Chicken Chimichangas
These Chicken Chimichangas are made with a deliciously seasoned chicken, cheese and refried bean filling all wrapped in a crispy flour tortilla!
A Restaurant Quality Dinner Recipe
One of my favorite meals (along with Arroz con Pollo) to get at my local Mexican restaurant are Chimichangas. Are they authentic Mexican? Most food historians say the chimichanga was invented here in the United States, and not in Mexico, but that’s ok – we can still love it anyways and most Mexican restaurants here in the States have some version of it. What’s not to love: creamy chicken and seasonings in a fried tortilla – yum!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Sure. Just know that the chimichangas won’t be as crispy as you would when frying them in oil. Just use my recipe for Air Fryer Chicken Chimichangas.
Yes, make the filling and assemble as you would in this recipe. Then bake in the oven at 400F for 25 minutes. Again, please note, they will not come out as crispy as frying in oil.
Some diced green chiles can also be added to a bit of a kick. You can also add some cooked Mexican rice inside the chimichangas along with the chicken filling. You could also serve these like a lot of Mexican restaurants do by pouring a little queso dip over the top! I have a recipe for Crock Pot Queso Dip you can use or a stovetop Queso Dip or you can pick up your favorite store bought queso.
My 3-Ingredient Mexican Rice or Enchilada Rice would do well with these chimichangas. If you really enjoy Refried Beans, we already include them in the chimichangas but you could serve some more on the side.
Yup! This could easily be done with ground beef, pork or even leftover pot roast.
Keep leftovers in the fridge for 3 days or keep them longer by freezing for up to 3 months.
Reheat up in the oven on the wire rack over the sheet tray and they will crisp right back up, air fryer will work nicely as well for reheating.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- shredded cooked chicken– You can use leftover chicken or make it really simple and do what I did, I just used a store bought rotisserie chicken. If you’d rather, you can boil some chicken or bake it in the oven. I would definitely season it if cooking in the oven, more flavor is always good! For the oven, I’d season the chicken and bake your chicken breasts in the oven at 400F for 20-22 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165F. If you want to use shredded chicken, you can make my recipe Crock Pot Shredded Chicken For Tacos.
- refried beans– grab a can from the store, or make your own Homemade Refried Beans. Don’t like beans? Just leave them out.
- shredded Mexican blend cheese – Pepper Jack cheese can be used instead of the Mexican blend cheese to give it a kick of spice.
- taco seasoning– you can use the packet of seasoning or you can make your own Taco Seasoning.
- salsa – use your favorite brand or you can make your own quick Blender Salsa.
- sour cream– you can leave it out or even use softened cream cheese if you don’t care for sour cream.
- burrito size flour tortillas– grab a package from the local grocery store or if you really want to go all out you can make your own Homemade Flour Tortillas.
How To Make Chicken Chimichangas:
In a large bowl, mix the chicken, beans, cheese, taco seasoning, salsa, and sour cream until well combined. Divide the filling among the 8 tortillas and place the filling in the center of the tortillas.
Bring the two sides over the middle of the filling, then tightly roll to form a little package.
Secure the package with two toothpicks and repeat with all the tortillas. Heat about 2-3 inches of oil in a heavy bottom skillet to 350°F. Fry the chimichangas until golden brown on all sides; you may need to flip them often so they don’t burn, about 5 minutes total. Do not crowd the pan; you will need to fry in batches. Keep an eye on the oil temperature so that it doesn’t get too hot. Place the finished chimichangas on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil, and then place them on a wire rack over a sheet tray to keep them crispy.
Remove the toothpicks before serving. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
Craving More Recipes?
Chicken Chimichangas
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (I just used a rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup refried beans
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- ½ cup salsa
- ½ cup sour cream
- 8 burrito size flour tortillas
- oil, for frying (I prefer peanut or canola oil)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, 1 cup refried beans, 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, 1 packet taco seasoning, 1/2 cup salsa and 1/2 cup sour cream until well combined.
- Divide the filling among 8 burrito size flour tortillas and place the filling in the center of the tortillas.
- Bring the two sides over the middle of the filling, then tightly roll to form a little package.
- Secure the package with two toothpicks and repeat with all the tortillas.
- Heat about 2-3 inches of oil in a heavy bottom skillet to 350°F.
- Fry the chimichangas until golden brown on all sides; you may need to flip them often so they don’t burn, about 5 minutes total. Do not crowd the pan; you will need to fry in batches. Keep an eye on the oil temperature so that it doesn’t get too hot.
- Place the finished chimichangas on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil, and then place them on a wire rack over a sheet tray to keep them crispy.
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Really enjoyed these – perfect way to use up some leftover roasted chicken. Added some jalapeno inside to spice it up a bit (Texas girl here) and cooked them in air fryer per your instructions. Thanks for this quick, easy, tasty recipe!
Love the added jalapeños – yes!! Thanks so very much Felicia!
So delicious. The air fryer version is great too. Have you heard Chi Chi’s is coming back?
Thanks so much John! I did see that and I am SO excited! I doubt one will come near me but I would definitely be wiling to travel to it LOL!