This creamy and addictive Antojitos recipe is perfect for game day, or any time you need a Tex-Mex inspired appetizer or snack. Soft tortillas are filled with cream cheese, sour cream, jalapeno, bell pepper, and green onion. Rolled up and baked until hot and bubbly. Serve these tasty jalapeno and cream cheese pinwheels with your favorite dipping sauce!
Updated on February 14, 2022
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Before we had our son, we liked to dine out a few times a month. Nothing fancy by any means, but fast casual restaurants were common, especially after a long day of work.
Fast forward a few years, and we have little time to go out to eat, but that’s more than okay in my books. Since I have a blog, much of which is dedicated to creating food, it’s clear that I have zero problem cooking at home. While it is certainly nice when someone else does the dishes, cooking really isn’t all that bad!
Especially when you’re making an easy appetizer like this Antojitos recipe! It’s a copycat of a common recipe at a chain restaurant in Canada, and I couldn’t have been more happy than when I finally nailed the recipe!
I made a 4 ingredient version for years (see the bottom of the post or the recipe card), but this real copycat version takes the cake. Best of all? It took just 25 minutes to make from start to finish!
What Are Antojitos?
Antojitos is a Spanish word that roughly translates to “small cravings”, and is a general word used for tasty and savory street snacks. They are foods that can easily be transported, and have a quick and easy prep, making them ideal for street carts and food trucks. Antojitos make great fare for Super Bowl parties, Football games, Hockey games, and more!
What Are Antojitos Made Of?
- Tortillas: You will need the large size for this recipe, and you can use whatever style you like best! Whole wheat or sprouted tortillas are great healthy swaps for standard flour tortillas.
- Cream Cheese: You will need an 8oz block of cream cheese, and you’ll need to make sure it is nice and soft. I like to set mine on the counter several hours before I’m ready to use it.
- Sour Cream: Just a few tablespoons for the Antojitos filling, and some additional sour cream to serve as a dipping sauce for your Antojitos.
- Shredded Cheese: While I tend to advocate for home shredded cheese, this is one case where it really doesn’t matter.
- Jalapeno Peppers: This is where your heat level comes in! If you like things really hot, leave the seeds in your peppers, or use more of them. Even if you like things on the mild side, you shouldn’t have too much trouble with the heat in this Antojitos recipe. The cream cheese and sour cream cuts the heat significantly.
- Red Bell Pepper: One half of a bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped makes for a great pop of color and flavor.
- Green Onion: Finely chopped green onion is mixed into the filling and gives a mild onion flavor.,
- Hot Sauce: This is an optional, but encouraged ingredient. Feel free to up the hot sauce if you like it hot!
How to Make Antojitos at Home
Making the Filling
Add the softened cream cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, chopped red pepper, chopped jalapeno, green onions, and shredded cheese to a medium sized bowl.
Blend together all of the ingredients using an electric hand mixer until everything is well combined.
Filling the Tortillas
Spread the mixture on 3-4 large tortillas, leaving 1 inch around the perimeter of the tortilla to prevent filling seeping out of the edges.
Use your hands to tightly roll up each tortilla, and place it seam side down.
Use a serrated knife to score each tortilla roll in 1″ diagonal cuts.
Cut the tortilla gently in all of the scores, and pull them gently if they were squished during the cutting process,
Arrange them in a cast iron skillet that has been preheated, OR on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Baking and Broiling
Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. If baking on a baking sheet, turn the Antojitos halfway through the baking process.
Broil your Antojitos for 2-3 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the tortillas are beginning to brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before serving with sour cream, salsa, or queso.
Healthier Swaps
- Tortillas: Use whole wheat, sprouted, or sourdough tortillas. Use gluten free tortilla if you need to eat gluten-free
- Cream cheese: Use mascarpone or yogurt cheese in place of the cream cheese.
- Sour cream: Use cultured creme fraiche or whole milk Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream.
