Easy Baked Beef Chimichanga Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What meat is traditionally in a chimichanga? ›

Sonoran-style chimichangas: These are the most well-known type of chimichanga and are said to have originated in Tucson, Arizona. They are typically made with a flour tortilla filled with shredded beef or chicken, beans, and cheese, and then fried until crispy.

Chimichanga is a Mexican appetizer or entre that includes a tortilla filled with a meat or bean mixture, typically deep fried to make it crispy on the outside. Chimichangas are basically deep-fried burritos. They're usually served topped with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole, and a side of Mexican rice.

The most obvious difference between chimichangas and burritos is that the former is deep-fried, but there are some other differences, too. Burritos come from Mexico rather than the United States, and often contain more filling than chimichangas.

While historians agree that the chimichanga is not an authentic Mexican food, the exact location of its origin is disputed.

1922), accidentally dropped a burrito into the deep-fat fryer in the early 1950s. She immediately began to utter a Spanish profanity beginning "chi..." (chingada), but quickly stopped herself and instead exclaimed chimichanga, a Spanish equivalent of "thingamajig".

Traditionally, a chimichanga is filled with a combination of rice, beans, meat and cheese, similar to a burrito. You can opt for seasoned Mexican-style rice or yellow rice or even plain white rice. As for the beans, refried beans, black beans or pinto beans are traditional.

Chimichanga conundrum

Chimichangas invariably fall into two basic categories: dry and wet. The former is crisply fried, topped with sour cream and guacamole and perhaps a little cheese. The latter is smothered with a sauce or salsa.

First recorded in 1950–55; from Mexican Spanish (Veracruz, Tabasco) chimichanga, chivichanga “trinket, trifle,” of uncertain origin.

Directions. Combine 2 cups fresh parsley, 1 cup fresh cilantro, 1 large jalapeno (seeded and chopped), 3 garlic cloves and 1/2 to 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar in a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise and pulse several times to incorporate. Season with salt.

Do you eat chimichangas with a fork? ›

In fact, the allure to a Chimichanga is the fact that you can pick one up and eat it without a fork and knife, anywhere you want. It's one of those comfort foods that everyone can enjoy without making a huge mess.

Worst: Chimichanga

The dish has more than 1,500 calories and 93 grams of fat. Factor in toppings like guacamole and sour cream, and you'll get most of your day's calories and sodium in one meal.

Deep fry chimichangas until golden brown. (Alternatively, you can skip the deep frying step altogether by arranging the chimichanga packets on a baking sheet and bake until cheese melts and tortillas begin to firm up, about 5 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degrees F oven.)

However, there are a few key differences between the two: Size: Chimichangas are typically larger and thicker than flautas. Chimichangas are made by rolling a filling inside a larger tortilla, while flautas are made with smaller tortillas. Shape: Chimichangas are round and puffed up, while flautas are long and thin.

A Chimichanga is not necessarily traditional Mexican food, but more of an American-Mexican fusion that started most likely in Southern Arizona in the Sonora region. A Chimichanga is simply a fried burrito.