Texas Twinkies Egg Rolls with Spicy Honey

These Texas Twinkies egg rolls combine everything you love about Texas BBQ in a crispy wrapper. If you know Texas Twinkies – those smoked jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese and brisket – then you’ll get why these BBQ egg rolls work so well. We’re taking all those same flavors and wrapping them up so they’re easy to eat at parties or game day.

texas twinkie being broken apart to see the insides

Texas Twinkies Egg Rolls with Spicy Honey

Crispy egg rolls packed with smoky brisket, cream cheese, and jalapeños, then drizzled with spicy honey – the ultimate BBQ fusion appetizer

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

35 min

Servings

Calories

240/serving

Ingredients

For the Egg Rolls:

12 egg roll wrappers
2 cups smoked brisket, chopped
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 jalapeños, diced
1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 egg, beaten (for sealing)
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Spicy Honey:

½ cup honey
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced

The idea is pretty simple: smoky brisket, creamy cheese, spicy jalapeños, all wrapped in a golden egg roll shell. These brisket egg rolls give you that satisfying crunch on the outside and all that rich, smoky filling on the inside. They work great for backyard barbecues, watching football, or any time you want something that tastes more complicated than it actually is.

What makes these smoked meat appetizers different from regular appetizers is how all the flavors work together. The brisket brings the smoke and meat flavor, the cream cheese keeps everything creamy and balances the heat from the jalapeños, and the crispy wrapper gives you that texture contrast that makes each bite feel complete. The spicy honey on top adds just enough sweetness to tie it all together without making it too sweet.

Why This Recipe Works

Most appetizers are either all crispy or all creamy, but these Texas Twinkies egg rolls give you both. The egg roll wrapper gets super crispy when you fry it, while everything inside stays creamy and warm. That contrast is what makes them addictive – you get a satisfying crunch, then all those rich flavors hit you at once.

Using raw brisket filling instead of trying to stuff whole pieces makes a huge difference. When you chop up the brisket and mix it with the cream cheese, it spreads evenly and every bite has the same amount of meat and cheese. Plus, the cream cheese helps hold everything together so it doesn’t fall out when you’re eating.

The frying temperature is key for these BBQ egg rolls. At 350°F, the wrapper gets golden and crispy in just a few minutes, while the inside heats through without overcooking. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside warms up. Too cool and they absorb oil and get greasy.

The spicy honey on top isn’t just for show – it serves a real purpose. BBQ and honey are classic partners, but adding fresh jalapeño to the honey gives you this sweet heat that cuts through all the richness from the brisket and cheese. It brightens up each bite and keeps the flavors balanced.

Understanding Your Ingredients

Smoked brisket is what makes these brisket egg rolls taste like real BBQ instead of just regular appetizers. If you’ve got leftover brisket from smoking, that’s perfect – just chop it up small. If you’re buying brisket, look for stuff that’s already smoked with good bark on the outside. Most BBQ joints will sell you brisket by the pound, which is usually your best bet.

Can’t find good smoked brisket? Pulled pork works really well too and is easier to find. You can also use leftover pot roast, but you’ll miss some of that smoky flavor. Some people add liquid smoke to make up for it, but go easy – too much tastes fake.

The cream cheese needs to be soft for easy mixing. Take it out of the fridge about an hour before cooking. If you forget, you can soften it in the microwave – just do 15-second bursts so it doesn’t melt. Soft cream cheese mixes way better and makes the filling smooth.

Fresh jalapeños are way better than red pepper flakes for both the filling and the honey. Fresh ones give you that bright heat plus some crunch and moisture. Most of the heat is in the seeds and white parts inside, so scrape those out if you want less spice.

For cheese, cheddar melts well and tastes good, but pepper jack adds extra heat that works great with everything else. You can mix half and half if you want. Skip the pre-shredded stuff if you can – fresh-shredded cheese melts better and doesn’t get weird and clumpy.

How to Work with Egg Roll Wrappers

Working with egg roll wrappers is easier than it looks, but there are a few tricks that help. Keep the wrappers covered with a damp paper towel when you’re not using them – they dry out fast and become hard to work with.

Don’t overfill them. About two tablespoons of filling per wrapper is perfect. Too much and they won’t seal right or might burst when you fry them. Too little and they’re not worth eating.

The rolling is like wrapping a present. Put the wrapper like a diamond with one corner pointing at you. Put the filling in the middle, fold the bottom corner over it, fold in the sides, then roll toward the top. Use beaten egg on the final corner to seal it shut.

Oil temperature matters a lot. 350°F is what you want – hot enough to make them crispy but not so hot they burn. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop in a small piece of wrapper. It should sizzle right away and turn golden in about 30 seconds.

