Mexican Pinwheels

These Mexican pinwheels are loaded with cream cheese, chicken, and taco-seasoned filling with pops of colorful, crisp bell peppers in every bite.

Total 2 hours 35 minutes
Serves 48 pinwheels
Appetizer, Snack
American

Jump to the recipe

These Mexican pinwheels are loaded with cream cheese, chicken, and taco-seasoned filling with pops of colorful, crisp bell peppers in every bite.

Mexican Pinwheels on a plate with salsa in a bowl

Why this recipe works

Pinwheel sandwiches are a crowd favorite for obvious reasons. Add shredded chicken, taco seasoning, and crisp bell peppers and you’ll be hooked on these Mexican pinwheels. You can never go wrong with a touch of Mexican-inspired flair.

These bite-sized appetizers are super easy to prepare and are a nice switch-up from your classic deli meat pinwheels. It’s a good thing this recipe makes enough for a crowd because they fly off the table quickly!

Close up photo of Mexican Pinwheels on a plate

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

CHICKEN – Feel free to shred a premade rotisserie chicken from the grocery store if that’s easier for you.

VEGGIES – It’s important to not over-stir the mixture containing the red pepper and green onions as you don’t want to crush them with repeated heavy, stirring. It’s easiest to use a soft silicone spatula instead of a wooden spoon, as it is more gentle on the ingredients.

TORTILLAS – 10-inch burrito-style flour tortillas are your best bet for this recipe. Corn tortillas simply won’t hold the mixture without breaking apart. 7-inch tortillas will also work, but you will need more than 8 of them to use up the filling. Flavored tortillas are also great for these such as jalapeno cheddar or sun-dried tomato wraps.

How to Make Mexican Pinwheels

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Using a handheld mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
Fold in the shredded chicken and Mexican cheese.
Fold in all but ¼ cup of the red bell pepper and all but 1 tablespoon of the green onion (these will be used later).
Place the filling in the refrigerator for 2 hours to allow the flavors to intensify.
Lay a tortilla on top of a large piece of plastic wrap (the plastic wrap needs to be slightly bigger than the tortilla).
Dollop just over 1/2 cup of the filling onto the tortilla. I scooped 3 scoops of the filling using a 3-tablespoon cookie dough scoop.
Using the back of a spoon, evenly spread the filling over the tortilla, stopping just shy of the edges.
Sprinkle a heaping 1 teaspoon of the remaining diced red pepper and a pinch of green onion over the filling.
Using the plastic wrap as your guide and starting at the end nearest you, tightly roll the tortilla to create a 2-inch roll. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas.
Place the rolls in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm them up.
When ready to serve, cut 1 1/2-inch slices (pinwheels) using a sharp chef’s knife, wiping the knife clean between each slice.
Place the pinwheels on a serving tray and garnish with the chopped cilantro.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Can you make Mexican pinwheels ahead of time?

Mexican Pinwheels are best eaten the day you make them as adding the filling to the tortilla too early will cause the pinwheel to become soggy. However, you can mix all the ingredients for the filling and refrigerate it for a day or two beforehand. On the day you plan to serve the pinwheels, add the filling to the tortilla and proceed with the rest of the directions.

How do you store Mexican pinwheels?

Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Do note that the pinwheels may get soggy as they sit in the refrigerator.

What else can I add to Mexican pinwheels?

You’re more than welcome to toss in some fire roasted corn or dice up a jalapeno or poblano. These pinwheels are easily customizable, but be careful not to go overboard on the additions to keep the ratio of cream cheese mixture to veggies fairly equal!

How do I make this vegetarian?

You can make a vegetarian version by omitting the chicken and adding an additional yellow or orange bell pepper for color contrast. If omitting the chicken, you will need to increase the quantity of shredded cheese to 2 cups.

Hand holding a Mexican Pinwheel above a bowl of salsa

Serving Suggestions

Serve Mexican pinwheels on a platter with optional dips on the side such as salsa and guacamole, though they’re perfectly delicious all on their own. Keep the pinwheels chilled until served.

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Recipe

Mexican Pinwheels

A taco seasoned cream cheese mixture layered with diced bell peppers and shredded chicken make these Mexican pinwheels downright praise-worthy!

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheesebrick style, softened
½ cup full fat sour cream
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cups shredded chicken breastabout 2 breasts
1 ¾ cups finely diced red bell pepperabout 1 large bell pepper, divided
1 cup Mexican style shredded cheese
⅓ cup sliced green onionsdivided
8 flour tortillas10 inch size/burrito style
1 Tablespoon chopped cilantrooptional for garnish

Instructions

Using a handheld mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
Fold in the shredded chicken and Mexican cheese.
Fold in all but ¼ cup of the red bell pepper and all but 1 tablespoon of the green onion (these will be used later).
Place the filling in the refrigerator for 2 hours to allow the flavors to intensify.
Lay a tortilla on top of a large piece of plastic wrap (the plastic wrap needs to be slightly bigger than the tortilla).
Dollop just over 1/2 cup of the filling onto the tortilla (I scooped 3 scoops of the filling using a 3-tablespoon cookie dough scoop).
Using the back of a spoon, evenly spread the filling over the tortilla, stopping just shy of the edges.
Sprinkle a heaping 1 teaspoon of the remaining diced red pepper and a pinch of green onion over the filling, (this adds extra color and texture to your pinwheels when they are sliced).
Using the plastic wrap as your guide and starting at the end nearest you, tightly roll the tortilla to create a 2-inch roll. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas.
Place the rolls in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm them up.
When ready to serve, cut 1 1/2-inch slices (pinwheels) using a sharp chef’s knife, wiping the knife clean between each slice.
Place the pinwheels on a serving tray and garnish with the chopped cilantro.

Notes

Feel free to shred a precooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store if that’s easier for you.
If you would like more spice, you can add a 1/8 teaspoon of dried chili pepper flakes to the cream cheese mixture.
It’s important to not over-stir the mixture containing the red pepper and green onions as you don’t want to crush them with repeated heavy, stirring. It’s easiest to use a soft silicone spatula instead of a wooden spoon, as it is more gentle on the ingredients.
10-inch burrito-style flour tortillas are your best bet for this recipe. Corn tortillas simply won’t hold the mixture without breaking apart. 7-inch tortillas will also work, but you will need more than 8 of them to use up the filling. Flavored tortillas are also great for these such as jalapeno cheddar or sun-dried tomato wraps.