Vegetarian Baked Southwest Egg Rolls are stuffed with black beans, corn, and cheese, then baked until crispy. You can even cook and freeze this recipe ahead of time so you always have a healthy meal on hand. They’re easy to make vegan, and taste just like your favorite Chili’s appetizer without the chicken!
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Vegetarian southwest egg rolls are my answer for a crispy, cheesy, filling dinner that is also healthy.
This recipe seriously has it all. It’s full of black beans, corn, and cheese. It’s seasoned with jalapeño, chili powder, and cumin. They’re great with a side of rice or quinoa, or serve as an appetizer to a larger meal.
If you’ve ever had Chili’s southwest egg rolls you know how addictive this appetizer can be. I’ve made something similar but left out the chicken and they’re baked instead of fried.
They’re ready in about 45 minutes and really satisfy that savory craving for something crunchy, cheesy, and fried!
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Red bell pepper
- Green Onions
- Jalapeno
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Salt
- Black Beans
- Corn
- Lime juice
- Monterey jack cheese
- Egg roll wrappers
How to make vegetarian baked southwest egg rolls
- Cook bell pepper and green onions in olive oil over medium heat.
- Add jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, and salt and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add black beans and corn and cook 3 minutes or until heated through.
- Sprinkle with lime juice and add cheese, stirring to combine.
- Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each egg roll wrapper and roll tightly (see the video for just how to do this), moistening the final corner with water to help it stick.
- Place seam side down on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
- Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown, flipping once.
Do egg rolls have egg in them?
The egg roll wrappers I picked up were labeled as vegan, so they did not have egg in them. You’ll want to check your packaging to know if they contain egg. This recipe does not use egg.
How to reheat baked egg rolls
This recipe is on my list of vegetarian freezer meals. They are easy to reheat from the refrigerator or freezer. You’ll want to first bake the egg rolls completely.
If you are reheating the egg rolls from the refrigerator, I recommend microwaving for about 30 seconds, then putting in a 400ºF oven for about 10 minutes or until crisp. You could skip the microwave, but this allows the middle to get hot without over baking the outside.
If reheating from the freezer, bake again from frozen until hot.
Tips for customizing
- Leave out the cheese to make them vegan (check your egg roll wrappers for animal products)
- Add a few dashes of hot sauce with the cheese
- Cook the egg rolls in the air fryer (affiliate link) for 8 minutes at 380ºF, flip, then cook 4 more minutes
- Fry the egg rolls in a deep fryer by heating peanut oil to 370ºF, then adding egg rolls in batches so they aren’t crowded and cooking 1-2 minutes until golden brown
- Serve with green avocado sauce or healthy guacamole as a dipping sauce
More southwestern black bean recipes
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
This post was updated in February 2020 with new photos and more helpful information about the recipe.
Recipe
Vegetarian Baked Southwest Egg Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 green onions, chopped
- ½ – 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn
- Juice from ½ a lime
- 1 cup Monterey jack cheese
- 10 egg roll wrappers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and green onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, and salt and continue to cook and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the black beans and corn and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle with lime juice and add cheese. Stir to thoroughly combine.
- On a clean work surface, lay out one egg roll wrapper in the shape of a diamond. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center and moisten the top corner of the diamond with water. Fold one corner up over the filling, fold in the sides, and roll tightly to the top. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet and continue with the remaining filling and wrappers. Spray the top of the egg rolls with cooking spray or brush lightly with olive oil.
- Bake until golden brown and crispy, flipping once, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
Tips for customizing
- Leave out the cheese to make them vegan (check your egg roll wrappers for animal products)
- Add a few dashes of hot sauce with the cheese
- Cook the egg rolls in the air fryer for 8 minutes at 380ºF, flip, then cook 4 more minutes
- Fry the egg rolls in a deep fryer by heating peanut oil to 370ºF, then adding egg rolls in batches so they aren’t crowded and cooking 1-2 minutes until golden brown
- Serve with green avocado sauce or guacamole as a dipping sauce
olive says
Ok… I’m totally trying this. We love egg rolls, but I very rarely make them because of the frying. If this works out I’ll be so happy! Another delivery system for so many tasty combos. Thanks!
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
I love that these egg rolls are baked! They look super delicious. 🙂
Lindsay Moe says
They are definitely a favorite around here, I hope you give them a try and enjoy!
charvi patel says
How can you make these freezer friendly to be used at a later time?
Do I bake them through and then freeze them and re-bake them when reheating to eat or assemble and freeze and bake them when you want to eat them?
Lindsay Moe says
These are very freezer friendly. I bake them through, freeze, and re-bake. I think it would work both defrosted and from frozen, with adjustments in baking time.
Cheryl says
I have made these a few times, including Christmas 2021 and thanksgiving 2022 and my carnivore family loved them! So easy and tasty!