Southwest Egg Roll Recipe (Air Fryer)

Our southwest egg roll recipe in the air fryer is a quick and delicious appetizer or meal that kids love. Made with leftover chicken, black beans, and veggies these are air-fried crisp to dip in your favorite sauce. They’re full of flavor so they’re a great way to get some extra beans and veggies into your kids, and they’re fun to make, so everyone might want to help!

We got plenty of appetizer recipes that double as lunches and after-school snacks. If you want more recipes like this one, try our Air Fryer Pizza Rolls, our Wonton Mozzarella Sticks, and our Mozzarella Medallions.

What are Southwest Egg Rolls made of?

Southwest eggs rolls are a nod to Tex-Mex cuisine in egg roll shape! They’ve got all the yummiest things we find in our Tex-Mex, wrapped in an egg roll wrapper, and cooked to perfection. Our version cooks in the air fryer, but other versions may use the oven or even a deep fryer.

We’ve created an ingredient combination we love, but Southwest eggs rolls can contain:

• Chicken
• Corn
• Bell peppers or hot peppers
• Onions
• Beans
• Cheese
• Spices
• Jalapenos
• Spinach

There are many items you can put in your southwest egg rolls to make them exactly how you’d like.

What can I dip my Southwest Egg Rolls in?

Like all good Tex-Mex, I think, you’ve gotta dip these in something! Luckily, there are plenty of great options:

• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Enchilada sauce
• Taco sauce
• Spicy ranch dressing
• Sweet onion dressing
• Chipotle mayo

I’m a big fan of mixing my sauces together to make something new! Try mixing:

• Sour cream and BBQ sauce
• Sour cream and salsa
• Mayo, cotija cheese, and chili powder
• Sour cream and taco seasoning
• Taco sauce, cream cheese, and sour cream

Ingredients

Assemble these ingredients, then easily make your southwest egg rolls!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups cooked chicken shredded or diced
• 1/3 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup green onion, sliced
• 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 package egg roll wrappers

How to Make

Step One: Combine the chicken mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced chicken, corn, black beans, red bell pepper, green onions, and spinach. Stir in cheese and the seasonings and blend well.

STEP TWO: Make the egg rolls. Lay an egg roll wrapper onto the work surface, brush water around the outside of the wrapper, and lay another wrapper on top to make it double thick. Scoop ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture into the center of the egg roll wrapper. Brush water around the outside of the outside wrapper. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up, then fold in the two sides of the wrapper. Fold the top and tightly roll up the egg roll. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat making egg rolls with the remainder of the chicken mixture.

STEP THREE: Air Fry. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Lightly brush each egg roll with olive oil. Place egg rolls on the air fryer pan in a single layer and not touching. Cook for 5 minutes in batches if needed. Use tongs to flip the egg rolls and brush oil on the top of the egg rolls. Continue cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy.

STEP FOUR: Serve. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces.

Tips and Recipe Notes

• Make sure you double-wrap these egg rolls. The filling is too thick and hearty for just one wrapper, and it will likely break the wrapper if you only use one.
• This recipe is easy to customize so feel free to leave out anything you don’t love or replace it with someone else. You can double the cheese, leave out the beans, add in extra chicken… whatever you’d like!
• The secret to great egg rolls is the crunchy outside! You want these to come out as they’re getting nicely browned, but you don’t want them to get too crispy. Keep a close eye on them.

How to Store Leftover Southwest Egg Rolls

Southwest egg rolls can easily be stored and eaten another day. Put them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you used leftover chicken, these might go bad sooner, so consider how old your meat is and use your own judgment.

If you want to freeze your leftovers, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then lay them in a Ziploc bag. When you’re ready to reheat, take out what you’d like and place them back in the air fryer for about 7-10 minutes until hot through.

You can also assemble and freeze these before cooking to use another day. Wrap each assembled egg roll individually in plastic wrap, then lay them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag, and freeze for up to three months.

FAQs