Cast Iron Skillet Tips
- If you’re using a cast iron skillet to prepare this Antojitos recipe, be sure to use a well seasoned skillet and grease liberally before using. For the best results and easy clean up, you can use a small circle of parchment paper to line the skillet.
- Preheat your skillet before adding your pinwheels. Do this by setting your oven to the temperature needed for the recipe, with the skillet inside. Allow your skillet to heat with the oven, pulling the skillet out of the oven when the preheating is complete.
- For Antojitos that are crispy on both sides, add them in a single layer and flip halfway through baking. You can do this in a large cast iron skillet, or on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- For this recipe, I used a 10″ skillet and had some odds and ends leftover for a second go in the oven. A 12″ skillet is a good choice for making sure the pinwheels crisp up evenly and are completed in one batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning of antojitos?
Antojito is a Spanish word that roughly translates “little cravings” and come in the form of street snacks and appetizers that are easy to prepare, and small in size. This makes them perfect for travelling, or enjoying with friends and family.
What is the best dipping sauce for antojitos?
Sour cream served with a small amount of basil pesto is the classic way antojitos are served in the restaurant, but you can get creative! Plain sour cream, creme fraiche, salsa, or queso all make excellent dipping sauce options!
How can I quickly soften cream cheese?
If you forgot to take your cream cheese out to soften, you can still make sure you have soft, spreadable cream cheese in time for your recipe. Add your cream cheese block, still wrapped in foil, into a plastic freezer bag. Seal it and remove any excess air. Submerge in a sink of hot tap water, using a glass bowl to keep it submerged if needed. Allow the cream cheese to sit in the hot water for 3-5 minutes before checking to see if it is soft enough. If it still hasn’t softened enough, submerge it again for several more minutes.
4 Ingredient Antojitos Recipe
For a simplified version of this recipe, follow the instructions but instead just use the following 4 ingredients:
- Tortillas
- Cream Cheese
- Jalapenos
- Shredded Cheese
Spread each tortilla with 2 ounces of softened cream cheese, and sprinkle with chopped jalapeno peppers. Top with shredded cheese, and roll and bake according to the instructions in the recipe card.
More Easy Skillet Appetizers
- Warm Skillet Bread and Artichokes Dip – Seasons and Suppers
- Skillet Caprese Dip – The Baker Mama
- Queso Fundido Dip – Lemon Blossoms
- Bacon Wrapped Smokies – Bake Me Some Sugar
Antojitos
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
This creamy and addictive Antojitos recipe is perfect for game day, or any time you need a Tex-Mex inspired appetizer or snack. Soft tortillas are filled with cream cheese, sour cream, jalapeno, bell pepper, and green onion. Rolled up and baked until hot and bubbly.
Ingredients
- 3-4 large tortillas
- 8 ounces brick-style cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 green onion, finely minced
- Sour cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. If using a cast iron skillet, add it to the oven while it preheats so your skillet is hot and ready.
- Add the softened cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, hot sauce, red pepper, jalapeno peppers, and green onion to a medium sized glass bowl.
- Use an electric hand mixer to blend all of the ingredients together.
- Spread the mixture on each tortilla, leaving about 1" around the perimeter of each tortilla to prevent the filling from seeping out.
- Repeat with each tortilla. The filling should spread easily between 3 tortillas, but can spread between 4 tortillas if you spread it thinly.
- Roll each tortilla up tightly, and score the surface with a serrated knife in 1" diagonal slices.
- Cut each of the score lines all the way through. Use your hands to pull the pinwheels apart very gently if they were squished in the process.
- Arrange your Antojitos on the preheated cast iron skillet, or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through if possible to ensure an even baking.
- Switch the oven to broil, and watch closely as you broil them for 2-3 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, and serve with sour cream or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
4 Ingredient Version: Spread each tortilla with 2oz of cream cheese, sprinkle with chopped jalapeno pepper and shredded cheese. Roll up tightly, score, and slice. Bake according to the instructions for the full recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4Serving Size: 1/4 of Recipe
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 498Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 601mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 15g
Nutrition information is an estimate only.