These scrumptious Mexican Pinwheels are true to the region’s love of spicy food and great flavor profiles. These party-perfect easy appetizers don’t disappoint!
These take just 15 minutes to assemble and 1 hour to chill while you get on with other party dishes or kick back and relax. And, if you really love planning ahead like me, then these Mexican tortilla pinwheels are a great make-ahead appetizer and storing in the refrigerator or freezer.
Spruce up your afternoon snack or appetizer table by including a batch or two of these Mexican cream cheese pinwheels together with these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, BBQ Chicken Nachos and Healthy Deviled Eggs! Everyone loves these and you an easily customize them for any dietary preferences or occasions!
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🍗 Ingredients:
- Cream cheese – softened
- Sour cream – for the rich delicious inside
- Spices – black pepper, chili powder, garlic salt
- Green onions – a nice addition to the center of the pinwheels
- Cheddar cheese – grated (we use sharp cheddar cheese or a mexican cheese blend)
- Chicken – I used rotisserie meat, diced very small
- Rotel – this is the yummy tomato bites you sink your teeth into
- Jalapeno Peppers- seeds and core removed (more or less to taste)
- Black beans – drained and rinsed
- Tortillas – soft flour tortillas or whole wheat tortillas
For a full list of the simple ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- Extra Spicy: Add in some extra diced jalapeños, hot sauce, picante sauce, or include cayenne pepper to the seasoning for a hotter flavor profile.
- Less Heat: Reduce the number of jalapenos and use dill pickles instead should you prefer a milder version.
- Use leftover chicken or replace chicken for turkey.
- Substitute Pepper Jack cheese, mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese for cheddar, or your own favorite.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free tortillas. If you choose corn tortillas, be sure to warm the up before rolling so they don’t crack.
- Add in other great options such as corn, black olives, avocado, and bacon, bell peppers, green chiles, or fresh veggies.
- If you don’t have garlic salt, you can add garlic powder instead.
- Italian Version: Use ingredients such as marinara sauce, slice of ham, and fresh parsley.
🔪 Instructions:
Step 1: In a small bowl, use a hand mixer or wooden spoon to beat together cream cheese, sour cream, pepper, chili powder, and garlic salt.
Step 2: Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to gently mix in green onions, cheddar cheese, chicken, Rotel, jalapeno, and black beans. Stir until the creamy filling is evenly mixed.
Step 3: Place 10-inch flour tortillas on a sheet of plastic wrap. Spread about 1 cup of the cream cheese mixture over the face of each tortilla. Roll the tortilla up tightly and wrap the plastic wrap around it, this is the best way to hold the shape.
Step 4: Refrigerate the filled tortillas for a minimum of one hour to allow the flavors to combine and to firm up the tortilla and mixture for slicing into pinwheels.
Step 5: Slice the tortillas with a serrated knife into ¾-1” sections. Serve.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve these Mexican roll ups on a table of snacks and appetizers and enjoy!!
- These tortilla roll ups are great for making a day ahead of serving if you are planning on hosting an event. I suggest that you store them whole (i.e. not sliced), wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. You can then slice them just prior to serving.
- Make sure to chop your chicken into very small pieces so that there’s an even distribution in the mixture that can be enjoyed throughout the roll-up. Home cooked chicken breast, leftover rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken or even canned chicken will work.
- These are intended to be served chilled so make sure that you remove them from the refrigerator only when ready to serve to hungry guests!
Recipe FAQs
You can store leftovers roll-ups in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Wrap them in plastic and place in an airtight container for freshness. You could store them uncut or already cut into slices.
You also have the option of freezing your fully assembled roll-ups. This is great news if you are planning a party or event and want to plan ahead. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Then, place your sliced roll-ups on the tray in a single layer, allowing them to freeze. Once frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in Ziploc bags or an airtight container in the freezer. To serve, thaw the roll-ups in the fridge overnight. Serve chilled on a platter with other snacks.
You can serve these roll-ups on a snack platter with crackers and dips. They also make great wholesome snacks for kids’ parties or other casual social gatherings. You could also serve them sliced as is or with a toothpick inserted.
MORE APPETIZERS TO GET YOU PARTY-READY
If you tried this easy Mexican Pinwheels Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Mexican Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ cup sliced green onions green parts
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken (I used rotisserie meat, diced very small)
- 1 10 oz. can Rotel loosely drained, a bit of the juice is fine
- 1-2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeno seeds and core removed (more or less to taste)
- 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 4 burrito-size flour tortillas
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or wooden spoon to beat together cream cheese, sour cream, pepper, chili powder, and garlic salt.
- Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to gently mix in green onions, cheddar cheese, chicken, Rotel, jalapeno, and black beans. Stir until evenly mixed.
- Place each tortilla on a sheet of plastic wrap.
- Spread about 1 cup of the mixture over the face of each tortilla. Roll the tortilla up tightly and wrap the plastic wrap around it to hold the shape.
- Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour to allow the flavors to combine and to firm up the tortilla and mixture for slicing into pinwheels.
- Slice the tortillas into ¾-1” sections. Serve.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator 2-3 days.
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Notes
- Roll-ups can be made up to a day in advance. Keep whole in a wrapped tortilla and wrapped in plastic wrap. Slice just before serving.
- Additional optional add-ins: salsa, hot sauce, more jalapenos, corn, olives, pepper jack cheese, avocado, bacon.
- Chop the chicken pretty small so that it spreads out in the mixture a makes a more uniform filling. Use leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken. You could probably even use canned chicken.
Nutrition
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