A crowd favorite appetizer, these Southwestern chicken egg rolls are stuffed with seasoned chicken, cheese, and veggies then wrapped and fried in a crispy shell. They're served with a delicious creamy avocado ranch dipping sauce.
Ingredients for chicken egg rolls
- Cooked Chicken - For this recipe I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. I mixed ½ tsp each of cumin, paprika, and chili powder and ¼ tsp each of garlic powder and onion powder and seasoned the meat. Then I pan seared them until cooked through and chopped them. I aimed for about the same size as the corn kernels. You can use rotisserie chicken if you don't want to cook your own. Either chopped or finely shredded should work.
- Egg Roll Wrappers - These are usually in a refrigerated section of the supermarket. At my local store there were in the produce section next to the tofu.
- Corn - I used low sodium canned corn but fresh or frozen will work too. If using frozen you'll want to thaw it first.
- Black Beans - I'd recommend low sodium canned black beans so you can control the salt level.
- Bell Pepper - I went with red for the color but any color will do.
- Onion
- Cheese - I used monterey jack cheese in these. A mild cheddar or colby jack would also be good choices.
- Seasoning - For the seasoning you will use chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt. I also added chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
If you want to make your egg rolls spicy, try adding 1-2 seeded and diced jalapenos and replace the ½ tsp of paprika in the filling seasoning with cayenne pepper.
How to make the egg rolls
- Mix together the cooked chicken, corn, beans, pepper, onion, and half of the cheese. Add the seasoning and stir until well combined.
- Next take your egg roll wrapper and turn it in a diamond shape.
- Add around 2 tablespoons of filling to the center and sprinkle on a little extra cheese.
- Then fold the bottom corner up over the filling. Next fold the two side corners over towards the center. Use your fingers to try and get the filling squeezed in tightly. It should look like a stuffed envelope.
- Brush a little water on the top corner to help seal it, then roll it up tightly and set aside. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
Cooking your southwestern chicken egg rolls
There are a few options for cooking the egg rolls. I choose to pan fry mine in about ¼ cup of oil. Working in batches of 3 to 4 rolls at a time, add them to the pan and turn frequently. Cook until all sides are golden brown.
You can also deep fry them or bake them. If baking, follow the directions on the package. Mine called for baking on a baking sheet in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
How to make avocado ranch dipping sauce
- To make the dipping sauce add ½ cup of ranch dressing, ¼ cup sour cream, and 1 peeled and seeded avocado to a medium mixing bowl.
- Smash the avocado and then mix until smooth and well combined.
- You can also make the sauce in a food processor or blender if desired by dumping all of the ingredients in and blending until smooth.
Tips and FAQs
These are great for making ahead. You can prepare the egg rolls in advance and place them on a baking sheet in the freezer and until frozen. Then remove from the baking sheet and put them into a large zip top freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To prepare just remove the desired quantity and fry as normal.
YES!!! These are perfect for the air fryer. Place a few of the egg rolls in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching. Cook at 375°F for 4-5 minutes. Using tongs, flip the egg rolls and cook for another 3-4 minutes until crisp and browned. Continue working in batches with the remaining egg rolls.
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat small batches in a toaster oven at 350°F until warmed through or in an air fryer at 350°F.
Other appetizers to try
Southwestern Chicken Egg Rolls
Ingredients
- 1½ cups cooked chicken, chopped
- 1 can sweet corn , drained and rinsed, preferably low sodium
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed, preferably low sodium
- ½ cup bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1½ cups shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1 pack egg roll wrappers
- oil for frying
Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 medium avocado, peeled and seeded
Instructions
- Combine the chicken, vegetables, spices, cilantro, lime juice and half of the cheese in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Take 1 egg roll wrapper and set in a diamond shape. Fill with around 2 tablespoons of filling and sprinkle a little of the remaining cheese on top, around 1 tsp. Fold the bottom corner up and over the filling. Fold the side corners over towards the center, squeezing in the filling tightly with your fingers. Brush the top corner with water and then roll up the egg roll tightly. Repeat with remaining wrappers.
- To pan fry, heat around ¼ of vegetable oil in a large pan or dutch oven. Working in batches, add the prepared egg rolls a few at a time to the pan and cook, turning frequently, until golden brown on all sides. Remove and let drain on paper towels before serving.
- To deep fry, heat 1 quart of oil in a dutch oven or large pot to around 325 degrees. Add a few egg rolls at a time and fry until golden brown. Remove and let drain on paper towels before serving.
- While egg rolls cool, add ranch dressing, sour cream, and avocado to a small bowl. Smash the avocado and then stir until smooth and well combined.
- Serve the warm egg rolls on a platter with the dipping sauce.
Notes
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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