Super classy I know :). I’ve said this before but really I don’t eat very “classy”. When I was trying to think of a food related blog name (back when I started this blog) it seemed like all the good ones were taken so Cooking Classy was the best I could come up with. I know chimichangas aren’t classy at all and they are super hard to make look pretty but they taste amazing! And if there is one thing I know how to make, it’s a perfectly fried chimichanga. Growing up I lived on the bean and cheese chimichangas (honestly I don’t know if that would even be considered a chimichanga or just a fried bean and cheese burrito, but either way I’m hooked on those). My mom would make them a lot because they were so quick and easy.
With these I decided to use chicken but they’d also be really good with shredded beef. If you wanted to make them a little bit healthier you could brush them with a little bit of butter or oil and bake them in the oven (at 400 for 10 – 12 minutes on each side until golden brown) and cut back a little on the cheese. Most of the time I use half extra virgin olive oil and half vegetable oil to fry these (just be careful the oil doesn’t get too hot and use a lower temp), so that’s another slightly healthier option. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (3 1/2 cups)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
- 2 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 3 Tbsp salsa (optional)
- 2 Tbsp sour cream, plus more for topping
- 1 1/2 cups refried beans, homemade or store bought*
- 6 burrito size flour tortillas
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 5 oz. shredded Mexican cheese blend (1 1/4 cups)**
- Guacamole, for serving
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add onion and saute until slightly golden and tender, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during the last 30 seconds of sauteing. Add in tomato sauce, water, chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, salsa, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring just to a bubble, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently until sauce has thickened and reduced by about half and onions are tender. Stir in sour cream and toss in chicken.
- Spread 1/4 cup refried beans onto the center of each tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border on the edge of tortilla. Layer with each with 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture and top with 3 Tbsp shredded cheese. Fold the 2-inch ends up and then fold one side over the top and roll.
- Fill a pot with 1/2-inch vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot (about 350 degrees on a deep fry thermometer), add filled tortillas (you should be able to fit 2 or 3 at a time so work in batches) and fry until golden brown on bottom then using metal tongs, carefully rotate to opposite side and cook until golden brown on opposite side. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Serve warm topped with guacamole, diced tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, salsa or hot sauce.
- *If using canned, I'd highly recommend stirring in a few tablespoons of water to thin them out. I used homemade but canned works fine too.
- **I just used half monterey jack and half cheddar but a pre-shredded Mexican blend works fine too.
Liz: Nice recipe. Thank you. October 24, 2013 at 2:21pm
Laura @ Lauras Baking Talent: These look amazing! I am so trying to find something for dinner and I wish these could be transported through the computer :) October 24, 2013 at 2:26pm
Cheri | Kitchen Simplicity: I think you are brilliant at making any food look classy. These included! ;) These are going on my weekend menu plan, they sound just too delicious! October 24, 2013 at 7:00pm
Jaclyn: Thanks so much Cheri – I feel the same about your blog! October 26, 2013 at 5:41am
Mimi @ Culinary Couture: Teach me how to roll chimichangas so perfectly! Seriously, these are gorgeous and VERY classy in my opinion! October 24, 2013 at 8:03pm
Jaclyn: Thanks Mimi :)! October 26, 2013 at 5:40am
Becca @ Crumbs: Ooh these look so good! Like they are crunchy on the outside and all soft inside. Will be trying these =) October 25, 2013 at 1:30am
Elisa @ Insalata di Sillabe: These look delicious and would be great for our Saturday night dinners as a little switch from the usual pizza! I think I’ll bake them, since I don’t really like fried food :)
Thanks for the inspiration!
