Easy Chicken Enchilada Tortilla Roll-Ups with Cream Cheese and Bacon

Chicken enchilada tortilla roll-ups are perfect party appetizers for game day or any gathering. These are super easy and quick to make. They’re always a crowd pleaser, kids and adults love it!

Jump to:

• Why should you try tortilla pinwheels
• Ingredients
• Step-by-step instructions
• Best tips for tortilla pinwheels
• Storage
• Recipe FAQs
• Other party appetizers
• 📋Chicken Enchilada Tortilla Roll-Ups

Why should you try tortilla pinwheels

1. Perfect party finger food for game day parties, kid’s birthday parties, or any gathering.
2. The creamy shredded chicken filling is packed full of flavors. It has a wonderful balance of tang, spice, and creaminess!
3. Easy to make, just spread creamy chicken filling over tortillas and roll it tight. Cut into pinwheel shapes, and serve!
4. Perfect make-ahead appetizer recipe that is fit for a crowd. Cook chicken, make the creamy filling, roll up the tortillas with the filling, and store it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day cut into slices just before the party!
5. Easy to customize.
6. Jazz it up a little with a spicy dipping sauce such as salsa or with spicy marinara sauce. SO GOOD!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need –

Ingredients notes

1. Tortillas – use any tortilla of your choice. Plain flour tortillas, corn tortillas, or spinach tortillas all of them work.
2. Chicken – I used chicken breasts. Feel free to use boneless chicken thigh too.
3. Cream cheese – use softened cream cheese. The best way to soften cream cheese is to leave it on the counter for a couple of hours before you make pinwheels. If you forgot to remove cream cheese from the refrigerator to soften, transfer the slab of cream cheese into a microwavable safe bowl and microwave it on high power for 15(to 20) seconds. Feel free to use a low-fat version of cream cheese for a lighter version snack.
4. Sharp cheddar cheese – I highly recommend you use sharp cheddar cheese. It not only imparts flavor to the dish, the bright orange color of the cheddar gives the tortilla pinwheels a colorful look.
5. Parmesan – freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds umami flavor and taste to the pinwheels.
6. Green onions – to add extra crunch and freshness.
7. Celery – adds flavor, and texture to every bite.
8. Bacon – Bacon makes everything taste amazing. I highly recommend you don’t skip bacon. Bacon also adds saltiness and a rich taste.
9. Enchilada sauce – I used just a bit, but feel free to use more if you love the flavor. Enchilada sauce adds a flavor along with mild heat.
10. Salt & pepper – add to taste.

Ingredients additions and substitution

1. Vegetables – you may add lettuce, diced red bell peppers, zucchini, cucumber, or a can of diced tomatoes (drained well), diced jalapenos or pickled jalapenos, and little pickled red onions.
2. Meat – feel free to swap shredded chicken with your favorite meat. Turkey, crab meat, ham, or premium pork sausage browned well with a little olive oil in a cast iron pan works best.
3. Spices – along with smoked paprika, you can use cayenne pepper, cajun seasoning, or a mix of sweet and smoked paprika.

Step-by-step instructions

Best tips for tortilla pinwheels

1. Feel free to swap shredded chicken with your favorite meat. Turkey, crab meat, ham, or premium pork sausage browned well with a little olive oil in a cast iron pan works best. You may add other vegetables such as lettuce, diced red bell peppers, zucchini, cucumber, or a can of diced tomatoes (drained well), diced jalapenos or pickled jalapenos, and little pickled red onions.
2. Add the filling and spread a thin layer over tortillas leaving the edges to prevent the filling from oozing out while you roll.
3. Measure cream cheese accurately. Do not use too much filling, it may make the tortilla roll-ups soggy. Avoid using wet ingredients such as tomatoes, avocado, or soaked olives in the filling, if you prefer to use these ingredients, control the amount.
4. To prevent tortilla crack, allow the pinwheels wrapped in plastic wrap to rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes before slicing.

Storage

The wraps can be stored in the refrigerator upto 24 hours. Slice right before servings. Leftover chicken tortilla roll-ups can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Do consume it within a day, when stored longer the pinwheels turn soggy.

Recipe FAQs