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Chicken chimichangas are crispy, deep-fried burritos packed with a flavorful filling of shredded chicken, spices, and cheese. This Mexican-inspired dish combines tender, savory fillings with a golden, crunchy tortilla shell. Topped with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream, they’re a satisfying treat perfect for any meal or celebration!
Chicken Chimichangas
Chicken chimichangas are crispy, golden tortillas filled with juicy, seasoned chicken and cheese. They offer a savory, mildly spicy, and rich flavor. They’re crunchy, creamy, and satisfying!
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Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil – Any frying oil will work for this recipe. Corn, canola oil, or avocado oil are all great choices.
- Salted butter
- Sweet onion – You can replace fresh onions with 2 teaspoons of onion powder right into the meat.
- Minced roasted garlic
- Chili powder
- Mexican oregano – You can replace this with regular oregano.
- Ground cumin
- Cooked, shredded chicken – rotisserie chicken is great! Chicken can be substituted with beef.
- Salt & pepper
- Diced green chiles – For a milder flavor you can omit the green chilies.
- Burrito size flour tortillas
- Mexican blend cheese – Any melting cheese will work. You can try pepper jack, Monterey jack cheese, or cheddar cheese.
Optional Ingredients
- Rice – white rice, cilantro lime rice, or even brown rice
- Beans – refried beans, black beans, or pinto beans
- Enchilada sauce – add green or red enchilada sauce on top
- Cayenne pepper – for an extra kick of heat
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Jalapenos – You can add sliced jalapenos to the onion while sauteing to add spice and heat.
- Taco seasoning – Add 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning to 1 cup of sour cream for a seasoned topping sauce.
Instructions:
Prepare the oil. In a large heavy-bottom skillet, pour in enough vegetable oil to fill it 1 inch full of oil. Heat the oil over low heat. (This will be the oil you fry the chimichangas in. The hot oil needs to slowly reach about 375°F.)
Make the filling. In a separate large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook until slightly softened. Add in garlic, chili powder, Mexican oregano, and cumin. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the shredded, cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the green chilies and continue to stir and cook the mixture for another 5 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Set aside.
Fold your chimichangas. Warm the tortillas in the microwave according to the package instructions. Fill the center of each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture. Top with 3 tablespoons of the shredded cheese. Fold the sides over the mixture, then fold the bottom over the sides and roll up. Place the folded chimichangas, seam side down, on a large plate/platter, and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Fry. Slowly lower the chimichangas, one at a time, into the heated oil with the seam down. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Long enough for them to become golden brown.
Line a baking pan. Line a baking tray with paper towels or a drip tray and top it with a wire cooling rack to drain. Remove the chimichangas from the oil and place them on a wire cooling rack with a paper towel or drip tray under them. This will prevent them from becoming soggy while sitting in their own oil. Let them sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
Baking Instructions
If you prefer, you can bake your chimichangas instead of frying them. Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chimichangas onto the baking sheet and spray the tops with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve. Top with sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, cilantro or sliced cherry tomatoes before serving warm.
More Mexican Recipes
Chicken Chimichanga Recipe
Chicken Chimichangas
Equipment
- heavy bottom skillet
- baking tray
- Paper towels
- wire cooling rack
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 cups vegetable oil Enough to fill an inch in your skillet.
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 small sweet onion about 1 cup, diced
- ½ Tablespoon minced roasted garlic
- ½ Tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken works perfect for this)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 can 4 ounces diced green chilies
- 5 burrito-size flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
Toppings:
- sour cream
- guacamole
- taco sauce or hot sauce
- pico de gallo
- cilantro
- sliced cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Prepare the oil. In a large heavy-bottom skillet, pour in enough vegetable oil to fill it 1 inch full of oil. Heat the oil over low heat. (This will be the oil you fry the chimichangas in. The oil needs to slowly reach about 375°F.)
- Line a baking pan. Line a baking tray with paper towels or a drip tray and top it with a wire cooling rack.
- Make the filling. In a separate large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook until slightly softened. Add in garlic, chili powder, Mexican oregano, and cumin. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the shredded, cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the green chilies and continue to stir and cook the mixture for another 5 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Set aside.
- Fold your chimichangas. Warm the tortillas in the microwave according to package instructions. Fill the center of each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture. Top with 3 tablespoons of the shredded cheese. Fold sides over the mixture, then fold bottom over the sides and roll up. Place folded chimichangas, seam side down on a large plate/platter, and repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Fry and serve. Slowly lower the chimichangas, one at a time, into the heated oil with the seam down. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Long enough for them to become golden brown. Remove from the oil and place the chimichangas on a wire cooling rack with a paper towel or drip tray under them. This will prevent them from becoming soggy, sitting in their own oil. Let them sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Top with sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, cilantro, or sliced cherry tomatoes before serving warm.
