One of my husbands favorite Mexican dishes are Chimichangas. We were on vacation and he ordered one at a restaurant that was over the moon delicious. It was flavor packed, cheesy and served “wet” with a red sauce and melted cheese over the top.
Ever since then, whenever he orders a chimichanga, he’s been disappointed. We have never been to a restaurant again that could make a really good “wet” chimichanga that compares to that first one he enjoyed so much.
So my hunt began for a recipe that I could make at home. It had to be easy to make, flavorful, ultra cheesy and not greasy. Greasy chimichangas…NOT GOOD!!! I stumbled on this recipe at 77delicious.com and it inspired me to give making my own Chimichangas here at home. Thank you 77delichious for the inspiration to make this delightfully easy meal!!!
This recipe reminds me of the deep fried burritos that used to be on the DQ menu. Do any of you remember those? Do they still even offer them on their menu? They were filled primarily with refried beans and deep fried. Eating them with several packets of their taco sauce was a must! I’m guessing there are many of you out there that burned the roof of your mouth eating them? Good times 😂
This chimichanga has a similar flavor profile but it’s much cheesier and served “wet”, which just means that it’s served with a hot sauce over the top. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make and how tasty they were. It’s fried, what’s not to love about fried? With melty cheese on top. Oh my goodness…
I served them with my favorite recipe for Spanish rice to round out the meal. This meal was a slam dunk!
Here in California we are blessed to have access to some of the most delicious Mexican foods, but I know if other parts of the world, many of you may not be so lucky. For those of you that are not familiar with what a Chimichanga is, the best way to describe it is a deep fried burrito. This one is topped with a spicy red sauce, melted cheese and a dollop of creamy sour cream.
Start by making the filling. In a large skillet, brown 1 lb. ground beef and chopped onion and cook until onions are translucent and beef is cooked through.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Drain off excess fat.
Add chili powder, garlic powder and cumin.
Add ½ can (4 oz.) of tomato sauce.
Remove skillet from heat and stir in refried beans.
Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until everything is well combined.
Place about ½ cup of beef/bean/cheese mixture on a flour tortilla. Fold bottom of tortilla up, then fold sides in and roll tortilla to enclose the filling.
Secure with toothpicks to hold the rolls together.
TIP: Heat tortillas for about 10-15 seconds in the microwave to soften them so they don’t crack or tear when you are rolling the filling inside the flour tortillas.
Next it’s time to make the sauce. In a saucepan, combine remaining tomato sauce, diced green chilies, and diced jalapeños.
Cook on low heat until heated through.
While sauce simmers, set up a fry station.
In an electric skillet, heat about 1 inch of oil to 350°. When oil is hot fry each chimichanga until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Drain on paper towels and remove toothpicks.
To serve, place a chimichanga on an oven safe plate. Top with a ladle of sauce and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
Place plate under the broiler in the oven and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve chimichangas topped with a generous dollop of sour cream. Make it a complete meal and serve with a side of Spanish rice.
Beef & Cheese Chimichangas
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 16 oz refried beans
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 8 oz cans tomato sauce, divided
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 8 large flour tortillas, warmed
- 4 oz can diced green chilies
- 4 oz can diced jalapeños
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- Sour cream, to serve
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Drain off excess fat.
- Remove skillet from heat and stir in refried beans, ½ can of tomato sauce, 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, chili powder, garlic powder and cumin.
- Place about ½ cup of beef/bean/cheese mixture on a flour tortilla. Fold bottom up, then fold sides in and roll tortilla to enclose the filling. Secure with toothpicks to hold the rolls together.
For the Sauce:
- In a saucepan, combine remaining tomato sauce, diced green chilies, and diced jalapeños. Cook on low heat until heated through.
- In an electric skillet, heat about 1 inch of oil to 350°.
- When oil is hot fry each chimichanga until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Drain on paper towels and remove toothpicks.
- To serve, place chimichanga on an oven safe plate. Top with sauce and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
- Place plate under the broiler in the oven and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve chimichangas topped with a generous dollop of sour cream.
Did You Make This?
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