These Southwestern egg rolls are a Chili’s copycat appetizer filled with a spiced chicken, corn, black bean and cheese filling then pan fried or baked until crispy.

Southwest egg rolls sliced on white plate.

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Chili’s Copycat Southwestern Egg Rolls

Southwestern chicken egg rolls a crowd-favorite party appetizer made with a crispy fried egg roll shell stuffed with a colorful filling of shredded chicken, corn, black beans, taco seasoning, jalapeño for heat, and melty cheese!

This Mexican version of Chinese egg rolls popularized by Chili’s southwest egg rolls are easy to make at home! Serve with a side of salsa ranch dressing or cilantro lime crema for a game day snack.

Recipe Ingredients

Southwest egg rolls ingredients on marble counter.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Cooked chicken: I use a store-bought leftover rotisserie chicken to make life a little easier, but you can use whatever shredded chicken you’ve got on hand.
  • Cheese: I used Monterey Jack cheese.
  • Veggies: Canned corn, finely diced red bell pepper, green onions, black beans, and chopped jalapeno.
  • Seasoning: I usually have my homemade taco seasoning on hand, so I’ll use that with a bit of extra garlic powder and salt.
  • Egg roll wrappers: Once fried, these are crispy yet chewy in texture.

How to Make Southwestern Egg Rolls

The first step is to combine the filling in a bowl and set it aside. The chicken, cheese, beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeno, green onions, and seasonings.

Southwestern egg rolls filling in a bowl.

Lay an egg roll wrapper flat on a clean flat surface. Fill the corner closest to you (the bottom corner) with 1/3 cup of filling.

Fold the bottom corner up and over the filling. Then take the two sides and fold them toward the center, like an open envelope. Brush the edges of the top corner with whisked egg, then roll it up tightly like a burrito and seal it with the egg-washed corner.

An egg roll wrapped laid flat and filled with egg roll filling.
Egg roll wrapped being filled with southwestern filling.

Add 1 inch of vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat to 350°F. Once hot, carefully add 4-5 rolls at a time. Cook in batches if needed, so that they’re not overcrowded. Cook until golden brown and flip occasionally.

Frying southwestern egg rolls.

Transfer southwest egg rolls to a paper towel-lined plate. Once they’re all finished and slightly cooled, use a sharp knife to cut them into a diagonal for presentation. Serve warm.

How to Bake or Air Fry

  • Air fryer: If you want to use less oil but still have a crispy shell, the air fryer is the way to go.Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Lightly spray the rolls or brush them lightly with oil. Cook for 5 minutes or until crisp. Work in batches to not overcrowd the basket.
  • Oven baked: While these are less crispy, they will still be delicious. Place egg rolls seam side down on a baking sheet. Lightly brush with oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake at 425°F for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through baking time until golden. 
Southwest egg roll dipped into a bowl of sauce.

Tips and Variations

  • Make ahead: Prepare filling ahead of time then store in the refrigerator. When ready, assemble and fry.
  • Cover the wrappers with a damp paper towel. Egg roll wrappers can dry out quickly, so I like to cover the stack with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out.
  • Avoid soggy rolls. Make sure the oil is hot before adding your southwestern egg rolls to the skillet. Otherwise, they’ll absorb too much oil waiting for the heat to rise for them to turn golden.
  • Use a thermometer if you can. You want to always make sure you’re maintaining an oil temperature of 350°F. Turn down the heat if you see them browning too quickly.
  • Chili’s dipping sauce: For a simple copycat of their avocado cream sauce just blend ranch dressing with avocado.
Southwest egg rolls on white plate.

Looking for more tasty appetizers? Don’t miss bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, chicken taquitos and Chili’s salsa!

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Southwest egg rolls sliced on white plate.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

5 from 11 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
These Southwestern egg rolls are a Chili's copycat appetizer filled with a spiced chicken, corn, black bean and cheese filling then pan fried or baked until crispy.
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Video

Ingredients 

Filling

  • 1 ½ cups cooked shredded chicken , I used a rotisserie
  • 1 ½ – 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese , more as desired
  • 1 cup black beans
  • ½ cup corn
  • ½ red bell pepper , finely chopped
  • 3-4 green onions , sliced
  • 1 jalapeño , seeds removed and finely diced
  • 1-2 teaspoons taco seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

Egg Rolls

Instructions

Filling

  • In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups chicken, 2 cups cheese, 1 cup beans, 1/2 cup corn, 1/2 chopped red bell pepper, 1 jalapeño, 3-4 green onions, 1-2 teaspoons taco seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Egg Rolls

  • Lay an egg roll wrapper flat on a work surface. Spoon about 1/3 cup filling onto the bottom corner.
  • Fold in the 2 side corners and roll like a burrito, until it looks like an envelope. Brush the top corner triangle with the egg. Continue rolling and seal. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. I like to keep a damp paper towel over the top of the wrappers while rolling, so they don't dry out.
  • Place 1 inch oil in a skillet and heat to 350°F. (*see notes for baking or using an air fryer.) Carefully add 4 to 5 egg rolls in the oil at a time. Cook until browned, flipping occasionally. Turn down the heat if they are browning too fast.
  • Transfer egg rolls to a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool slightly. Repeat with remaining egg rolls.
  • Serve while warm with a salsa ranch dressing for dipping.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Air Fryer: These also cook great in an air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Lightly brush or spray the rolls with olive oil. Cook 5 minutes, or until crispy (you will need to cook in 2 to 3 batches so there is room).
Bake: Place egg rolls seam side down on a baking sheet. Lightly brush with oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake at 425°F for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through baking time until golden. 
Substitutions: 
Storage: Let cool completely before storing. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 300°F (until warm) for best results. 
Freezer instructions: Flash freeze the egg rolls on a pan (preferably before they are cooked) for 1 hour. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw and cook as instructed. 

Nutrition

Calories: 224kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.002g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 390mg, Potassium: 170mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 501IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 263mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.