Southwest Chicken Egg Rolls with Avocado Dipping Sauce

by Leslie

Ever been to a chain restaurant that serves an item similar to this?  I have to admit, at places like that, I would almost rather get a huge appetizer sampler platter than anything else--eggrolls, nachos, quesadillas, salsa, mozzarella sticks--these are the things that make me breathe.  Unfortunately, they are also the things that you feel like crap after you eat.   I knew there had to be a healthier option out there.  I found a variety of recipes floating around the web and finally settled on this one.  I only changed a few things, but believe me, these egg rolls were winners.

Imagine a crisp, flaky outer shell filled with a host of flavors and textures--black beans, chiles, corn and chicken pair wonderfully with cumin, cayenne, and chili powder.  These little beauties are not short on flavor or heat, so they pair really well with a cool dipping sauce.

In fact, the dipping sauce was so good, I had to finish off our little bowl with my finger (gross, I know, but the other option was licking my plate and my husband just doesn't approve.  Strange, I know, who wouldn't approve of that?).  

Give these a try on a fun festive weekend, or even for a party.  I made mine on on Monday and they definitely added some life to the night!

Print Recipe

Southwest Chicken Egg Rolls with Avocado Dipping Sauce
Adapted from a recipe by cakeandallie

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 9 oz package frozen spinach, thawed with extra liquid squeezed out
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (you can definitely use more if you want!)
1 7 oz can diced green chiles
4 green onions, finely diced
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. chili powder
1 package of egg roll wrappers (I used Melissa’s brand)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a very large bowl, mix all ingredients except egg roll wrappers together.  Because there is a lot of filling, I just used my hands.  

Using a serving spoon, place a large dollop of filling on one corner of the egg roll wrapper.  Start tightly rolling the wrapper around the filling toward the other corner.  After one good roll, fold the sides of the wrapper around the filling.  Continue until the other corner is reached.  Seal the edge by dipping your fingers in some water and dabbing a bit on the end.  The egg roll wrappers have a pretty good diagram inside, but I think we’ve all been to Chipotle enough to know how it’s done...

Place the egg rolls on a greased cookie sheet and lightly spray the tops with cooking spray (this helps them get crisp and golden).  Bake the egg rolls for 15 minutes, turning them at least once during baking.  

For avocado dipping sauce:

1 avocado, peeled and pitted
½ cup sour cream
2 tsp. cumin
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 tsp. salt

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and mix until smooth and creamy.