Julie Clark
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Easy Chicken Chimichangas
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A popular tex-mex recipe…Easy Chicken Chimichangas! These deep fried burritos have a crunchy, golden brown shell. This easy 30-minute recipe uses leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. You may also like our homemade tortillas!
Easy Chicken Chimichangas Recipe
Maddie is crazy for chimichangas. We have an excellent restaurant in our neighborhood with amazing Mexican food…and Maddie chooses chimichangas almost every time we dine there! I never thought to make them at home, but with this easy chicken chimichanga recipe, it’s a quick dinner idea that we all love!
What is the difference between a burrito and a chimichanga?
The main difference between a burrito and chimichanga is that a chimichanga is deep fried giving it a golden brown crusty exterior shell. Burritos and chimichangas are both made with flour tortillas and rolled up, but chimichangas are generally smaller than a burrito. Chimichangas also sometimes have a sauce overtop, which means you eat them with a fork. Burritos are traditionally hand-held.
What is inside of a chicken chimichanga?
You can really put anything you’d like into a chimichanga. Your choice of meat and veggies. We add rice, black beans, cheese, spices and salsa.
How to Make Chicken Chimichangas
We keep this recipe simple by using a store-bought rotisserie chicken. You can feel free to substitute any other meat you’d like (roast beef, ground beef, pork, steak, etc.). You can even make a vegetarian chimichanga!
- Lay out flour tortillas (we use 10″) and then top them with rice (level up with cilantro lime rice!) and beans. Mix the shredded meat, spices and salsa in a small bowl. Divide the meat mixture between the tortillas, then top with cheese. Roll them up, tucking the ends as you go.
- Heat a skillet (cast iron works great!) with about ½ an inch of canola oil (or your favorite cooking oil). Once the oil is very hot, place the chimichangas in the oil (we do 4 at at a time) and cook them, rotating to each side so that they get golden brown all over. This should take about 4-6 minutes.
- Drain the chimichangas on a wire rack that has paper towels underneath.
What to Serve on Chimichangas
You can top the chimichangas with a white queso cheese sauce or with fresh salsa, sour cream, lettuce and avocado. We mix it up each time we have them!
Other Mexican Recipes
Easy Chicken Chimichangas
A popular tex-mex recipe...Easy Chicken Chimichangas! These deep fried burritos have a crunchy, golden brown shell. This easy 30-minute recipe uses leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
Servings 8
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes
Ingredients
- cooking oil (for frying)
- 1 rotisserie chicken (white meat removed and shredded)
- 8 10" tortillas
- 15 ounces can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 1/2 cups rice cooked
- 1 1/2 cups shredded colby jack cheese
- 1/2 cup homemade salsa
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat a frying pan with about 1/2” cooking oil to medium high heat.
- Lay out the tortillas on a flat surface. Divide the rice and beans evenly among them.
- In a small bowl, mix the shredded chicken, salsa, and spices, then add evenly to the tortillas.
- Top each tortilla with shredded cheese, then roll up, folding in the edges as you go.
- Add the chimichangas to the hot oil, cooking 2-3 at a time. Turn after the bottom is browned, about 2-3 minutes.
- Cook until fully browned, then place on paper towels to drain.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
*To serve, top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and sour cream.
*The calories shown are based on the recipe making 8 chimichangas, with 1 serving being 1 chimichanga. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 754kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 1341mg | Potassium: 662mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 695IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 285mg | Iron: 5.9mg
Super delish!!! My hubby and I ate 2 each!!! BIG MISTAKE! We could not move for hours! Excellent and will make again.