xo, Elisa October 25, 2013 at 3:45am
Bree (Skinny Mommy): These look awesome! October 25, 2013 at 7:19am
Shawn @ I Wash You Dry: You definitely made these chimichangas look classy! Wow, they look so good! October 25, 2013 at 8:35am
Jaclyn: Thanks Shawn :)! October 25, 2013 at 5:52pm
Natalie | Tastes Lovely: Chimichangas are super classy! Especially yours. That guac looks amazing. Yum! October 25, 2013 at 9:25am
Jaclyn: Thanks Natalie :)! October 25, 2013 at 5:43pm
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious: I can’t believe I’ve never made chimichangas before! That’ll be changing this weekend for sure! October 26, 2013 at 12:59am
sowmya: These look delicious !! October 27, 2013 at 12:06am
Denise: Someone just told me about your blog and also “Cooking With Mr. C.” on Facebook also a blog. I just “Liked” his Facebook page and came to your site. It’s terrific. I love when people share blogs with each other. Denise October 27, 2013 at 7:55pm
Jaclyn: Thanks Denise, thanks so much for visiting! October 27, 2013 at 8:06pm
angela @ another bite please: haha like your blog post…well the chimichangas may not fall into the classy category but seriously your photos always do…like ALWAYS! October 28, 2013 at 4:57am
Jaclyn: Thanks so much Angela :)! October 28, 2013 at 5:53am
Sarah: You may think it’s hard to make chimichangas look pretty, but these look amazing! And that’s about as “perfectly fried” as it gets! October 28, 2013 at 9:15am
Jaclyn: Thanks Sarah! October 30, 2013 at 3:32pm
Brittany @ Egg Free Bakery: These look good. I will be trying them soon! October 28, 2013 at 11:02am
Monique @ Ambitious Kitchen: YUM! These look perfect. October 31, 2013 at 6:38pm
Elizabeth: These were SO delicious! Just need a tutorial on how to roll them! Lol! Mine did not come out so beautifully as yours! November 1, 2013 at 1:19pm
Jaclyn: I’m so glad you liked these Elizabeth!! As far as the rolling goes I’d recommend checking out this link with step by step photos for rolling burritos/chimichangas: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-wrap-a-burrito-so-it-doesnt-fall-apart-when-you-eat-it-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-189756 November 1, 2013 at 2:33pm
Emily: Made these last night! They were delicious!! Thanks for another great recipe! :-) November 21, 2013 at 3:06pm
Jaclyn: I’m so happy to hear you liked these Emily! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment! November 21, 2013 at 3:30pm
Kathryn George: Hi Jacklyn, we made these just before Christmas as a “to-go” while we walked the Christmas lights. Once again your recipe was a HIT. Our family has been “blessed” at the table by your website. From Lasagna, to Soups, to tacos and now Chimi’s your recipes are batting a 1000 at this house (lots of ball players here :)). Thanks for all the time you put into each post….Each recipe has accompanied me on the counter on the iPad and Cooking Classy is now my best friend in the kitchen.
Thanks! December 26, 2013 at 2:02pm
Jaclyn: I’m so happy to hear you’ve enjoyed my site Kathryn!! Thanks so much for letting me know :). January 12, 2014 at 9:11pm
janet: Can these be baked vs. fried?
Thanks, Janet March 29, 2014 at 6:24am
Jaclyn: Yes, if you read the post above (the paragraphs between photos) it will mention how to do that. Hope you love them! March 29, 2014 at 9:30am
chelsea: How do you make your guacamole? It looks fantastic! March 30, 2014 at 12:59pm
Jaclyn: Here is the link to the recipe: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/06/guacamole/ March 30, 2014 at 10:57pm
Amber: Best Chimichangas ever!! Have been loving your recipes. Wish you had a cookbook :-) January 5, 2015 at 6:59pm
jamie: Have you ever tried to make them ahead of time up to the point of frying and then just fry them later? i’m debating it but i didn’t know if it’d end in disaster!!! June 3, 2015 at 12:09pm
Jaclyn: Yes I always do that with chimichangas, not these specifically but it shouldn’t be a problem at all. June 3, 2015 at 9:46pm
Tayla: These look delicious! When you make them in advance, do you freeze them, or just make them like a day or 2 ahead and leave them in the fridge till ready to cook? September 29, 2016 at 12:13pm
Monique: Jaclyn – I made these last weekend and although they weren’t the prettiest looking meal (it was my first time frying…I will get better!), these were absolutely divine. And they even tasted better as left overs! Thank you for such a delicious recipe. My family really enjoyed this one! January 15, 2016 at 7:12pm