Chicken Chimichangas Recipe

4.74 from 38 votes

These baked chicken chimichangas are so crispy and delicious! They're easy to make, so you can have a great Tex-Mex dinner any time. Everyone will love these homemade chimichangas, especially if you top them with cheese sauce!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: people

Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

½ cup canola oil divided
¼ cup unsalted butter, divided (4 tbsp)
½ medium yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
4 cups pulled chopped or cubed cooked chicken (rotisserie works well)
½ can Rotel-style tomatoes & juice (5 oz.)
juice of 1 medium lime divided
1 can black bean drained
2 cups shredded Mexican-style or Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups cooked Mexican or white rice optional
6 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter
8 soft flour tortillas (10-inch)
queso cheese dip

Toppings & Sides for Serving:

pico de gallo
refried beans
Mexican rice
sour cream
sliced jalapenos
shredded lettuce
tortilla chips
salsa
lime wedges

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450°F.
Sauté diced onion in 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter, over medium heat until translucent (about 4 minutes). Add minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir, set heat to low, and cook 30 seconds, stirring often.
½ cup canola oil, ¼ cup unsalted butter, divided, ½ medium yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper
Add chicken and tomatoes. Stir and cook until liquid evaporates, about 1 minute.
4 cups pulled chopped or cubed cooked chicken, ½ can Rotel-style tomatoes & juice
Add juice of ½ lime and beans, stir and cook until beans are heated through.
juice of 1 medium lime, 1 can black bean
In a small microwave-safe dish, heat 3 tbsp butter and 6 tbsp canola oil until butter is melted. Stir well.
Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1/3 of the butter/oil mixture and set it in the oven for 2 minutes.
6 tbsp canola oil, 3 tbsp unsalted butter
Spread 1 tbsp queso cheese in the center of a tortilla. Add ½ cup chicken/bean mixture and 2 tbsp Mexican rice. Top with 2 tbsp shredded cheese. Fold the sides and one end of the tortilla over the filling and roll it up to the other end.
2 cups shredded Mexican-style or Monterey Jack cheese, 2 cups cooked Mexican or white rice
Brush the baking pan again with the oil and butter mixture.
Press the filled tortilla down a little and place it seam-side down on the hot sheet pan. Repeat the process with all tortillas.
8 soft flour tortillas
Brush the tops of the chimichangas with the melted butter/oil mixture and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and flip the chimichangas over. Brush the seam side with melted butter/oil and bake an additional 8-10 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Turn off the oven and remove the chimichangas from the oven.
If desired, spread 2 tbsp queso cheese on top of each chimichanga and return them to the oven just to melt the cheese a little.
queso cheese dip
Serve chimichangas with Mexican rice, beans, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, sour cream, tortilla chips & salsa—whatever Mexican side dishes you love.
pico de gallo, refried beans, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, shredded lettuce, tortilla chips, salsa, lime wedges

Video

Notes

Do not overfill, or it will be tough to fold the tortillas. Using 10-inch tortillas and the ingredient measurements listed in the recipe card will help to avoid any filling spilling out.

Nutrition