Don’t crowd the pan. Cook maybe 3-4 at a time so they have room to cook evenly. Adding too many at once makes the oil temperature drop and you get soggy egg rolls instead of crispy ones.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make The Brisket

Option 1: Smoke Your Own Brisket If you want to smoke your own brisket from scratch, follow the complete guide below. This process takes 14-18 hours total, but most of that is hands-off smoking time while you sleep or go about your day.

See How To Smoke A Brisket

Option 2: Use Pre-Smoked Brisket Already have leftover brisket or buy pre-smoked brisket from your local BBQ restaurant!

Make the Filling

Get your cream cheese to room temperature first – this makes mixing way easier. In a big bowl, mix the cream cheese with your chopped brisket. Cut the brisket into small pieces, about pea-sized. Too big and the egg rolls are hard to roll, too small and you lose the meaty texture.

Add the shredded cheese, diced jalapeños, minced garlic, onion powder, and smoked paprika. The smoked paprika is important – it adds more smoke flavor that makes these BBQ egg rolls taste authentic. Mix everything until it’s creamy and well combined.

Taste it and add salt and pepper if needed. Remember the brisket might already be seasoned, so start with a little salt and adjust. You can make this filling ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Roll the Egg Rolls

Set up your workspace with the wrappers, filling, beaten egg, and a clean surface. Keep the wrappers covered with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out.

Take one wrapper and put it like a diamond with one corner pointing at you. Put about two tablespoons of filling in the center. Don’t overfill – it’s better to have less filling and be able to seal it properly.

Fold the bottom corner over the filling, then fold in the two sides. Roll toward the top corner, keeping it tight but not so tight you tear the wrapper. Brush the top corner with beaten egg and press to seal. Put the finished egg rolls seam-side down on a plate.

Fry the Egg Rolls

egg rolls on the resting rack before frying

Heat oil to 350°F in a heavy pot. You need enough oil so the egg rolls can float, but not so much it’s dangerous. Test the temperature by dropping in a small piece of wrapper – it should sizzle right away and turn golden in about 30 seconds.

Add 3-4 egg rolls to the oil. Don’t crowd them – they need room to cook evenly. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side until they’re golden brown all over. Take them out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Keep finished ones warm in a 200°F oven while you fry the rest. This keeps them crispy while you work through all the batches.

frying the egg rolls in a cast iron skillet

Make the Spicy Honey

While the egg rolls drain, warm the honey in a small saucepan over low heat. Don’t boil it, just warm it up so it pours easier. Add the sliced jalapeños and let them sit in the warm honey for about 5 minutes.

The longer the jalapeños sit, the spicier the honey gets, so taste it and adjust. Some people strain out the jalapeño slices before serving, others leave them in for extra heat and looks.

Serve Them Up

texas twinkie egg rolls on a black plate

Put your Texas Twinkies egg rolls on a platter and drizzle with the spicy honey. Don’t be shy – the honey is a big part of what makes these special. You can also put the honey in a bowl on the side so people can add their own.

Serve them right away while they’re hot and crispy. Have napkins ready because they can be messy, but that’s part of the fun. You can also serve ranch or BBQ sauce for dipping, but the spicy honey is usually enough.

Recipe Variations

These BBQ fusion appetizers are easy to customize. Can’t find brisket? Pulled pork works just as well. Use the same amount and maybe add a tablespoon of BBQ sauce to the filling.

Want more heat? Try using habanero peppers instead of jalapeños, or add some diced chipotle peppers. The smoky chipotle flavor goes really well with the brisket.

For cheese lovers, try mixing in some smoked gouda for extra smokiness, or add mozzarella for that cheese pull when you bite into them. Just make sure whatever cheese you use melts well.

You can also make these ahead by assembling them and freezing before frying. Put them on a baking sheet in the freezer until solid, then move to freezer bags. They keep for up to 3 months and you can fry them straight from frozen – just add an extra minute or two.

Baked Version

Want to skip the frying? You can bake these Texas BBQ egg rolls instead. Heat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the egg rolls with oil or cooking spray, then bake for 15-18 minutes, flipping them halfway through.

They won’t be quite as crispy as fried, but they’re still really good and way lighter. You can help them get crispier by using a wire rack on the baking sheet so air gets around them, or finish them under the broiler for a minute.

Storage and Reheating

Leftover crispy BBQ snacks keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in a container. To reheat them and get some crispiness back, put them in a 375°F oven for 8-10 minutes. Don’t microwave them – it makes them soggy.

You can freeze cooked egg rolls for up to 3 months too. Let them cool completely, freeze in a single layer, then put in freezer bags. Reheat from frozen in a 375°F oven for 12-15 minutes.

For best results, always reheat in the oven instead of the microwave. The oven helps restore some of the crispiness, while the microwave just makes everything soggy and sad.