5-minute Turkey Pinwheels

These 5-minute Turkey Pinwheels are one of our go-to lunch recipes and have been for years! Easy to make and school-friendly making it a great option to make for your kids’ lunch.

Switch up the basic sandwich intro these turkey pinwheels! Such a simple recipe to make for lunch or even serve as an appetizer. Plus it works with a variety of fillings and can be prepped ahead of time. So needless to say, you have found your new food prep lunch idea!

This easy lunch idea has been a longtime favorite in my life. My mom used to make them for me when I was a kid. And I remember she’d serve them at parties and always save me the extras to eat too. The classic combo is cream cheese, turkey, roasted red peppers and basil. And of course you can add anything you want into the pinwheels too.

There is nothing too complicated about making these. And I have a feeling you will love them as much as we do! And hopefully your kids do too.

Tip: double or triple the recipe to make more! You can store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.

What ingredients you need to make turkey pinwheels:

• Tortilla of choice – I use a gluten-free large burrito-size one. A larger one works better than smaller
• Cream cheese – any cream cheese works and it can be dairy-free too!
• Cold-cut turkey – I usually buy organic turkey slices
• Roasted red peppers – I buy the ones in the jar
• Basil – fresh basil goes a long way in these! So delicious

How to make turkey pinwheels in 5 minutes: 

1. Lay the tortilla flat on a cutting board and spread a thick layer of cream cheese all the way to the edges
2. Sprinkle the basil across the tortilla
3. Add the slices of turkey to one side of the tortillas then the roasted red peppers next to it
4. Starting at one end of the tortilla, roll tightly towards the filling. Continue rolling until the filling is tightly wrapped and the cream cheese holds the rollup together
5. Wrap each tortilla rollup tightly in plastic wrap and chill the wrapped rollups in the refrigerator until serving time or packing for lunch!
6. To serve, trim any unfilled ends away and slice each tortilla into 8 equal pieces

Best tips for success:

• A soft tortilla works best. So if using one from fridge or freezer, soften a bit in microwave with damp paper towel
• A serrated knife is key for easy slicing the pinwheels
• You can really use any toppings you want on the tortilla. The turkey, cream cheese, basil and red pepper is my personal favorite!
• Make sure you use anything that’s spreadable like cream cheese as it helps the wrap to stick. So hummus always works too
• Roll the wrap up firmly to make sure it doesn’t come apart and storing the the fridge helps too before slicing
• You can make these the night before or a few days before eating. Just store in airtight container or lunchbox in the fridge

A few other delicious lunch ideas:

20+ Easy School Lunch Ideas for Kids

15-minute Peanut Noodle Salad (gluten-free)

Easy Homemade Uncrustable Sandwiches

Vegan Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing