Flavor-packed Southwest Egg Rolls are healthier than most egg rolls because we make them in an air fryer! No air fryer? No worries, I’ll share some other ideas to still get all the goodness these egg rolls provide.
These egg rolls are packed with tasty ingredients — tender rotisserie chicken, savory black beans, crisp corn, and other Southwestern-spiced veggies. Plus, I have a recipe for the best creamy cilantro sauce to use as a dip or to drizzle over top.
Not sure about Air Fryers? Check out our Air Fryer Guide!
Southwest Egg Rolls
I am so excited to share Southwest Egg Rolls with you! As much as I enjoy fried food, it doesn’t seem to agree with me all that often. That’s a total bummer when you’ve got an obsession with fried egg rolls.
And that explains why I have been hooked on my air fryer. It lets me enjoy all the delicious crispiness and texture without all the oil and heaviness! Plus it’s so much easier (and cleaner!) to use than a deep fryer or a pot of oil.
Southwest Egg Rolls are a great use of Instant Pot or slow cooker Black Beans. We love making the beans at the beginning of the week and using leftovers in recipes throughout the week– like these egg rolls.
How to roll an egg roll
- Set out the egg roll wrappers on a clean surface to look like a diamond facing you.
- Add the Southwest Egg Roll fillings (sour cream, filling, and cheese) to the bottom third of the egg wrapper.
- Dip your finger into a small bowl of water and then run your finger along the edges of the egg wrapper.
- Fold the bottom up over the filling.
- Then fold the left and right corners in to the center (like an envelope).
- Tightly pressing the filling in, roll up the egg roll like a cylinder. (Roll tightly — if any of the filling is exposed, it will leak out in the air fryer).
- Here’s an overview image collage of rolling an egg roll
Southwest Egg Rolls FAQs
These egg rolls are similar to restaurant-style appetizers, but we like them even better! The Southwestern egg rolls at Chili’s has chicken, black beans, corn, jalapeño, Jack cheese, red peppers, and spinach. The egg rolls are served with an avocado-ranch dipping sauce.
If you’d like to make this recipe more like Chili’s, I’d recommend replacing the Monterey Jack cheese with pepper jack cheese and replacing the green pepper with a red pepper.
Yes! That is one of my favorite things about making egg rolls. They can be prepared and assembled up to a day in advance and then cooked in the air-fryer right before you’re ready to eat! Simply prepare the recipe up until the frying part; place the prepared egg rolls on a parchment paper-lined plate. Cover the plate tightly and place in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Right out of the air fryer, use tongs to transfer the fried egg rolls onto a wire cooling rack.
- Don’t let the egg rolls cool on a plate or paper towel as this will make them less crispy.
- Only fry what will be eaten. Once fried, Southwest Egg Rolls don’t stay crispy very long. Store any leftovers un-fried in the fridge and then fry them when ready to enjoy.
Salads, roasted veggies, or even a side of fruit will add some vibrancy (and greens) to these egg rolls. Below are some of our favorite side dishes for these Southwest egg rolls:
No need to pay a visit to a specialty store; most grocery stores carry egg roll wrappers. They are usually found in the cooler section with fresh fruits and vegetables. They can be easy to miss, so use a store-locator app if you have one! These are the egg roll wrappers most accessible to me and what I typically use.
Southwest Egg Roll Tips
- Keep the egg roll wrappers tightly covered right up until using them. They dry out quickly and will crack and crumble if they’re left out of the packaging for long.
- We use light or fat-free sour cream. It’s a great way to save some calories and fat while still getting that great flavor and creaminess. Of course, regular sour cream works well too!
- If you’re in a time crunch, these egg rolls are still delicious without the sauce. Alternatively, the sauce can be prepared ahead of time to make dinner prep a bit quicker.
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese has a cellulose coating that results in a greasier/clumpier cheese filling that can become slightly grainy.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. Place egg rolls in so they have a bit of space in between — don’t overlap or layer them for ultimate crispiness.
Don’t have an air fryer?
- Deep fry instead. These egg rolls can be deep-fried instead of air fried. Set a pan to heat with about an inch of canola or vegetable oil. Heat to 325 degrees F and once it’s reached the temperature, add 3-4 egg rolls at a time. Rotate to evenly brown (~2 minutes per side) and once they are browned all over, remove them to a cooling rack (with a paper towel placed underneath).
