These Chicken Chimichangas are i of the ultimate comfort foods! Flour tortillas are layered alongside refried beans, seasoned shredded chicken too cheese, and then they’re wrapped and fried for a perfectly crisp, oh and then satisfying texture!
The Best Chimichanga Recipe
If at that place is ane affair I know how to make, it’sec a perfectly fried homemade chimichanga. My mom made them all the time growing up and so straightaway they’ll ever merely be 1 of those things I crave.
Chicken Chimichanga Video
This is just homestyle food that tastes amazing! They’re packed amongst layers of flavor in addition to they’re easier to make than yous’d mean! Plus chances are later y'all finish off ane they’ll easily hold you over until the side by side repast, these things are super hearty.
And with this recipe y'all tin can use a few shortcuts similar rotisserie chicken, canned beans, bottled salsa and fresh guacamole from the grocery shop to make prep become quicker.
What is a Chimichanga?
Chimichangas are a popular Tex-Mex dish that are made by filling a tortilla with pith, beans, cheese, as well as other ingredients too then rolled upwards as well as fried. In other words is basically a fried burrito. How could that not live expert??
Chimichangas are especially popular in Arizona, as well as you can make them but every bit expert equally you lot’d notice at the restaurants at that place by following this easy recipe!
Photography credit: Jess Larson
Chicken Chimichanga Ingredients:
For this homemade chimichanga recipe, you’ll require:
- Chicken breasts – I like to purpose rotisserie chicken because it has good season as well as it’second tender, just whatsoever evidently seasoned left-over chicken will operate.
- Vegetable oil – this is used for frying too sautéing.
- Yellow onion too garlic – nosotros commencement with these to build layers of flavor.
- Tomato sauce in addition to chicken broth – these liquids add together close to moisture to the filling.
- Chili pulverization, cumin, paprika, and earth coriander – these spices add lots of exciting Tex-Mex flavour.
- Salsa – fresh or bottled will operate hither.
- Sour cream – yous’ll beloved how this makes the filling rich too creamy!
- Refried beans – my favorite are these homemade refried beans (which I freeze) just canned will work fine besides.
- Flour tortillas – be certain to purchase the large burrito size tortillas, the taco size tortillas won’t operate here.
- Shredded cheese – I like to purpose a pre-shredded Mexican blend to make it easier just freshly shredded cheddar or Monterey jack volition work keen likewise.
- Guacamole – for topping. I like to use this recipe HERE.
How to Make Chimichangas:
- Saute onion in addition to garlic until tender.
- Add Lycopersicon esculentum sauce, water, spices, together with salsa to the same skillet as well as simmer until thickened.
- Stir in sour cream together with chicken.
- Layer the tortillas amongst refried beans, chicken too cheese, and so flexure to grade burrito.
- Fry chicken chimichangas inward batches until golden chocolate-brown.
- Serve right away with guacamole together with your favorite toppings.
Can I Bake Them Instead of Frying?
Yes. If you desire to cutting some of the fat you lot can bake these instead of frying. Brush with vegetable fossil oil or olive fossil oil in addition to bake on a baking canvass in a preheated 400 degree oven nigh eight – 10 minutes per side until gilt brownish.
Can I Use Another Meat inwards This Recipe?
Definitely! With this chimichanga recipe, I decided to use chicken merely they’d also be actually skillful with shredded beef or pork.
What About Topping amongst a Sauce?
I like to serve them without a sauce and so they keep that crisp exterior just yous tin definitely superlative them alongside a red enchilada sauce or green enchilada sauce if you lot’d like.
Tips for the Best Chimichangas:
- Use chicken from os-inwards breasts or thighs for added flavour.
- If y'all purpose store-bought refried beans inwards this recipe, add a tablespoon more or less of water to sparse them out a chip equally canned refried beans e'er tend to be rattling thick.
- Be certain to bring petroleum upwardly to temperature before you get down frying for that perfectly crisp texture that doesn’t absorb likewise much oil. I function a candy thermometer that clips to the pan to rail the temperature.
- Also live certain to lookout that the temperature doesn’t rising to high or they tin burn down and the crude oil tin can fifty-fifty catch burn.
More Easy Mexican Recipes You’ll Love:
- Taquitos
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken Pozole Soup
- Chicken, Guacamole, and Bean Tostadas
- Oven Roasted Chicken Tacos
- Barbacoa Beef
Chicken Chimichangas
Ingredients
- iii i/two cups cooked shredded chicken breasts*
- Vegetable rock oil for frying, addition two tsp for sautéing
- 1/ii cup finely chopped yellow onion
- ane clove garlic, minced
- ane/2 cup Lycopersicon esculentum sauce
- one/ii cup depression-sodium chicken broth
- two ane/2 tsp chili pulverization
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- ane/2 tsp paprika
- one/4 tsp earth coriander
- one/iv loving cup salsa** (bottled or fresh)
- ii Tbsp sour cream, addition more than for topping
- ane 3/iv cups refried beans, homemade or shop bought*
- vi burrito size flour tortillas
- 5 oz shredded Mexican cheese blend (1 1/four cups)***
- Guacamole and diced tomatoes, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tsp crude in a ten-inch not-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add onion and saute until slightly golden together with tender, most iv minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.
- Add inward love apple sauce, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander and salsa. Bring merely to a bubble, and then reduce heat together with simmer, stirring frequently until sauce has thickened and reduced by nearly half together with onions are tender, nearly six minutes. Season with salt in addition to pepper to sense of taste, stir in sour cream too toss in chicken.
- Spread a lightly heaping ane/4 loving cup refried beans onto the eye of each tortilla, leaving well-nigh a ii 1/two-inch edge to the edge of tortilla. Layer amongst each alongside one/two cup of the chicken mixture as well as top with iii Tbsp shredded cheese. Fold the sides in then snuggly crease bottom side up too whorl to wrap, fasten finish amongst toothpicks.
- Fill a pot amongst virtually one-inch of vegetable fossil oil as well as estrus over medium-high estrus to 360 - 365 degrees. Once fossil oil is hot , add two filled tortillas together with fry until gilt dark-brown on bottom then using metallic tongs, carefully rotate to opposite side in addition to fix until golden dark-brown on opposite side.
- Remove in addition to drain on paper towels, take toothpicks. Repeat frying inwards two more than batches alongside remaining chimichangas.
- Serve warm topped amongst guacamole, diced tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, salsa or hot sauce.
Notes
**If using canned salsa, I'd highly recommend stirring inward a few tablespoons of H2O to sparse them out. I used homemade merely canned plant fine as well.
***I only used one-half monterey jack together with half cheddar, only a pre-shredded Mexican blend plant fine too.
Nutritional gauge does non include toppings.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 582
Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Recipe originally published Oct, 2013. Photos take been updated.