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Southwestern Eggrolls

We first fell in love with these at Chili's, but felt they were missing something. So Hall came home, cracked the recipe and improved it. You will not be disappointed with these as appetizers or as a side dish, or, heck, as the entree with a side salad!
Cooking Method
Cuisine ,
Courses
Difficulty Intermediate
Servings 36
Ingredients
  • 2 Chicken Breast (or equivalent, abt 6-8 tenders)
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil (divided)
  • 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper (minced)
  • 2 tbsp Green Onion (minced)
  • 1/4 cup Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed and drained)
  • 1/3 cup Corn (if from a can, drained. If frozen, thaw and drain)
  • 1/4 cup Black Beans (If caned: rinse and drained. Or use our recipe)
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin (remove if you use our black beans)
  • 2 tbsp canned Jalapeno Peppers (diced and optional)
  • 1/4 tsp Parsley (minced, optional)
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 dash Cayenne Pepper (optional)
  • 3/4 cup Monterey Jack Cheese (shredded)
  • 1 Package Egg Roll Wraps
  • Peanut oil (for frying)
    • Equipment
  • Large Skillet
  • Knife
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Spoon or disher
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Fry Daddy or deep pot
  • Draining rack
Instructions

  1. Heat large skillet (Iron is best but not needed) over med high heat.

  2. Dice Chicken into about 1cm cubes, about the size of a regular Green Pea.

  3. Drizzle a tbsp of vegetable oil onto the chicken and salt and pepper lightly. Use your fingers to move the chicken around to help coat the chicken.

  4. Add the chicken to the hot skillet, and cook until just turning brown. Set aside in a bowl or plate.

  5. Back in the now empty skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add to skillet the red pepper and saute until tender, about two minutes. Half way through add the green onions.

  6. After 2 minutes, add the chicken back to the skillet. Add spinach, corn, black beans, jalapeño peppers, chili powder, parsley, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper to mixture. Cook for about 4 minutes; stir well to incorporate ingredients in the mixture.

  7. Take pan off the heat; add cheese and stir until melted.

  8. Once cooled enough NOT to burn the fingers... using a spoon add some of the mixture into the lower half of an eggroll wrapper (about 2 TBSP worth, depending on the size of your wrap), making a log at one end of the wrap. But make sure you leave about a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch width from the 3 sides. 

  9. Using your fingers, dip them into a bowl of water, and then wet the edges of the wrap. 

  10. Fold the 2 sides over, and wet the new edges.

  11. And then begin to roll the eggroll up from bottom to top.

  12. Once rolled, lay on a cookie sheet, seam side down.

    *Hall tends to do 4 at a time since this does tend to get your fingers messy. He lays out all 4 wraps and places a towel over the other to keep them from drying out. He then scoops all 4, wets all edges, folds all edges, rewets them, and rolls them. And then wipes his fingers down, and starts again.

  13. Either heat up your Fry Daddy or in a deep pot, heat up some peanut oil over med high heat.

  14. Add the eggrolls one at a time, and make sure they drop away from you, so not to splash you (But I highly recommend using a spider, to lower them in). Fry rolls until they begin to turn light brown. Pull and drain on wire rack. 

  15. Cut diagonally and serve!

Note

TO FREEZE:  If you are wanting to freeze these, after you have wrapped them and placed them on the cookie sheet, place that cookie sheet into a freeze and let them get good and frozen. Once frozen, you then can add them to a ziplock bag for a few weeks. When ready to cook, pull them out and let them come to room temperature. Might need to pat them dry if there is any condensation on them, before putting them into the hot oil, so the oil doesn't explode.

Did you make this recipe?
Read it online: https://www.hallandjanet.com/recipes/recipe/southwestern-eggrolls/