Mandarin cider served in a glass Holiday Mandarin Mulled Cider BBQ sauce Diavola pizza served Spicy BBQ Diavola Pizza Warm Bagna Cauda dip served in a fondue pot with fresh vegetables Classic Bagna Cauda with Winter Crudités Blueberry pretzel plated Soft Blueberry Pretzels with Cinnamon Sugar Savory meat and vegetable biscuits served Savory Meat and Vegetable Stuffed Biscuits Alboronía with pumpkin, eggplant and fresh cilantro served Spanish Pumpkin and Eggplant Stew (Alboronía) Slice of Fainá chickpea flatbread with tomato sauce Chickpea Flatbread with Tomato Sauce (Fainá) Elote with Sour Cream - fresh corn served with sour cream, cheese, and spicy paprika Classic Sour Cream Elote Zucchini fritters with tahini sauce Zucchini Fritters with Lemony Tahini Dip Chestnut Zongzi served on a plate Sweet Chestnut Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi) Kohlrabi calzone Roasted Kohlrabi & Mozzarella Calzone Sausage burger with cheese and vegetables Hungarian Style Pork & Sausage Burger Fig stuffed naan bread served Fig-Stuffed Naan Bread Gingerbread Waffles with orange zest Gingerbread Spiced Waffles White pizza with creamy cheese topping Extra Creamy White Pizza with Ricotta and Mascarpone Orange cider served in a glass Warm Spiced Orange Cider Beet and Leek Wrap with Peanut Butter Beet and Leek Whole Wheat Wraps with Peanut Butter Chicken Arroz Caldo served with hard-boiled eggs, scallions, and fried garlic Chicken Arroz Caldo with Hard-Boiled Eggs Greek baked giant beans served with whole wheat toast Rustic Greek Baked Beans with Whole Wheat Toast Fish pie with cauliflower mash, golden brown creamy topping and fish filling Low-Carb Fish Pie with Cauliflower Mash Mandarin cider served in a glass Holiday Mandarin Mulled Cider BBQ sauce Diavola pizza served Spicy BBQ Diavola Pizza Warm Bagna Cauda dip served in a fondue pot with fresh vegetables Classic Bagna Cauda with Winter Crudités Blueberry pretzel plated Soft Blueberry Pretzels with Cinnamon Sugar Savory meat and vegetable biscuits served Savory Meat and Vegetable Stuffed Biscuits Alboronía with pumpkin, eggplant and fresh cilantro served Spanish Pumpkin and Eggplant Stew (Alboronía) Slice of Fainá chickpea flatbread with tomato sauce Chickpea Flatbread with Tomato Sauce (Fainá) Elote with Sour Cream - fresh corn served with sour cream, cheese, and spicy paprika Classic Sour Cream Elote Zucchini fritters with tahini sauce Zucchini Fritters with Lemony Tahini Dip Chestnut Zongzi served on a plate Sweet Chestnut Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi) Kohlrabi calzone Roasted Kohlrabi & Mozzarella Calzone Sausage burger with cheese and vegetables Hungarian Style Pork & Sausage Burger Fig stuffed naan bread served Fig-Stuffed Naan Bread Gingerbread Waffles with orange zest Gingerbread Spiced Waffles White pizza with creamy cheese topping Extra Creamy White Pizza with Ricotta and Mascarpone Orange cider served in a glass Warm Spiced Orange Cider Beet and Leek Wrap with Peanut Butter Beet and Leek Whole Wheat Wraps with Peanut Butter Chicken Arroz Caldo served with hard-boiled eggs, scallions, and fried garlic Chicken Arroz Caldo with Hard-Boiled Eggs Greek baked giant beans served with whole wheat toast Rustic Greek Baked Beans with Whole Wheat Toast Fish pie with cauliflower mash, golden brown creamy topping and fish filling Low-Carb Fish Pie with Cauliflower Mash
Crispy fried chimichanga filled with beef, rice, and cheese
Mexican fried burrito with rich filling

Beef and Cheese Chimichangas

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses Quick Meals
A chimichanga is essentially a burrito that decided to break the rules: a soft tortilla roll dropped into hot oil to gain a golden, crispy armor. Legend has it an Arizona cook accidentally dropped a burrito into a fryer and exclaimed 'chimichanga!' (a Spanish nonsense word). Crunchy on the outside, juicy and cheesy on the inside – it's texture heaven.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 20 mins
⌛ Total Time 40 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 850 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Deep pan or pot for frying
  • Skillet for filling
  • Toothpicks (to secure)
  • Tongs

Allergen Information

⚠️ Wheat
⚠️ Milk

Instructions

1 ✓

Make the filling: Sauté the chopped onion in a little oil, add the meat, and cook until browned. Season with the spice mix, salt, and pepper, then stir in the cooked rice and diced tomatoes.

Tip: Remove the tomato seeds so they don't make the filling soggy.
2 ✓

Warm the tortillas (microwave or pan) to make them pliable.

Tip: Cold tortillas crack when folded; warm ones are elastic.
3 ✓

Fill the tortillas with the beef-rice mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Fold in the sides and roll up tightly like a package.

Tip: Secure the seam with a toothpick to ensure it doesn't pop open in the hot oil.
4 ✓

Heat oil to approx. 350°F (180°C) in a deep pan. (Test with a scrap of dough; it should sizzle immediately).

Tip: You don't need deep frying; shallow frying (halfway up the sides) works if you flip it halfway.
5 ✓

Carefully lower the chimichangas into the oil (seam-side down first). Fry for 2-3 minutes per side until dark golden brown and crispy.

Tip: Don't overcrowd the pan, or the oil temp will drop, making them greasy.
6 ✓

Drain on paper towels. Serve with sour cream or salsa.

Tip: Let them cool slightly as the inside will be full of piping hot steam!

Recipe FAQ

The chimichanga opened while frying. How to prevent this?
Use toothpicks to seal it, or place it seam-side down in the oil first and hold it down for a few seconds until the dough seals.
It's oily instead of crispy. Why?
The oil was too cold. If the oil isn't hot enough, the dough soaks it up instead of crisping immediately.

Ingredients

  • 4 count Large Flour Tortillas
  • 1 lb Ground Beef
  • 1.5 cups Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
  • 1 count Onion
  • 2 count Tomatoes (seeded and diced)
  • 1 cup Cooked Rice
  • 2 cups Vegetable Oil (for frying)
  • 2 tbsp Burrito or Taco Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Ground Black Pepper