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This crispy chimichanga is similar to a burrito but fried to golden perfection. It’s flavorful, filling, and bound to be a favorite entree!
In true Arizona style, we serve this fried goodness up with a plate of Spanish Rice and Refried Beans!
What is a Chimichanga?
Chimichangas are said to have originated in southern Arizona (near Tucson, AZ). They are basically a deep-fried burrito, which means they are INCREDIBLE!
We love chimis for so many reasons, including:
- They are delicious! Anything deep fried is usually amazing, but with a crispy shell and fillings like uses Shredded Chicken, refried beans, cheese and a blend of delicious seasonings, they’re so tasty!
- Easy to change up. Chimichangas are great to customize with your favorite meat, veggies, beans and more.
- Different ways to make. They can be baked, fried, or air fried (We’ve included steps for each option – see below).
What’s in a Chimi?
Chimichangas are filled with a variety of flavors and ingredients but most often include some of these:
- Meat – Instead of chicken, use Carnitas, Carne Asada, Sweet Pork Barbacoa, Pulled Pork, Steak/Beef, or chicken
- Beans – Pinto beans, refried beans or black beans
- Rice – Either Mexican Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice
- Veggies – tomatoes, green chiles, avocados, onions/green onions
- Sour Cream
- Cheese
- Salsa – Red Salsa, Green Salsa, or Pico de Gallo
How to Make Chimichangas
- PREP. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño, and cook until softened about 3-4 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and salt, and stir to combine.
- SAUCE. Add the tomato and cilantro, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chicken and sour cream, and cook until heated through.
- ASSEMBLE. To assemble the chimichangas, spread a few tablespoons of refried beans down the center of each tortilla. Top each tortilla with ⅙ of the chicken mixture, and ¼ cup of Monterey Jack cheese. Fold the sides of the tortilla toward the center, then roll each tortilla up into a burrito shape.
Frying Directions
This recipe for chimichangas with chicken is pan-fried for an extra crispy shell.
- PREP. The oil temperature should be in the 360-365°F range when frying these Chimichangas. You can clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan to monitor it.
- FRY. To fry the chimichangas, heat 1-2 inches of oil to 350°F in a heavy pot or deep fryer. Secure the chimichangas with toothpicks to prevent them from opening while frying. Fry the chimichangas 1-2 at a time for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping halfway through. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Baking CHIMICHANGAS
- OIL. To bake the chimichangas, follow this Baked Chimi Recipe or brush each of the chimichangas with oil and place them on a greased baking sheet.
- BAKE. Bake at 450°F for 8 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes, until golden brown.
Air FryING CHIMIS
This is a great option to get an oil-fried crispness without all the oil. However, due to the smaller size of the air fryer basket, you can only cook 2 chimis at a time.
- HEAT. Heat the air fryer to 400°F.
- COOK. Place two chimichangas, seam side down in the basket. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flip, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Repeat for remaining chimichangas. Cooking all 6 chimichangas will take about 25 minutes.
VARIATIONS + SERVING IDEAS
Variations. Some other ingredients that you can easily use in this easy chimichanga recipe include:
- Add white rice or Spanish-style rice.
- Use store bought or homemade Flour Tortillas.
Serving suggestions. Serve a fried chimichanga with some of our favorite side dishes:
Top with Homemade Salsa, Avocado Cream Sauce, Easy Guacamole or Pico de Gallo
Storing Info
Make a freezer meal. Assemble this recipe for chimichanga ahead of time to fry/bake later. Complete steps 1 and 2 as written. Wrap each folded chimichanga with plastic wrap and place them in an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 6 months.
- Thaw and cook according to the recipe directions. To bake frozen chimichangas, preheat the oven to 425°F and bake for 35-40 minutes.
STORE. Place cooled leftovers in an airtight container. They can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- For best results reheat them in the microwave for 30 seconds, or 1 minute if frozen. Then, place them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes to finish reheating.
For more recipes:
Chimichanga Recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken filling:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 jalapeño pepper diced and seeds removed
- 1½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tomato chopped
- 2 teaspoons cilantro chopped
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- ¼ cup sour cream
For assembling:
- 6 10-inch flour tortillas warmed
- 1 (15-ounce) can refried beans
- 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
For topping:
- Shredded lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Fresh cilantro
- Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño, and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and salt, and stir to combine. Add the tomato and cilantro, and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chicken and sour cream, and cook until heated through.
- To assemble the chimichangas, spread a few tablespoons of refried beans down the center of each tortilla. Top each tortilla with ⅙ of the chicken mixture, and ¼ cup of Monterey Jack cheese. Fold the sides of the tortilla toward the center, then roll each tortilla up into a burrito shape.
- To bake the chimichangas, brush each of the chimichangas with oil and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 450°F for 8 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes, until golden brown.
- To fry the chimichangas, heat 1-2 inches of oil to 350°F in a heavy pot or deep fryer. Secure the chimichangas with toothpicks to prevent them from opening while frying. Fry the chimichangas 1-2 at a time for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping halfway through.
- Serve the chimichangas hot with the toppings of your choice.
Video
Notes
- Thaw and cook according to the recipe directions. To bake frozen chimichangas, preheat the oven to 425°F and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- For best results reheat them in the microwave for 30 seconds, or 1 minute if frozen. Then, place them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes to finish reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
this was such a great dish, and I have always been scared to make chimichangas, but this made it so easy! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe
Long ago I used to work at a Mexican restaurant and I used to make chimichangas all the time as a snack! I’m so glad now I can make them myself with this recipe!
I wonder how these would freeze and then how much time to bake or deep fry to get the center to temp?
These freeze great!! We have freezing instructions and tips on how to thaw/cook afterward on the recipe post. You can fry, bake or air fry!