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Try these chimichangas either baked or pan fried with tender chicken, stuffed Mexican filling all wrapped in a soft but crispy crust on the outside. These will become a family favorite!
Mexican food is one of my favorites to have! Add some Mexican Rice and a horchata drink to the dinner table and enjoy this complete Mexican dinner tonight!
Chicken Chimichangas
These are the best homemade chimichangas I have ever had! I was so impressed I knew I had to double this recipe to get enough of it all. It is festive, easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes. They are so simple to put together and I even had a couple extra set of hands helping me fold them up with me. It is a fun family affair working together each step along the way. Homemade chimichangas are just what you need to have an extra special Mexican night in your home!
Meat filled, pan in the oven and 30 minutes before dinner you are rocking being a parent. It is so easy to make and delicious to eat. Mexican dinner nights are one of my favorites. I love all things rice and beans with chips and salsa. These combinations are the best and always a favorite in our home. Cook the chicken ahead of time and use the leftovers for this recipe. It makes it easier and comes together quick and easy. Once the chicken is cooked and ready fill each of the tortillas with the stuffing. Wrap and bake in the oven!
What is a Chimichanga?
Chimichanga is known to come form the southern part of the United States. It is essentially a burrito that is deep fried and tastes so good. It is a Mexican-American dish that uses a flour tortilla and add in veracious ingredients and filling mix. Vegetables, tomatoes and avocados are all added in or on top of the chimichanga and then wrapped tightly. Once wrapped place the chimichanga to the baking sheet and bake until golden brown. Add guacamole, salsa or any dressing on top and you have one delicious meal!
Chimichanga Ingredients:
A large flour tortilla filled with shredded chicken, refried beans, cheese, salsa and spices, rolled up like a burrito and then pan fried or baked. Served topped with sour cream, guacamole and salsa, this Mexican inspired recipe is delicious!
- Cooked and shredded chicken: This chicken can either be made ahead of time or the day of.Try this Shredded Chicken Copycat to have your chicken already prepared ahead of time.
- Chili Powder: Add some spice to the chimichanga.
- Cumin: Earthy flavor that add that subtle seasoning.
- Paprika: Some warmth and color to the ingredients.
- Salt: Just a pinch!
- Salsa: Make homemade salsa or buy store bought.
- Colby Jack Cheese: The best cheese that melts evenly and tastes good once it is done.
- Cream Cheese: Soften the cream cheese in the microwave for a short amount of time or leave out at room temperature.
- Green Onions: Colorful crunch that adds a zing and a zest to the chimichangas.
- Refried Beans: A soft and subtle hint once you take your first bite.
- Burrito Size Tortillas: The bigger, the better! Am I Right!!
- Olive Oil: Brush on top getting that golden glow all over the tortilla.
How to Make Chicken Chimichangas:
- Combine Ingredients: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine chicken, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, salsa. cheese, cream cheese, and green onions.
- To assemble the chimichangas: Spoon 2 tablespoons refried beans onto the tortilla 2 inches from the edge. Add about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture and put into the center. Fold in the sides of the tortillas and then roll up the bottom and place seam side down on a baking sheet.
- Bake: Brush the tops with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.
How to Pan Fry a Chimichanga:
Add 1 Tablespoon oil to a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the chimichanga skin side down. Fry on each side 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
More Mexican Recipes that are a MUST Try:
- Easy Homemade Navajo Tacos
- Sizzling Steak Fajita Roll Ups Recipe
- Mexican Shrimp Skillet
- Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
- Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder
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Chicken Chimichangas {Baked or Pan Fried}
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 2 cups Colby jack cheese shredded
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 Tablespoons green onions chopped
- 1 15 ounce can refried beans
- 4 burrito size tortillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine chicken, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, salsa. cheese, cream cheese, and green onions.
To assemble the chimichangas
- Spoon 2 tablespoons refried beans onto the tortilla 2 inches from the edge. Add about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture and put into the center. Fold in the sides of the tortillas and then roll up the bottom and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.
Video
Notes
Add 1 Tablespoon oil to a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the chimichanga skin side down. Fry on each side 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made these last week & was fabulous. My family loved!! Thanks for sharing.
Would these be good frozen for a quick lunch?
Yes, so good! That is a great idea.
Whole family loved them!! And we’re feeding 3 generations
Delicious and easy. I added a extra 1/2 cup of shredded chicken and it was enough to make 10 chimichangas. I then brushed them w olive oil and froze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, I placed them all together in a freezer bag. A frozen chimichanga may be baked at 350 degrees for 20 min. in the toaster oven for a quick meal. Serve w sour cream, salsa, avocado garnish. I am going to make these again with ground beef or ground venison. Yum! ( I used a roasted chicken from Costco. Made it that much easier.)
Thanks for the freezing info. We ate some last night but have enough chicken for several more that I will freeze.
I made Mexican crockpot chicken a day or so ago. Used that as filling and it was awesome! Topped with sour cream, avocado and salsa.
Wowsa! Made these tonight with street corn. My hubby and I loved them. I used a Costco rotisserie chx. Easy. If you do use a rotisserie chx I’d say to leave any extra salt out. Thank you so much for such an easy yet delicious recipe. I am a professional chef by the way and I don’t usually take to simple recipes. But this one is a keeper!
These were amazing! I baked them and they were crispy and delicious. I only made one change. I didn’t have any cream cheese so I put in 3/4 of a cup of sour cream instead. Perfection!
These were amazing! I chose the baked version and they tasted delicious, were inexpensive, simple and very quick to prepare (especially using Costco rotisserie chicken breast meat). I made a few simple tweaks: I made 8 chimichangas using regular sized Mission Brand carb balanced tortillas. I used Spicy Habanero Salsa in the mix for extra zing. I topped them off with some sour cream and served with some Cuban Cilantro Lime Rice on the side. YUM!!
Could I add some shredded spinach to this. It sounds amazing.
These were delicious. I had never made chimis before and I loved these. I didn’t have the large wrappers so I used what I had. Made a ton of filling. I could have made more. I had them last night for dinner and again for breakfast this morning.
Wow, I made these tonight and they were amazing. I baked them instead of frying and I highly recommend.
Ohmigosh! This recipe popped up as a suggestion as just the perfect time. I had some leftover grilled chicken that I was struggling to re-purpose because it had a strong amount of chili powder in the original seasoning. This recipe was PERFECT for it. I doubled the recipe, which I didn’t need to do, but now we have yummy leftovers. The only thing I changed was the type of cheese used. I used a three cheese Mexican blend. We baked ours and then topped with queso-blanco, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and taco sauce. This was absolutely delicious and was even compared to a Mexican restaurant!
would using roast beef from a can work instead of chicken? My husband doesn’t enjoy too many things with chicken and am looking for alternatives things to make
Yes, that is a great alternative.
It works great with shredded pork also.
Question can I throw all this in a insta pot/crockpot with raw chicken breast then shed at end and make
MMM! That sounds delicious! Let me know how it turns out.
Made these yesterday and they were a hit! We fried them and loved the texture. Thank you!
These chimichangas sound great! I have one question though. If I make the copycat shredded chicken recipe that you suggest (which already uses chili powder and cumin) do I still add the chili powder and cumin from this recipe? Or do I skip those two ingredients? Are there other ingredients I should skip from this recipe if I use the copycat chicken? Thanks!
No, you can leave that out so it is not as spicy.
i agree alyssa rivers