I love baked Chicken Chimichangas and I am sure you will love this recipe. The outside shell is crunchy and tastes just as good as the traditional fried shell. They are healthier, easier, and just wicked good eats.
On the inside, we’ve got some shredded chicken and spices, chopped tomato, black beans, sweet corn, and cheese to fill you up and make your taste buds do a happy dance.
On the outside, we’ve got some guacamole, lettuce, more chopped tomato, cilantro, and of course, more cheese. You just can’t go wrong here.
On the side, we’ve got some refried beans with a pinch of chili powder mixed in for some zest covered in melted cheese with some Spanish rice on the other side.
Chicken Chimichangas with White Cheese Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Chimichanga
- 2 cups Chicken shredded
- 2 tbsp Oil
- ½ cup Onion chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Ground Cumin
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 pinch Cayenne
- 1 cup Black Beans
- 1 cup Sweet Corn
- 1 Tomato chopped
- 1 handful Cilantro chopped
- 5 tbsp Butter divided
- 4 Flour Tortillas
White Sauce
- 2 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup Half and Half
- 1 tbsp Flour
Toppings and Sides
- Guacamole to top
- Cilantro to top
- Chopped lettuce to top
- Refried beans on the side
- Spanish rice on the side
Instructions
Chimichanga
- Cook chicken in skillet until juices run clear or just use rotisserie chicken and tear up the chicken into small pieces.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook for an additional minute,
- Add in the chicken, spices, sweet corn, and black beans. Cook for a minute.
- Add in the tomato and cilantro. Stir well to combine and cook for a minute more, or until warmed through. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Scoop about 3/4 cup worth of the chicken and bean mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese each. Brush the outside of the tortilla with butter and fold the tortilla. To fold, bring in both sides, then bring the bottom upward, and then turn the whole chimichanga over, longways, to fold over the remaining top side. Move to a prepared baking sheet. Brush each chimichanga with the melted butter.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and butter the other side of the chimichangas. Bake for another 8 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
White Sauce
- While the chimichangas bake, combine the Half and Half with the flour in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and microwave for 2 minutes.
- Stir well and add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese.
- Stir again and microwave for another minute. The cheese should be melted now. Stir until completely smooth. If your sauce is too runny, give it a few minutes to cool and it will thicken up.
- Serve the chimichangas with cheese sauce, guacamole, cilantro, and chopped tomato with refried beans and Spanish rice on the side.
What Are Chicken Chimichangas?
A Chimichanga is a deep-fried burrito that is common in Tex-Mex and other Southwestern U.S. cuisine. The dish is typically prepared by filling a flour tortilla with various ingredients. The most common ingredients are rice, cheese, beans, and meat such as machaca (dried meat), carne adobada (marinated meat), carne seca (dried beef), or shredded chicken. The ingredients are folded into a rectangular package. It is then deep-fried. It can be accompanied by salsa, guacamole, sour cream, or carne asada.