These oven-baked Southwest egg rolls with avocado crema will take center stage for all your Tex-Mex fiestas. Loaded with a seasoned veggie and chicken filling, they’re addictively crunchy and ready to be devoured.
Chicken Southwest Egg Rolls
Made in the oven for convenience, these easy homemade egg rolls pack your favorite Southwest flavors: peppers, black beans, chicken, cheese, and spices. Golden and crunchy on the outside, an avocado crema is everything they need for an outer pop of color and creaminess.
If you’re not a fan of the oven, no worries— You can use an air fryer and be done in less than half the cooking time. Loaded with simple cheats, this recipe is proof that these ingredients were made to be put into egg rolls.
Dipped into a bright green crema, these egg rolls are everything you could wish for. Smokey, spicy, garlicky, and cheesy. Freshly baked or frozen for later, you’ll love this little mountain of Southwest-fiesta egg rolls on your table every time.
What You’ll Need
Time to look through your spice cabinet! Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full ingredient amounts.
Ingredients For the Eggrolls
- Vegetable oil – Corn and canola oil work too.
- Red onion – Feel free to use white onion.
- Red bell pepper – You can use any color of bell pepper.
- Ground chicken
- Yellow corn – Fresh or canned is okay.
- Black beans – Use homemade or canned ones. Drain and rinse them if they’re canned.
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Ground cumin
- Ground paprika
- Dried oregano
- Ground cayenne pepper
- Shredded Cheese – Mozzarella, manchego, gouda, or a Mexican-blend cheese all work for this recipe.
- Egg roll wrappers
- Salt
- Water
For the Dressing
- Avocado
- Mexican crema
- Fresh cilantro
- Jalapeño – Fresh or canned jalapeño.
- Milk – I prefer whole milk, but feel free to use low-fat milk.
- Salt
Recipe Variations
A couple of extra ingredients can really transform these homemade egg rolls.
- Change the protein. Ground beef and turkey are great alternatives to chicken for this recipe.
- Use nacho cheese. Dip these egg rolls into your favorite nacho cheese for a nacho-like treat.
- Add salsa. Drizzle these with your favorite salsa for some tomato goodness and heat.
- Add veggies. Adding diced carrots and peas to the pan while you cook the onions is a great way to add more nutrients to your egg rolls.
How to Make Southwest Egg Rolls
It’s all about the filling for these homemade egg rolls.
For the Filling
- Cook the onions. Place the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and stir well. Let them cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until softened and fragrant.
- Add the bell peppers. Add the bell peppers to the pan. Stir and let them cook for 4 minutes or until softened.
- Add the chicken. Add the ground chicken and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Use a spatula to help break up the meat. Season it with salt to taste.
- Add the beans. Add the canned corn and beans. Mix to combine and let everything cook for another 3-4 minutes or until warm.
- Season it. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Stir well and season with salt to taste. Remove the filling from the heat and set it aside to cool.
For the Egg Rolls
- Fold the egg rolls. Extend an egg roll wrapper on a flat surface. Add 2 tablespoons of filling and 1/2 tablespoon of cheese along one side, leaving a 1″ edge. Wrap the left and right sides inward. Grab the 1″ edge and fold it over the filling, tucking it in as you roll the egg roll. Moisten the end with water to seal the egg roll. Repeat this for all the wrappers and filling. ?
- Prepare the tray. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the egg rolls on the baking sheet, leaving at least 1″ between each egg roll. Brush them with vegetable oil.
- Bake. Pop the tray into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Use kitchen tongs to flip the egg rolls over and brush them with more vegetable oil. Bake for another 5 and flip them over again. Repeat this until golden and crunchy on all sides. The total baking time should be around 15-20 minutes.
- Make the dressing. In the meantime, add the avocado, crema, cilantro, jalapeño, and milk to the blender. Process it until you get a smooth mixture. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk as needed. Season with salt to taste. Pour it into a small bowl and set it aside.
- Serve. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a serving plate with the avocado dressing on the side.
Can I Make These In The Air Fryer?
Yes! Cook them at 320˚F for 5 to 6 minutes. Flip them over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until golden and crispy. Don’t forget to flip them, or they won’t cook evenly.
