going to say pallet but my auto correct didn’t, say anything!!!!! Does that mean I can spell???????

    2. Every year I get a craving for these so Iv’e been making these every year since you posted recipe. Very good

      1. 5 stars
        Cara, the air fryer was a great option for me.
        I air fried at 370 for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. I’d expect slight variations depending on the air fryer that you use. You can brush on a light coat of oil just before cooking, but don’t use more than a few drops of oil. I don’t normally do that to keep them as healthy as possible, and they still turn out delicious.

        I really enjoyed this recipe!

    3. Made these with a few tweaks, trying to copy a now-closed restaurant’s version. I added finely chopped jalapeños and chipotle seasoning to both the egg roll filling and the dipping sauce. Loved the dip! I fried the egg rolls in oil in an electric skillet. Next time I’m going to try baking them, then using the broiler for a few seconds on each side to crisp them up. Thank you for a wonderful recipe! Rolling them was a snap!

    4. I made the SW chkn egg rolls man delish ..i will be making them again for the Superbowl this yr..keep the reciepts coming..

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