Southwest Egg Rolls with Avocado Sauce (Chili's Copycat)
The Chili's copycat that still pulls search traffic to the channel — number three by daily views. Seasoned chicken, fresh corn, black beans, and smoked pepper jack rolled tight, fried until you can hear the crunch, and dunked in a cool avocado-cilantro sauce. My doneness cue: when they sound crispy, they're done.
This was one of those cooks where I changed the plan right on camera. When I flipped the chicken it was still raw in the middle, so instead of babysitting it in the pan, I slid it into a 400-degree oven for a few minutes to finish while I started the filling in the same pan — a little pivot I thought of mid-cook to speed the whole thing up. I even left in the part where I poured too much oil before the chicken went down. Just being real with you: it happens.
The other thing to steal from this video is the setup. Corn, peppers, onion, and the rinsed black beans all get prepped first and parked within arm's reach, so you're not running back and forth mid-cook — it's a little gem for those that need it. And don't stress the rolling; I asked you to grade my egg-roller skills in the video, and I was just trying my best. Make these for game night and nobody's judging how pretty they are.
Watch me make it — video from my YouTube channel
The recipe
Southwest Egg Rolls with Avocado Sauce (Chili's Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken (patted dry; cut/type not specified in video)
- salt, to taste (chicken seasoning, filling, and sauce)
- black pepper, to taste (chicken seasoning, filling, and sauce)
- chili powder, to taste (for seasoning the chicken)
- oil (for searing the chicken)
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1 medium onion (cut up)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup green bell pepper (cut)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup corn kernels (cut fresh from the cob)
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon cumin (for the filling)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder (for the filling)
- 1 cup smoked pepper jack cheese, freshly grated
- 12 egg roll wrappers
- water, as needed (for sealing the wrappers; no amount stated)
- oil, for frying
- 2 ripe avocados (for the sauce)
- 1/2 cup cilantro (for the sauce)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (for the sauce; use lime, not lemon)
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves (for the sauce)
- 1/4 cup water (for the sauce)
- 1/4 cup sour cream (for the sauce)
How to Make It
- Cut 1/2 cup of corn kernels off the cob and set aside.
- Cut 1/4 to 1/2 cup of green bell pepper and set aside (save the rest of the pepper for another recipe).
- Cut the red bell pepper into pieces that aren't too thick and set aside.
- Cut up 1 medium onion and keep all the prepped vegetables within arm's reach.
- Pat the chicken as dry as possible.
- Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and chili powder, patting the seasoning in.
- Heat a small amount of oil in a pan over medium-low heat.
- Rinse the black beans and set them aside with the prepped vegetables.
- Sear the chicken about 4 to 5 minutes per side over medium-low heat.
- Transfer the chicken to a 400°F oven for about 5 to 6 minutes, up to 10 minutes for thicker breasts, to finish cooking through.
- In the same pan over medium heat, melt 1/2 stick of butter.
- Add the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper; saute a few minutes, scraping up the browned seasoning from the pan.
- Stir in the corn and rinsed black beans.
- Season the filling with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon cumin and 2 teaspoons chili powder.
- Stop and taste the filling, adjusting the seasoning to your preference.
- Confirm the chicken is no longer pink in the middle, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Stir the chicken back into the filling and set the filling aside.
- Start heating the frying oil over medium heat.
- Place freshly grated smoked pepper jack in the center of an egg roll wrapper and top with the filling.
- Wet the wrapper edges with water and roll to seal, so they don't unravel in the fryer.
- Fry the egg rolls in batches until golden brown and crispy, then set aside.
- Blend the avocados, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, water, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste until smooth.
- Serve the egg rolls with the avocado sauce.
Curtis's Tips
- Canned or frozen corn works fine; I went with fresh because it's honestly just better.
- Don't cut the peppers too thick — "the goal is to taste it but not be overpowered by it," so every ingredient comes through.
- Keep everything within arm's reach so you're not running back and forth — it helps you cook a lot faster.
- 1 1/2 pounds of chicken feeds a family of about four; for four to six people, use about 2 pounds.
- Pat the chicken as dry as you can so the seasoning sticks — no moisture on the surface.
- Cook seasoned chicken on medium-to-low heat: high heat burns off the seasoning, and once it's burnt you can't taste it.
- If butter burns before it can melt or food cooks too fast, the pan or oil is simply too hot.
- Stop what you're doing and actually taste the filling to make sure the seasoning is well balanced to your preference.
- Any cheese works — sharp cheddar is a fine substitute; I used smoked pepper jack to be different.
- Keep water close by and wet the wrapper edges so the egg rolls don't unravel in the fryer.
- Don't let the frying oil get too hot, and cook the egg rolls in batches.
- When they sound crispy, they're done — listen for it.
- Make sure the avocados are ripe and soft so they blend well; the water is there to loosen the sauce up.
- The video description uses 1 lb chicken, 2 tsp cumin, 2 Tbsp cilantro, and 1/2 cup sour cream — scale up or down to taste; the as-cooked amounts above are what I used on camera.
Why this works
The filling comes together in the same pan the chicken just seared in, on a half stick of butter over medium heat — and as the onions and bell peppers sweat down, I'm scraping the browned seasoning off the bottom, so none of that flavor gets left behind. The chicken itself gets patted as dry as possible, because moisture keeps the salt, pepper, and chili powder from sticking — and it cooks on medium-low, since high heat burns the seasoning off, and once it's burnt you can't taste it.
- Thin-cut peppers — the goal is to taste them without being overpowered, so every ingredient inside the roll comes through.
- Taste before you roll — stop and taste the filling so the seasoning is balanced to your preference before anything gets sealed in a wrapper.
- Water on the wrapper edges — that's what makes the rolls stick together instead of unraveling in the hot oil.
FAQ
Can I use canned or frozen corn instead of fresh?
Yes — canned or frozen corn works fine here. I went with fresh cut straight off the cob because it's honestly just better, but you only need a half cup. If you do go fresh, shave the kernels down the side of the cob with your knife.
What cheese can I use besides smoked pepper jack?
Any cheese you want — sharp cheddar is a great swap. I went with freshly grated smoked pepper jack because I wanted this one to be different. Whichever you pick, it goes in the middle of the wrapper first, then the filling on top.
How do I keep the egg rolls from unraveling in the fryer?
Keep some water close by while you roll. Wetting the edges of the wrapper is what helps the egg rolls stick together, so you don't have to worry about them coming apart. Then make sure the oil isn't too hot, and fry a few at a time, in batches, until golden brown — you can literally hear when they're crispy.
Is it lemon or lime in the avocado sauce?
Lime — I misspoke on camera. It's two tablespoons of fresh lime juice, blended with two ripe avocados, a half cup of cilantro, two to three garlic cloves, a quarter cup of sour cream, and a quarter cup of water to loosen it up. Soft, ripe avocados are the key to getting it smooth.
How much oil do I need to sear the chicken?
There's no hard number for that in the video — and I'll be honest, I poured in more than I meant to that day. The oil's only job there is to keep the chicken from sticking to the pan, so keep it light.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 4 servings): ~1360 calories · 63 g protein · 84 g fat · 91 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