Tips for Success
Following these simple tips will make your homemade egg rolls particularly easy:
- Make them crispy “taquitos”. Top them with shredded lettuce, and drizzle them with avocado dressing, and your favorite salsa for a crispy taquito-like snack.
- Use rotisserie chicken. Shred leftover rotisserie chicken and use it instead of ground chicken. You’ll save cooking time while maintaining the same flavor.
- Don’t add too much filling. While the filling is delicious, you don’t want to go overboard with it. It’s harder to roll the egg rolls and they’re likely to open up as they cook.
What to Serve with Baked Southwest Egg Rolls
These homemade egg rolls are great with Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes like my Chicken Taco Soup, Shredded Buffalo Chicken Tacos, or Taco Bowls Recipe. To keep with the Southwest vibe, you can also try my Southwestern Taco Skillet.
Additionally, anything with taco seasoning is perfect with these egg rolls, so have fun in the kitchen!
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Once fully cooled, refrigerate these homemade egg rolls in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To reheat them, pop them into the microwave for up to a minute or until warm. If you’d like them to be crispy, preheat the oven to 350˚F and bake them for 3 minutes. Flip them over and heat them for another 3 minutes or until warm.
Can You Freeze Homemade Egg Rolls?
- Yes, but you’ll need to freeze them before (oven) frying. Assemble them as usual and then place them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Freeze for 1 to 2 hours.
- Transfer them to freezer-friendly bags or containers and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Don’t thaw them before cooking them. Pop them into the oven straight from the freezer and cook as usual, only adding 4-6 minutes of cooking time or until golden and crispy.
More Easy Appetizers
ENJOY!
Place the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and stir well. Let them cook for 4 minutes or until softened and fragrant.
Stir the bell peppers into the pan and let them cook for 4 minutes or until softened.
Add the ground chicken to the pan, season it with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and let it cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Use a spatula to help break up the meat.
Add the canned corn and beans. Mix to combine and let everything cook for another 3 minutes or until warm.
Add the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Stir well and season with salt to taste. Remove the filling from the heat and set it aside to cool.
- Extend an egg roll wrapper on a flat surface. Add 2 tablespoons of filling and 1/2 tablespoon of cheese on the top 1/3 of the wrapper.Wrap the left and right sides inward around the filling. Grab the empty side of the wrapper and fold it over the filling, tucking it in as you roll the egg roll. Moisten the end with water to seal the egg roll. Repeat this process with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the egg rolls on the baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch of space between them. Brush the egg rolls with vegetable oil.
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Use kitchen tongs to flip the egg rolls over and brush them with more vegetable oil. Bake for another 5 minutes and flip them over again. Repeat this until golden and crunchy on all sides. The total baking time should be around 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the avocado, crema, cilantro, jalapeño, and milk to a blender. Process the mixture to a smooth consistency. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk if needed. Season with salt to taste. Pour it into a small bowl and set it aside.
Remove the egg rolls from the oven and transfer them to a serving plate and serve with the avocado dressing on the side.
- I used ground chicken for these egg rolls, but feel free to use ground beef or pork, or you could also use shredded baked chicken.
- The vegetables in this recipe are the usual mix of veggies used in other tex-mex inspired recipes. If you want to add different types, chop them up the same size, so they cook evenly.
- If you don’t have Mexican-blend shredded cheese, you can use shredded cheddar, mozzarella, or whatever else you have on hand or prefer.
- The Avocado Crema is optional, but I highly recommend it. The cool, smooth creaminess adds a wonderful contrast to the crunchy, spiced egg rolls.
- If you want to cook the egg rolls in the Air Fryer, preheat the Air Fryer to 320˚F, arrange the egg rolls in the basket, brush them with oil, and cook them for about 5 minutes; flip them over and cook for 3 more minutes or until golden brown.
Serving: 1 egg roll | Calories: 56 kcal | Carbohydrates: 4 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 2 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Trans Fat: 0.01 g | Cholesterol: 21 mg | Sodium: 77 mg | Potassium: 189 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 1 g | Vitamin A: 287 IU | Vitamin C: 8 mg | Calcium: 16 mg | Iron: 1 mg | Net Carbs: 3 g
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
