These Southwest Chicken Pinwheels are a cold appetizer recipe that requires no cooking. Made with chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, shredded chicken, Rotel, jalapeno, black beans, corn, and seasonings, all rolled into flour tortillas.

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It is a perfect make-ahead appetizer idea to serve for a party, game day, potluck, or even for lunchboxes.

You may also want to try my Crack Chicken Pinwheels or my Tex-Mex Chicken Enchilada Pinwheels for more chicken pinwheel recipe ideas.

How to Make Southwest Chicken Pinwheels

Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe

4 large flour tortillas
4 large flour tortillas
¼ cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ tsp oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
15 oz can black beans, drained
10 oz can Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles, drained
½ cup corn, canned
1 jalapeno, finely diced

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Cut the jalapeno in half, remove the seeds, and dice into small pieces.

2. Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and seasonings to a small bowl, and mix well to combine.

3. Spread ¼ of the mixture onto each tortilla.

4. Sprinkle and layer the chicken, cheese, black beans, tomatoes, corn and jalapeno. Onto each tortilla.

5. Start from one end, and tightly roll the tortillas.

6. Wrap the rolled tortillas in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

7. Cut off the ends, discard (or eat), and slice into one-inch pieces.

Serve and Enjoy!

Arrange flat on a platter to serve.

Important Recipe Notes

Drain the Rotel well. Too much liquid can make the tortillas soggy, so make sure the tomatoes are fully drained before mixing.
Soften the cream cheese. This helps everything mix smoothly and spread easily on the tortillas.
Chill before slicing. Letting the rolled tortillas rest in the fridge for at least an hour helps them firm up, making cleaner slices.
Adjust the heat. Keep the jalapeño seeds if you like more spice, or leave out the jalapeño completely for a kid-friendly version.
Use large tortillas. Bigger tortillas roll tighter and give you more even slices.
Don’t overfill. A light, even layer of filling keeps the pinwheels from falling apart.
Serve fresh. These are best enjoyed the same day, but you can make the rolls up to 24 hours ahead and slice before serving.

Prep Time:15

Chill Time:1

Total Time:1 15

Ingredients

4 large flour tortillas
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ tsp oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
10 oz can Rotel diced tomatoes with Green Chiles, drained
½ cup corn, canned
1 jalapeno, finely diced

Instructions

Cut the jalapeno in half, remove the seeds, and dice into small pieces.
Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and seasonings to a small bowl, and mix well to combine.
Spread ¼ of the mixture onto each tortilla.
Sprinkle and layer the chicken, cheese, black beans, tomatoes, corn and jalapeno. Onto each tortilla.
Start from one end, and tightly roll the tortillas.
Wrap the rolled tortillas in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Cut off the ends, discard (or eat), and slice into one-inch pieces.
Arrange flat on a platter to serve.