These easy cheesy chicken chimichangas come together in 15-20 minutes and make the perfect leftovers to freeze or refrigerate. Plus, they're super customizable!
2boneless skinless chicken breastscut into small bite-sized pieces
1Tablespoongarlic saltdivided
2teaspoonsblack pepperdivided
1/2cuprefried beans
2Tablespoonssoy sauce
1Tablespoonolive oil
1/4cupchopped onions
1/4cupchopped green pepper
7flour taco tortillas7-inch diameter
3/4cupshredded cheddar cheeseor Colby Jack
vegetable oilfor frying
Instructions
Season chicken breast chunks with half of the garlic salt and half of the black pepper. Set aside.
Add refried beans to a medium saucepan and season with remaining garlic salt and black pepper. Add soy sauce. Stir or whisk together and heat over medium-high for a few minutes, just to loosen up the beans. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped onions and green pepper, stirring together, add chicken chunks. Saute until onion is translucent and chicken is no longer pink. Remove from heat.
For each tortilla, spread refried bean mixture onto the center then sprinkle with shredded cheese and top with a handful of the chicken mixture.Do not overstuff the tortillas or you won’t be able to roll them properly.
Lift and fold the sides of the tortilla in toward the center. Holding those folds in place, fold the bottom of the tortilla up and over the sides. Roll toward the top of the tortilla until completely closed, keeping seam at the bottom.Try to roll the tortilla as tight as possible so oil doesn’t get inside when it fries.
In a large heavy bottomed skillet, heat enough vegetable oil to come about 1-inch or so up the sides of the pan. Heat oil over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking.
Using a spatula, carefully lower each rolled tortilla, seam side down, into the hot oil. Allow to cook for 2 minutes, or until nicely browned. Using tongs, carefully turn tortillas over and cook another 2 minutes or until nicely browned.
Remove to paper towel lined plate to drain.
Notes
Having the tortillas at room temperature will make them easier to handle, fold, and roll.
We opted to cube our chicken, but you can shed it if that's what you prefer. You can easily substitute the kind of meat you use in this recipe. Beef barbacoa, carne asada, or pork are equally as delicious.
Store leftover chimichangas in an air-tight container or wrapped with aluminum foil in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a 350F oven for 15 minutes or until warmed through. You can also use the reheat function on the air fryer.
To freeze, wrap the cooled chimichangas a few times in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil then place them in a large ziptop bag labeled with the date. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the air fryer (using the reheat function) or in the oven set to 350F for around 15 minutes or until warmed through.