Beef Chimichanga

Restaurant style beef chimichanga filled with ground beef and beans cooked in a flavorful sauce. These chimichangas are pan fried, giving them the perfect finish.

Perfect for dinner when you're craving your favorite Mexican food!

What is a chimichanga?

If you've never had a chimichanga, then you're in for a treat! When I was a kid, a chimichanga was my go-to entree whenever we ate at a Mexican restaurant. I still order them today!

A chimichanga is a flour tortilla wrapped around a flavorful filling usually consisting of meat, beans, a tasty sauce and a bit of cheese. Everything is deep fried giving it a delicious crunch.

It's really a deep fried burrito, but saying chimichanga is so much more fun!

These beef chimichangas are filled with ground beef. Although if you live in a hunting family like me, ground elk or venison works too!

Key ingredients

• Flour tortillas - get burrito sized tortillas. The bigger the better!
• Ground burger - beef, elk or venison
• Pinto beans - I used my home canned beans, but a store bought can of beans works fine too!
• Taco seasoning
• Tomato sauce
• Onion
• Cilantro
• Shredded cheese - Mexican cheese blend, cheddar or monterey jack

Step by step directions

• Brown burger in a large pan.
• When burger is mostly browned, add onions and saute. Continue cooking until onions are soft and meat is cooked through. If you have any grease from the burger, strain off. Remove from heat.
• Add tomato sauce and taco seasoning.

• Strain pinto beans, removing any liquid and add to pan. Smash a few of the beans while mixing in.
• Allow mixture to cool, just slightly and then add cheese and freshly chopped cilantro.

• Place about ½ cup of filling on a tortilla. Fold up bottom of tortilla over the filling.

• Fold in each side and roll tortilla forward creating a little packet. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the seam side down.
• Repeat with remaining tortillas

• Place 1 inch of oil in a heavy skillet and heat over medium heat until temperature reaches 365°F - 370°F.
• Use tongs to carefully place one filled tortilla in the pan. Hold chimichanga with tongs to prevent tortilla from unrolling. Cook all sides until golden.
  • Toothpicks can also be inserted in uncooked chimichangas to hold tortillas in place.
• Place cooked chimichanga on a baking tray lined with a rack and place in a 300°F oven.

• Continue cooking remaining chimichangas.
• Leave cooked chimichangas in oven for at least 10 minutes or until they are heated through (internal temperature of 165°F).
• Serve hot with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and freshly chopped tomatoes and onions.

Recipe tips

• The amount of oil used will vary depending on the size of your pan. You want a ½ inch to 1 inch of oil in your pan.
• Monitor the temperature of your oil and keep it between 365-370°F.
• The chimichangas want to unfold when placed in the hot oil. In order to keep their shape either place two toothpicks in the chimichangas before frying or hold the chimis in place with a pair of tongs while cooking.
• Cook just 1-2 chimichangas at a time.
• Keep your fried chimichangas on a baking rack in a 300°F oven. This helps keep the tortilla crispy, but also makes certain the internal temperature of the filling becomes hot (165°F).

Serving suggestions

• Toppings
  • Guacamole
  • Salsa
  • Sour Cream
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
• Side dishes
  • Cilantro lime rice
  • Refried beans
  • Southwestern quinoa salad

More delicious Mexican dishes

• Chile relleno casserole
• Beef enchilada casserole
• Black bean flautas
• Baked chicken taquitos
• Quinoa enchiladas
• Green chile chicken enchiladas
• Green chile chicken and rice

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Be certain to check out all my main dish recipes.

Beef Chimichanga

Kathy

Deep fried flour tortilla filled with a beef and bean filling

5 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 8 chimichangas

Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Instant Read Thermometer
• ▢
  Measuring Cups
• ▢
  Measuring Spoons

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound ground burger (beef, elk, venison)
• ▢ ½ cup onions (finely diced)
• ▢ ½ cup tomato sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• ▢ 1 15 ounce can pinto beans (about 2 cups)
• ▢ 1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese (or cheddar)
• ▢ ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
• ▢ 8 flour tortillas (10-12 inches)
• ▢ vegetable oil for frying

Toppings

• ▢ ½ cup guacamole
• ▢ ½ cup sour cream
• ▢ ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped onions

Instructions

 

• Brown burger in a large pan.
  1 pound ground burger
• When burger is mostly browned, add onions and saute. Continue cooking until onions are soft and meat is cooked through. If you have any grease from the burger, strain off. Remove from heat.
  ½ cup onions
• Add tomato sauce and taco seasoning.
  2 tablespoons taco seasoning, ½ cup tomato sauce
• Strain pinto beans, removing any liquid and add to pan. Smash some of the beans while mixing in.
  1 15 ounce can pinto beans
• Allow mixture to cool, just slightly and then add cheese and freshly chopped cilantro.
  1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese, ¼ cup cilantro
• Place about ½ cup of filling on a tortilla. Fold up bottom of tortilla over the filling.
  8 flour tortillas
• Fold in each side and roll tortilla forward creating a little packet. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the seam side down.
• Repeat with remaining tortillas
• Place ½- 1 inch of oil in a heavy skillet and heat over medium heat until temperature reaches 365°F - 370°F.
• Use tongs to carefully place one filled tortilla in the pan. Hold chimichanga with tongs to prevent tortilla from unrolling. Toothpicks can also be inserted in uncooked chimichangas to hold tortillas in place.

  Cook all sides until golden.
• Place cooked chimichanga on a baking tray lined with a rack and place in a 300°F oven.
• Continue cooking remaining chimichangas.
• Leave cooked chimichangas in oven for at least 10 minutes or until they are heated through.
• Serve hot with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and freshly chopped tomatoes and onions.

Notes

• The amount of oil used will vary depending on the size of your pan. You want a ½ inch to 1 inch of oil in your pan.
• Monitor the temperature of your oil and keep it between 365-370°F.
• The chimichangas want to unfold when placed in the hot oil. In order to keep their shape either place two toothpicks in the chimichangas before frying or hold the chimis in place with a pair of tongs while cooking.
• Cook just 1-2 chimichangas at a time.
• Keep your fried chimichangas on a baking rack in a 300°F oven. This helps keep the tortilla crispy, but also makes certain the internal temperature of the filling becomes hot (165°F).

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1chimichangaCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 16gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 423mgPotassium: 350mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 315IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 171mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Beef and Bean Chimichanga, Fried Burrito

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