- Bake instead. Spray all sides of the egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, flipping at the halfway point, or until lightly browned. (They don’t get super-crispy when baked.)
- Make them into a quesadilla or burrito instead. Fill up large tortillas with the fillings and roll them up tightly (or form into a quesadilla). Heat a large griddle or nonstick skillet to medium heat. Once hot, spray all sides of the wraps with cooking spray and place seam side down into the pan or griddle. Cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-4 minutes. Flip with tongs and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until golden and crisp. The filling should be hot and cheese melted. Serve with sauce and any other desired toppings.
More black bean recipes
- Black Bean Tacos with a citrusy avocado sauce
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili with an amazing seasoning blend
- Quinoa Black Bean Salad with a cilantro dressing
- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls with a creamy lime sauce
- Black Bean Burger with a chipotle burger sauce
Southwest Egg Rolls
Equipment
- Large cast-iron pan
- Food Processor optional
Ingredients
Egg Rolls
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced green pepper 1/2 pepper
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion 1/2 onion
- 1 tablespoon diced jalapeño seeds and ribs removed
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 clove
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder I use McCormick, which is very mild
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup diced rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup black beans drained and rinsed, see note 1
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 1 lime
- 1-1/4 cup freshly shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1-1/4 cup freshly shredded Monterey jack cheese or use more sharp cheddar
- 12 to 14 teaspoons sour cream lite or fat-free is great
- 12 to 14 refrigerated egg roll wrappers and water to seal the edges
- Cooking spray
Optional Sauce
- 1 large lime
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
- 1/2 tablespoon minced jalapeño
- 1/2 cup sour cream lite or fat-free is great
Instructions
- For quicker prep, chop the pepper, onion, jalapeño, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Alternatively, finely chop these ingredients. Dice chicken; drain and rinse the beans (see note 1).
- Add the olive oil to a large cast-iron pan and heat to high. Add diced pepper, diced onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5–7 minutes. Add seasonings: cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low.
- Add diced rotisserie chicken, black beans, corn, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Stir to heat through, 1–2 minutes, then remove from heat. Meanwhile, shred the cheeses. Combine cheese in a bowl and mix with your hands to incorporate.
- Set out egg roll wrappers on a clean surface to look like a diamond. Smooth 1 heaping teaspoon sour cream on the bottom third of the wrapper (see pictures in post). Top with 3 packed tablespoons of filling. Add 2 packed tablespoons of cheese. Dip your finger into a small bowl of water and run your wet finger along the edges of the egg wrapper. Fold the bottom up over the filling. Then fold the left and right corners in to the center (like an envelope). Tightly pressing the filling, roll the egg roll like a cylinder. (If any filling is exposed, it will leak out in the air fryer.) Repeat with remaining filling and egg wrappers until all are filled. (I typically get 13 egg rolls, using all the filling and cheese.)
- Spray all sides of the egg rolls with cooking spray. Rub spray evenly on all sides of the egg rolls. Layer egg rolls in the air fryer so none are touching. (If your air fryer doesn’t have shelves, just put as many as you can in the basket so none overlap.) Bake at 370°F for 5 minutes. Flip and bake another 5 minutes. Flip once more and bake another 2–3 minutes or until egg rolls are crispy and golden brown. (Air fryers cook differently, so just watch closely at the end and remove once egg rolls are crispy all over.) Remove and let cool slightly before digging in.
- Optional Sauce: Zest and juice limes to get 1/4 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice. Add zest and juice with all sauce ingredients to a food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper) and blend or pulse until smooth. Serve alongside cooked egg rolls.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were fantastic! I used the filling to make quesadillas and my family really liked it. I also used your black bean recipe in the filling, which added a nice flavor boost.
Ahh so happy to hear this! Thanks Leigh! 🙂
Excellent recipe, turned out great. My kids loved it. This was a test for me, so I’m glad I’m feeling some confidence with my cooking endurance. Thank you for another outstanding recipe.
I ma so happy to hear this! Thank you Matthew! 🙂