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Chicken Chimichangas

Chicken chimichangas with a crispy fried shell filled with seasoned shredded chicken, Mexican rice, black beans, and melted Monterey Jack. Shatteringly golden on the outside and packed with Tex-Mex flavor, served with sour cream and guacamole.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and filling
  • 3 cups cooked chicken shredded
  • 1 cup Mexican rice cooked
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 0.5 cup salsa
  • 1.5 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Chimichangas
  • 4 12-inch flour tortillas large
  • 1 vegetable oil for frying (about 2 inches)
Serving
  • 1 sour cream for serving
  • 1 guacamole for serving
  • 1 pico de gallo for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the seasoned chicken filling
  1. Mix the shredded cooked chicken, taco seasoning, and salsa until well combined, so every bite is evenly coated and moist.
Assemble the chimichangas
  1. Lay the flour tortillas flat and pile Mexican rice, black beans, seasoned chicken, and Monterey Jack cheese in the center of each tortilla.
  2. Fold the sides in and roll tightly like a burrito, then secure each roll with a toothpick to hold the seam closed during cooking.
Fry until crisp (or bake)
  1. Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep skillet to 375°F.
  2. Fry the chimichangas seam-side down for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp on that first face.
  3. Turn and fry another 2-3 minutes until all sides are golden and crispy.
  4. Drain the fried chimichangas on paper towels to remove excess oil and keep the shell shatteringly crisp.
  5. Alternatively, brush the chimichangas with oil and bake at 425°F for 20-22 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp.
Serve
  1. Remove the toothpicks and serve the chimichangas with sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo.

Notes

For extra crunch, keep the seam-side down during the first fry so the edge sets before flipping. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat in a 425°F oven until hot and crisp again. Freezing is not recommended because the fried shell softens when thawed. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat Monterey Jack and swap part of the cheese for shredded lettuce in the filling for lower fat while keeping the Tex-Mex filling intact.