Chicken Chimichangas – Baked or Fried
Crispy tortilla, savory cheesy filling, served up with your favorite toppings – what’s not to love?
I started making these chicken chimichangas a few years ago, and they’ve evolved over the years depending on my cooking style and confidence. They started off with a baked recipe, as I was intimidated by the idea of deep frying them, and also didn’t want the clean up of the fryer. Over the years my confidence and methods with deep frying have grown so I’ve added that method to this recipe as well, and I have to say, the crispiness of the fried chimichangas is hard to beat.
Want to go really crazy? Serve these chimichangas with my Jalapeno Ranch Dip!
Equipment I use:
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Chicken Chimichangas – Baked or Fried
Equipment
- Deep Fryer (optional)
- large saucepan
Ingredients
Chimichanga/Filling
- 2 cups chicken approximately 2 breasts or 5 thighs
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil or other flavor neutral cooking oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 15 oz can chunky salsa or homemade
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
- 1 can re-fried beans optional
- 1 cup sharp cheddar finely shredded
- 6 flour tortillas 8" (burrito size)
For cooking
- 3 Tbsp flour for sealing the tortillas if frying
- 1 qt frying oil (if frying)
- 2 Tbsp butter melted (if baking)
Toppings (all optional)
- Sour cream or crema
- pico de gallo
- guacamole
- cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Prepare your chicken
- In a large saucepan or enameled dutch oven heat 2 Tbsp of oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear your chicken on both sides until golden brown.
- Add your can of salsa, cumin, oregano, and green onion to the chicken and reduce the heat to a simmer. Add a couple tablespoons of water if necessary as you want the salsa to surround the chicken. Cover with a lid and braise the chicken in the salsa for about 30 minutes. This is a good time to prepare the toppings and additional filling components.
- After 30 minutes, remove the lid and let the sauce cook down until nice and thick, depending on your salsa this may be 5-10 minutes.
- Shred the chicken in the pan and toss in the salsa before setting it aside to cool.
Building your chimichangas
- If using, heat your re-fried beans per the package instructions (or reheat if homemade). Set aside.
- Mix 3 Tbsp of flour with 1 Tbsp of water and mix into a slurry, this will be used to seal the edges of the tortilla prior to frying (not necessary if baking).
- In the center of your tortilla add approximately ¼ cup of shredded chicken (⅓ cup if you're omitting the re-fried beans). Add 1-2 Tbsp of refried beans and sprinkle with shredded cheddar. If frying, it is recommended to brush the outer rim of the tortilla with the flour slurry to help prevent it from opening up when frying. Roll up the bottom side of the tortilla, fold in the sides, and complete the roll until the sides are sealed. Set aside on a plate until all are prepared.
Frying Instructions
- Heat 1 quart of oil (or whatever is required to have at least a 2 inch depth of oil) in a dutch oven or deep frying. Heat oil to ~350°F.
- Carefully place chimichangas bottom side down, fry for 2 minutes. Flip and fry for 2 minutes.
- Set cooked chimichangas aside on a lined plate and repeat until all chimichangas are fried. Top with desired toppings and serve immediately.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place chimichangas on a lined baking sheet. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter and brush over the tops of the chimichangas (this will mimic the crispiness experienced in deep frying).
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Garnish with desired toppings and serve immediately.
Toppings (optional)
- For a slight twist on the toppings, you can prepare a simple crema. This is done by combining ½ cup of sour cream with just a dash of lime juice (approximately ½ Tbsp). Whisk until combined and serve.
