Southwest Venison Egg Rolls

Christine Thomas
Nov 9
2 min read

November 2025

Last Fall, Stan and I went antelope hunting in Wyoming with friends, John Schreiner, Tom Dew, and Jim Zumbo. Folks will remember Jim from the days when he wrote for Outdoor Life magazine and hosted a show on the Outdoor Channel. I served with Jim on the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Board. John, Tom, Jim and I are all members of the Boone and Crockett Club. During our antelope hunt, Jim and his wife, Madonna, hosted us for dinner one evening at their lovely home in Wapiti, WY. The meal was spectacular. My favorite recipe was Venison Egg Rolls. I have adapted this recipe slightly. This is my version.

Egg rolls on a platter with salsa and sour cream

Southwest Venison Egg Rolls With Salsa and Sour Cream

This recipe is based upon one of the recipes in Jim Zumbo's Amazing Venison Recipes cookbook.

Photo of Jim Jumbo's book Amazing Venison recipes

Ingredients for Southwest Venison Egg Rolls

1 lb venison

½ sweet onion chopped

2 tbsp canola oil

1 pkg egg roll wrappers (about 20)

2 small cans mild green chilis

A couple of shakes of southwest or taco seasoning

20 strips of Colby or cheddar cheese (3” x ¼”)

1 beaten egg for moistening edges of wrapper to facilitate sticking it closed.

a package of meat, an onion, a can of chilis, a block of cheese, a package of egg roll wrappers and a bottle of southwest seasoning on a cutting board.

Brown the venison and onion in canola oil. Sprinkle with southwest seasoning to taste. Place a tablespoon of the burger mixture on a wrapper. Add the strip of cheese and a teaspoon of the chilis.

Roll up. It helps if you beat an egg and use your fingers to moisten the edges of the wrapper at the envelope-looking stage, to help it stick closed. Arrange the 20 egg rolls on a cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen transfer to a freezer bag. To serve, fry them, still frozen, in canola oil on medium high heat until golden on all sides. Be careful not to turn the heat too high.

I am going to add some egg roll rolling photos here.

Chef's Notes

This is a very easy meal. You make the egg rolls up ahead and freeze them. You fry them directly out of the freezer till golden on all sides. Use your Thermapen to check internal temp if you are worried about whether or not they are done. The venison is already cooked, so 145 degreed is plenty.

These are crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. So tasty. Serve them with a dollop of salsa and sour cream. Perfect for a football appetizer layout or for a simple supper with fresh sliced veggies on the side.

Crispy fired and golden egg rolls draining on a paper towel