With a creamy spread, a soft tortilla and lots of Mexican flavor, these easy Mexican Pinwheels are perfect for your next party or gathering!
Easy appetizers are always a must this time of year. Whether you’re looking for easy recipes for game day or even just an afternoon snack, an easy pinwheel recipe is the answer.
They’re easy to whip up, and you can make a large batch at a time. This makes them a great recipe for meal prepping lunch or making a fun dinner for a crowd.
Soft flour tortillas rolled up and filled with a creamy, Mexican spiced spread, this pinwheel recipe is a great appetizer for your next party.
Why You’ll Love These Mexican Pinwheels
Tortilla roll ups are the best way to enjoy Mexican food at a party- what’s not to love!
- Easy: This recipe rates at the top of the list of easy-peasy appetizers that may make a crowd swoon. Yet, it takes only a few minutes to prepare. Plus, all of the ingredients are a cinch to get at the grocery store.
- Versatile: Make this as a super easy snack, a wildly-easy dinner, or an amazingly easy appetizer.
- Customizable: There are tons of ways to swap ingredients or add to this delectable dish.
Mexican Pinwheel Tips
A zesty no-bake appetizer option, there are a few tricks to making the best colorful and delicious pinwheel.
- Make-Ahead: Make them ahead of time, but not too far in advance. Ideally most pinwheel recipes are best enjoyed within 12-24 hours of making, otherwise you risk the tortilla getting soggy.
- Roll Tightly. Roll the tortilla as tight as you can. The cream cheese will act as a glue to hold it to together, but if you want a better secure connection, use toothpicks or wrap it in plastic wrap.
- Chill. Chill the whole roll before cutting. Letting it congeal and harden a bit will prevent it from collapsing when you cut them.
- Cut Using the Right Knife. Use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to cut the rolls without squishing them.
Ingredients
All of these simple ingredients can easily be found at your local grocery stores.
- Cream cheese – Any fat percentage will do the trick just make sure it is fully softened so it spreads easily and doesn’t rip the tortilla.
- Sour cream – The sour cream helps to thin out our cream cheese spread a little bit, while also giving it a cool tang.
- Thick and chunky salsa – You can buy a jar of salsa at the grocery store, or make your own homemade. I prefer to use chunky for more texture.
- Taco seasoning – You can either buy a packet at the store or make your own homemade taco seasoning. Both are great options.
- Seasonings – In addition to the taco seasoning, I use a blend of garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.
- Pickled jalapenos – These are optional, but I highly recommend adding them if you like a little spice.
- Cheese – I like to use a blend of sharp cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese. But you could also use a Mexican cheese blend or monterey jack too.
- Flour tortillas – We used 10-inch flour tortillas and honestly, they can be any size for flavor you’d like, we just specify flour to prevent folks from using corn tortillas, which would be rubbery in this circumstance. Next time, we’ll use the square flatbread sold for wraps- makes for less waste on the ends since they are a perfect square.
- Dipping sauces – I like to serve my Mexican roll ups with a side of salsa or queso for dipping. You can even serve with your favorite taco toppings.
How to Make Mexican Pinwheels
These tortilla pinwheel sandwiches are so easy to make!
- Make cream cheese spread. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, salad, taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, jalapenos (if using), cheddar and pepper jack cheese. Mash to combine.
- Spread onto tortilla. Spread the cream cheese mixture over each tortilla all the way to the edges.
- Roll and chill. Roll each tightly into a roll and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour to overnight
- Slice and enjoy. Using a serrated knife, cut into 1-inch slices and arrange on a serving platter along with queso and salsa dipping sauces.
Variations
There are plenty of ways you can make these Mexican pinwheels your own.
- Vegetables – Feel free to throw in some extra veggies. Fresh veggies like green onions, bell peppers, black olives or green chiles would all be great additions to these taco pinwheels.
- Add meat – If you want these tortilla pinwheels sandwiches to have a little more substance, try adding some ground beef or shredded rotisserie chicken to take it up a notch.
- Puff pastry – Instead of making Mexican tortilla pinwheels, use a sheet of puff pastry instead. Just like I do for my ham and cheese pinwheels.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: You can make mexican pinwheels ahead up to 24 hours, although I strongly suggest not slicing them until you are ready to serve. Anything sliced means more air and surface space which leads to them drying out. Store leftovers wrapped or covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing: We do not suggest freezing these pinwheels. Cream cheese has the tendency to get a weird, cakey consistency when thawed.
More Fun Pinwheels Recipes
Here are a few more winning pinwheels recipes to enjoy.
- Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
- Turkey Club Sandwich Pinwheels
- Spinach Puff Pastry Pinwheels
- Pizza Pinwheels
Bacon Ranch Chicken Pinwheels Recipe
Italian Pinwheel Recipe
Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
Mexican Pinwheel Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup thick and chunky salsa
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon pickled jalapenos , chopped and optional
- ½ cup sharp cheddar , shredded
- ½ cup pepper jack cheese , shredded
- 8 large flour tortillas (10 or 12 inch)
- Additional salsa or queso for dipping
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, salad, taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, jalapenos (if using), cheddar and pepper jack cheese. Mash to combine.
- Spread a heaping ½ cup of the cream cheese mixture over each tortilla all the way to the edges.
- Roll each tightly into a roll and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour to overnight
- Using a serrated knife, cut into 1-inch slices and arrange on a serving platter along with queso and salsa dipping sauces.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!
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I love this Mexican Pinwheels recipe, so easy and delicious to make. Perfect for a party and for appetizers. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Delicious and easy! Packed them for my kids school lunches and they were a huge hit!
I love these pinwheels for lunch boxes, afternoon snacks, and as a party appetizer. So tasty!
These fabulous Mexican pinwheels are perfect for snacking on game day or as an appetizer for a party.
Everyone loved the flavor of these Mexican pinwheels when I made them for a lunch gathering. So tasty and so easy!