Appetizers | Lunch Ideas | Recipes | Sandwiches | Snack
ByJo-Anna RooneyPostedUpdated
Jump to Recipe
These Easy Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels are great served as an appetizer or light lunch! Delicious, flavourful little bites…with cream cheese, taco spice, peppers, onions, cilantro, salsa and cheese! So good.
If you’re looking for a quick lunch idea (or simple delicious appetizer), these Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels are great recipe! They’re so easy to make and everyone loves them.
About this recipe:
These pinwheels are flour tortillas filled with a creamy filling made with cream cheese, spices and mincedveggies, then they’re rolled up and sliced. Delicious, flavourful little bites…with cream cheese, taco spice, peppers, onions, cilantro, salsa and cheese! So good.
These are so versatile.
You can make so many different variations of these pinwheels! Try different flavours of cream cheese, add deli meats, veggies and spices. The possibilities are endlessly delicious (see more ideas in the ‘Tips’ section below).
Great for kids lunches.
This past weekend my daughter was busy in our kitchen cooking andbakingfor the week ahead, and one of the recipes she made were these Easy Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels to pack in school lunches. These are so simple to make and use ingredients we already had on hand. With just 15 minutes of prep time, lunches were made for 2 days! Love that. These pinwheels are SO easy to pack in the kids lunch kits, and they’re a really nice change from sandwiches (they’re also a great afternoon snack). I just add some fresh veggies, and they get a nutritious, fun and delicious lunch.
A great appetizer too!
Whenever I make these pinwheels as an appetizer they always get rave reviews and they disappear quickly, everyone loves them! I also really like that you can make these a couple of hours or a day ahead of when you want to serve them. So if you’re looking for a great make-ahead appetizer, these bite-sized pinwheels are perfect for parties and game day. Serve them with extra salsa, sour cream and tortilla chips.
Mexican Pinwheels Recipe Tips
- TORTILLAS: Use flour tortillas, they’re more sturdy and stand up to rolling better than corn tortillas.
- CREAM CHEESE: I use a block of full fat cream cheese, but you can also use the spreadable cream cheese.
- SALSA: You can use red salsa or green salsa.
- TACO SPICE: I use my homemade taco seasoning for these. But you can also use a pre-made spice.
- CHEESE: I used sharp cheddar cheese to make these but you can use any kind of cheese that you like. Some other favourites are Monterey Jack Cheese and mozzarella.
- SOUR CREAM: If you don’t have sour cream, plain Greek yogurt works well.
- REFRIGERATE:After the filled tortillas are rolled up tightly, wrap themin plastic wrap, or place in an airtight container, and refrigerate for at least an hour.Make Ahead Tip:You can even make these ahead of time and keep them in the fridge overnight, then slice when you need them.
- OPTIONAL ADD-INS: You can add any veggies to these pinwheels, just make sure they’re minced. Here are some great options: sliced green onions, bell peppers, black olives, green chiles, refried beans, jalapeño peppers and more. You can also add thinly sliced deli meats, shredded chicken breast or evencooked ground beef.
- LEFTOVERS: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Delicious appetizers that pair well with Mexican Pinwheels:
- Creamy Corn Dip
- Corn Cakes with Salsa
- Loaded Nachos
- Cheesy Taco Dip
- Cheesy Baked Salsa Dip
Easy Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels Recipe
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
5 from 3 reviews
These Easy Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels are great served as an appetizer or for lunch! Delicious, flavourful little bites…with cream cheese, taco spice, peppers, onions, cilantro, salsa and cheese! So good.
- Author: Jo-Anna Rooney
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Refrigeration Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 40 pieces 1x
- Category: Appetizer
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 5 large soft flour tortillas (10-inch flour tortillas)
- 1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp taco spice (see tips above)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
- 2 tbsp finely chopped green onion
- 2 – 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup salsa
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, sour cream and taco spice until smooth.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients: red pepper, green onion, cilantro, cheese and salsa.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly between the 5 flour tortillas, making sure to leave about a half an inch along the edges of the tortillas without the mixture.
- Roll the tortillas up tightly, wrap in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container,then refrigerate for at least an hour, and even overnight.
- When you’re ready to serve them, use a serrated knife to cut the tortillas into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
I hope you enjoy this Mexican pinwheel recipe!Have a delicious day!
