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Mexican Pinwheels

Mexican pinwheels are an easy make-ahead appetizer with colorful spiral layers rolled in soft flour tortillas. Chill, slice into pinwheels, and serve cold or at room temperature for party-ready flavor.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
rest 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 210
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cream cheese filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese Use softened for easy spreading.
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup diced roasted red peppers Use drained peppers if they are jarred.
  • 0.25 cup diced green chiles
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro Chopped.
  • 0.25 cup diced jalapeños
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 0.25 tsp cumin
  • 1 salt To taste.
  • 1 pepper To taste.
Tortilla pinwheels
  • 4 large flour tortillas
  • 0.5 lb thinly sliced deli ham or turkey Choose ham or turkey.

Method
 

Make the filling
  1. Mix cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, diced roasted red peppers, diced green chiles, fresh cilantro, diced jalapeños, lime juice, and cumin with salt and pepper until evenly combined, using a smooth, spreadable texture.
Assemble and roll
  1. Lay out a flour tortilla and spread about 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture in an even layer over the surface.
  2. Layer thinly sliced deli ham or turkey over the filling in a single, even layer.
  3. Roll the tortilla tightly into a log, keeping the spiral layers compact, then wrap it in plastic wrap.
  4. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, re-wrapping each pinwheel roll securely in plastic wrap.
Chill, slice, and serve
  1. Refrigerate the wrapped tortilla rolls for at least 60 minutes so the log firms up for clean slicing.
  2. Unwrap each roll and slice into 6 pinwheels per tortilla.
  3. Arrange the Mexican pinwheels on a platter and serve cold or at room temperature.

Notes

Pro tip: soften the cream cheese fully so the filling spreads in a thin, even layer—this helps the spiral stay tight when sliced. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze un-sliced rolled logs up to 1 month, then thaw in the fridge overnight and slice. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat cheddar.