Air Fryer Southwest Egg Rolls
I love making Spanish inspired dishes, like fajita shrimp burritos and spicy sheet pan fajita bowls. For this one, I wanted to switch it up and put a little twist on one of my favorites: the egg roll.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Crispy homemade egg rolls without all the oil from frying!
- Customize with veggies you have on hand.
- 15 grams of protein PER egg roll!
- The perfect low-calorie dipping sauce!
- Feels like going out for appetizers but in the comfort of your own home.
Who doesn’t like homemade egg rolls? No one, that’s who. And if you didn’t before you will now. These air fryer southwest egg rolls are the perfect crispy appetizer. Air frying allows for the traditional egg roll crunch without deep frying in vegetable oil. What you get are crispy egg rolls, filled with flavor without ever pulling out that takeout menu.
The best part about these egg rolls
Total room for personalization. Don’t want to use ground turkey? Use ground beef or ground chicken instead. Heck, even rotisserie chicken works for the air fryer southwest egg rolls. Add in mushrooms, red bell pepper, shaved carrots, green onion or shredded cabbage for a nutritional kick. I used Monterey Jack cheese for this southwest air fryer egg roll recipe but any other shredded cheese variation will work. I used light cream cheese but full fat or whipped works too. When I say, make it your own…I mean it!
If you prefer to use store-bought taco seasoning, you won’t get any judgments from me. However, please believe me when I say, this homemade version is SO AMAZING. It is so easy to make and goes with everything and anything without any sugar added. Try it, you won’t be sorry!
The perfect wrap – how to wrap your southwest egg rolls
Wrapping the air fryer southwest egg rolls is easy but takes a bit of practice for first-timers.
First, lay your egg roll wrappers on a cutting board or clean surface. Place about 1/2 cup of your filling onto the lower third of the wrapper. Wet your fingers and draw along the outer edges of the wrapper. I keep a small bowl of water next to me to dip my fingers in as needed. The water from your fingers acts as a glue to keep the wrapper intact once rolled. You can do this with an egg wash and pastry brush if preferred. Once the water is used on the edges, fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling, folding the edges of the wrapper in as you roll the egg roll up. Be careful to not overfill your wrappers or they will not fold properly.
Tip: for mini air fryer southwest egg rolls, cut the wrappers in half and use 1/4 cup of filling per egg roll. This is great for parties and little ones!
The perfect air fry
Air fryers are glorious and if done right, the air fryer southwest egg rolls come out divine. I use the Cosori air fryer and love it! If you’re new to the air fry world, there are a few things you should know. Always place egg rolls in the air fryer basket in a single layer, you may have to do multiple batches. You do not want them on top of each other or you will not get crispy egg rolls. We’ve worked too hard to not have crispy egg rolls! Spray egg rolls with cooking spray for that perfect crunchy crispy egg roll exterior.
Don’t stop at just egg rolls. The air fryer is great for air fryer halibut, buffalo cauliflower bites and air fryer tortilla pizzas.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions for Southwest Air Fryer Egg Rolls.
Ground turkey: 1 lb. You may use ground chicken, beef, or leftover rotisserie chicken if desired.
Homemade seasoning: a simple blend of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and cumin. Use store-bought taco seasoning if preferred, my favorite is Siete Mild Taco Seasoning.
Corn: I used half of a can of corn, drained. You can use leftover corn on the cob or frozen. If using frozen, defrost first and drain any excess liquid.
Black Beans: adds protein and flavor. Be sure to drain and rinse prior to use. You can omit or use any other preferred bean variety.
Spinach: frozen is the easiest method. Thaw it first and remove any excess water. You can also saute fresh spinach and add to the mixture to wilt it down.
Cheese: I used shredded Monterey Jack but any preferred cheese, such as cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend, works well.
Cream cheese: I used 1/3 less fat. Whipped or full fat is fine.
Eggroll wrappers: any brand. I am using Twin Dragons.
Greek yogurt: Fage non-fat plain Greek yogurt is my go-to. May be substituted for any non-fat plain Greek yogurt or any fat % preferred as well as sour cream.
How to make air fryer southwest egg rolls
Preheat the air fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 380°F.
Make the filling
In a large skillet, cook the ground turkey over medium heat until browned. Be sure to break it up into small pieces as it cooks. While the turkey cooks, mix the seasonings in a small bowl and add the water to create a paste. Add the paste to the turkey and turn to low heat to simmer while you prep the filling.
In a large bowl, add the corn, beans, spinach and cheese. Top with the cooked ground turkey. Mix until well combined and the cream cheese has melted throughout.
