Description
Crispy flour tortillas filled with a cheesy, beans (and optionally meat) mixture, fried or baked until golden — served with toppings like sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.
Ingredients
- Flour tortillas (6‑12 large or medium)
- Refried beans (≈ 1 can or about 2 cups)
- Shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican blend – ≈ 1‑2 cups)
- Oil for frying (or oil/butter for baking/pan‑frying)
- Onion, chopped (1 small)
- Garlic, minced (1‑2 cloves)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional extras: cooked shredded chicken or ground beef; spices (cumin, chili powder, paprika); salsa; sour cream; guacamole; chopped tomatoes
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium heat with a little oil. Sauté chopped onion until softened, then add garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
- If using meat, add cooked chicken or browned ground beef, stirring in optional spices (cumin, chili powder, etc.). Mix well.
- Add refried beans to the pan. If needed, thin with a little water or broth so the bean mixture is spreadable. Heat through.
- Lay out a tortilla. Spoon a portion of the bean (and meat, if used) mixture onto it, then sprinkle a good amount of shredded cheese on top.
- Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll it up tightly to enclose the filling.
- Decide on cooking method:
• **Frying**: heat oil in a skillet (or deep fryer) and fry chimichanga seam‑side down first, turning until all sides are golden and crisp.
• **Baking / Pan‑frying**: place rolled chimichangas on a baking sheet or skillet, brush lightly with oil or melted butter, and bake/ cook until golden and crispy. - Once cooked, drain excess oil (if fried) on paper towels. Serve hot with toppings like sour cream, salsa, guacamole, chopped lettuce or tomatoes.
Notes
- You can prep chimichangas ahead: assemble and freeze before frying; fry from frozen or bake later.
- Baking or air‑frying is a lighter option vs deep frying.
- Use larger tortillas so they fold more easily without tearing.
- Adjust cheese/mix ratio so the roll doesn’t leak.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chimichanga
- Calories: ≈ 400‑650 kcal (depends on fillings and cooking method)
- Sugar: ≈ 2‑4 g
- Sodium: ≈ 500‑1000 mg
- Fat: ≈ 20‑40 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈ 8‑15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ≈ 10‑25 g
- Trans Fat: ≈ 0‑2 g
- Carbohydrates: ≈ 30‑50 g
- Fiber: ≈ 4‑7 g
- Protein: ≈ 15‑35 g
- Cholesterol: ≈ 30‑80 mg
