Baked Chicken Chimichangas

How to make Baked Chicken Chimichangas

I used a recipe posted a while back for inspiration and made these my way. I was really impressed they turned out so good in the oven! Really nice and crispy.. I have always deep fried them. I will definitely keep baking

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken breasts*

Vegetable oil for frying, plus 2 tsp for sautéing

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 cup salsa** (bottled or fresh)

2 Tbsp sour cream, plus more for topping

1 3/4 cups refried beans, homemade or store bought*

6 burrito size flour tortillas

5 oz shredded Mexican cheese blend (1 1/4 cups)***

Guacamole and diced tomatoes, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Heat 2 tsp oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add onion and saute until slightly golden and tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.

Add in tomato sauce, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander and salsa. Bring just to a bubble, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently until sauce has thickened and reduced by about half and onions are tender, about 6 minutes.

eason with salt and pepper to taste, stir in sour cream and toss in chicken.

Spread a lightly heaping 1/4 cup refried beans onto the center of each tortilla, leaving about a 2 1/2-inch border to the edge of tortilla.

Layer with each with 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture and top with 3 Tbsp shredded cheese. Fold the sides in then snuggly fold bottom side up and roll to wrap, fasten end with toothpicks.

Fill a pot with about 1-inch of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat to 360 – 365 degrees. Once oil is hot , add two filled tortillas and fry until golden brown on bottom then using metal tongs, carefully rotate to opposite side and cook until golden brown on opposite side.

Remove and drain on paper towels, remove toothpicks. Repeat frying in two more batches with remaining chimichangas.

Serve warm topped with guacamole, diced tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, salsa or hot sauce.

Notes

*I like to use a large rotisserie chicken but you can also start with 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts and cook then shred.

**If using canned salsa, I’d highly recommend stirring in a few tablespoons of water to thin them out. I used homemade but canned works fine too.

***I just used half monterey jack and half cheddar, but a pre-shredded Mexican blend works fine too.

Nutritional estimate does not include toppings.