Roll the egg rolls
Lay out your egg roll wrappers on a clean surface. Place ½ cup (76g) of filling onto the lower third of the wrapper. Using wet fingers draw along the outer edges of the wrapper to help it stick together. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling and then the sides and roll it up tightly. Repeat with the remaining wrappers. See pictures above of how to roll your egg rolls.
Air fryer the southwest egg rolls
Place the egg rolls in the air fryer basket, leaving enough space for the air to circulate. You may need to cook them in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Lightly spray the egg rolls with nonstick cooking spray. This helps them to get a nice crispy finish. Air fry the egg rolls for about 8-10 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crispy, turning them halfway through cooking.
Mix dipping sauce
While the egg rolls are in the air fryer mix the dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.
Serve and enjoy!
When the egg rolls are done cooking, remove from the air fryer basked. Allow the egg rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving, as the filling will be very hot. Serve with the salsa dipping sauce, ranch or your favorite sauces.
Serving suggestions for southwestern egg rolls
If you know me by now, you know what I’m going to say, serve with SAUCE! These air fryer southwest egg rolls come with a simple homemade dipping sauce of salsa, non-fat Greek yogurt, and cilantro. If you prefer, try it with an avocado ranch salsa, ranch, guacamole or your favorite dipping sauce.
Check out some of our other easy recipes!
- Lazy Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Turkey Gravy and Biscuits
- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells
- Boom Boom Shrimp
Air Fryer Southwest Egg Rolls
📱 MyFitnessPal & MacrosFirst App Users
You can find this recipe and many others on MyFitnessPal and MacrosFirst by searching: Ohsnapmacros – Air Fryer Southwest Egg Rolls
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1.5 Tbsp. cumin
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup canned corn drained, 80g
- 1/2 cup black beans drained and rinsed, 80g
- 1/2 cup frozen spinach thawed and strained
- 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded, 56g
- 2 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese softened
- 10 egg roll wrappers
Creamy Salsa Sauce
- 3/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt 170g
- 1/2 cup salsa 137g
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground turkey over medium heat until browned. Be sure to break it up into small pieces as it cooks. While the turkey cooks, mix the seasonings in a small bowl and add the water to create a paste. Add the paste to the turkey and turn to low heat to simmer while you prep the filling.
- In a large mixing bowl add the corn, beans, spinach, cheeses and top with the cooked ground turkey. Mix until well combined and the cream cheese has melted throughout.
- Lay out your egg roll wrappers on a clean surface. Place ½ cup (76g) of filling onto the lower third of the wrapper. Using wet fingers draw along the outer edges of the wrapper to help it stick together. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling and then the sides and rull it up tightly. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
- Place the egg rolls in the air fryer basket, leaving enough space for the air to circulate. You may need to cook them in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Lightly spray the egg rolls with cooking spray. This helps them get to a nice crispy finish. Air fry the egg rolls about 8-10 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crispy, turning them halfway through cooking.
- While the egg rolls are in the air fryer mix the dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.
- When the egg rolls are done cooking, remove from the air fryer basked. Allow the egg rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving, as the filling will be very hot. Serve with the salsa dipping sauce, ranch or your favorite sauces.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are for egg rolls only without dipping sauce.
- Use ground chicken or beef in place of turkey.
- Add veggies, alternate cheese, or full-fat cream cheese, if desired.
- Use store-bought taco seasoning to save on time.
- Recipe can be found in MyFitnessPal and Macros First, search “ohsnapmacros Air Fryer Southwest Egg Rolls”
These are on repeat in this house!!
My favorite recipe on this site! Easy to make egg rolls that are healthy and macro friendly. I’ve been meal prepping these for work and love them! And the sauce is also incredible.
It’s one of my favs too : )
Delicious l! But in MFP the macros are listed differently than they are here.
You’re likely looking at the other egg rolls I have 🙂 – they’re in MFP correctly and under “air fryer southwest egg rolls.”
Delicious! Will be making again for sure!
These are amazing! I think the only errors i had were due to my air fryer being in my oven. I had to set my temp higher and cook them longer. I also didn’t get them fully golden which I believe would have made them WAY better (dont get me wrong, they are already delicious). So i may spray them after air fryer and sear them in a pan.
Another great one! I love the ability to add whatever you have in your fridge or pantry. We loved his recipe!!
Do these reheat easily? If so, what method do you recommend?
Loved this recipe. I used ground beef and wilted in fresh spinach. Will definitely be making again.