Chicken Chimichangas (BAKED)

Chicken Chimichangas Baked or Pan-fried is a drool-worthy Mexican dinner recipe where shredded chicken tossed is in Creamy, Cheesy, and finger-licking Mexican filling with homemade refried beans and Salsa.

Then it's wrapped in soft but crispy tortillas, like a burrito. You can bake or pan fry them. And, these are sure to be a family favorite meal. 

Did you try these Cherry Lemon Cheesecake Chimichangas or these delicious Mango Cheesecake Chimichangas?? They are too tasty to miss out on!

Chicken Chimichanga Recipe with Cream Cheese is something that you will definitely love because it is creamy, smooth, and filling.

In my family, everyone LOVES Chicken Chimichangas. So much so that they have requested me to officially add it to my weekly dinner rotation.

Whether you make Baked Chicken Chimichangas or deep-fried, you are definitely gonna enjoy this. It's so juicy, creamy, cheesy, and brimming with unimaginably delicious flavors.

Chimichanga Chicken and Cheese is a combination that will stick in your brain. Soft but crispy tortillas wrapped around a creamy, juicy chimichanga filling tastes absolutely delicious.

I have used Colby Jack Cheese here. But, it tastes so good with Monterey Jack or Three Cheese Mexican Blend or any other Mexican Cheese that you like.

What is a Chimichangas?

Chimichangas are burritos that have been deep-fried or baked. Mexican food is one of the best in the world. The spice, the heat, the variety, the cheese mmm!

Traditionally Chimichangas are made with beef. But, these days you can find so many varieties of chimichangas. Chicken, Beef, Pork, you name it!

Making Chimichangas is just as easy as making a burrito. You take a tortilla. Place the filling. Fold it from the sides and roll them up from the bottom.

Ideally, it should be deep-fried in hot oil. But these days people hate fried foods. So, people prefer baked or pan-fried versions. Anyway, it tastes absolutely delicious.

It is served with Salsa, Guacamole, Pico De Gallo, Queso Blanco, Shredded Lettuce, diced tomatoes, taco sauce and etc.

Authentic Chicken Chimichangas

If you want to make Authentic Chicken Chimichangas then you've got to use Cotija Cheese.

You can also use three cheese Mexican Blend. But, you cannot underestimate the true blue Mexican flavors. Ground Cumin, Chili Powder, and Cotija Cheese... super-flavorful combination.

Chicken Chimichanga Ingredients

• Shredded Chicken - Cooked Shredded Chicken is ideal for this recipe. If it contains salt, then skip the salt in the recipe.
• Cream Cheese - Cream Cheese adds a creamy texture to these chimichangas.
• Salsa - You can make your own salsa or you can use store-bought salsa.
• Colby Jack Cheese - You are free to use any variety of cheese you want. Mexican Three Cheese Blend works really well.
• Cumin - Ground Cumin adds a good earthy texture to the chimichangas.
• Chili Powder - Chili Powder adds color and makes it taste amazing.
• Salt - Make sure your cooked chicken doesn't have salt in it. Or else your chimichangas will be salty.
• Tomato Sauce - I love the addition of Tomato Sauce to give it a nice texture and taste.
• Dried Oregano - Just a tad bit of Dried Oregano works really well.
• Refried Beans - Some Refried Beans are a MUST for Chicken Chimichangas Recipe. It adds a beautiful nutty taste to the recipe.

How to Make Chicken Chimichangas?

Chicken Chimichanga Recipe is literally one of the easiest recipes in this world.

It's so easy that even a 10-year old can make it.

I made them with my 10-year old niece and she was overjoyed to be a part of the entire process.

Kids love to work in kitchen. And with just a little nudge in the right direction, who knows, may be they'll be able to create culinary masterpieces on their own!!! 😂 I went say too far with that. Didn't I?

Most importantly, since there is no frying involved it is safe for kids to make these chimichangas.

STEP 1: Make the Chicken Chimichanga filling

• In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine, shredded chicken, cream cheese, salsa, Colby Jack Cheese, Cumin, Chili Powder, Salt, Tomato Sauce, and Dried Oregano.

STEP 2: Assemble Chimichangas

• Take a burrito-sized tortilla. Spoon 2 tablespoons of refried beans at the center of the tortilla. Place the chicken mixture in the center. Fold from the sides. Roll them up from the bottom.

STEP 3: Bake or Pan Fry

• Place them seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush olive oil or melted butter or cooking spray on each of them. Bake at 400°F for 20-minutes or until golden brown.

How many calories are there in a Chimichanga with Chicken?

Wondering how many carbs are there in Chicken Chimichanga? Well, this recipe is quite high in terms of calories.

Each Chimichanga is approximately 723 Kcal.

However, if you want you can reduce the calories by using low-calorie tortilla wraps.

Can these be made ahead of time and Frozen?

Yes! Absolutely. These delicious chimichangas can be easily made ahead of time. And you can also bake Frozen Chicken Chimichangas.

• You can make the filling and wrap your mixing bowl with plastic wrap. Place it in the freezer. Before making, make sure you thaw the filling in the refrigerator overnight.
• You can assemble the chimichangas as stated in the recipe and then you can wrap each of them individually in plastic wrap. Place them in a ziplock bag or freezer bag. Place them in the freezer. They'll stay perfectly fine for up to 3-months if stored properly.
• Serve: Once you are ready to bake, place them in the oven at 400°F for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown on top.

How to Store Leftovers

If you are fortunate enough to have some delicious leftovers then go ahead and save them for another day. This is how you store the leftovers.

• Wrap each of your Chimichangas in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate - You can refrigerate them for up to 3-4 days.
• Freeze - You can freeze them for up to 2-3 months.
• Reheating - Once you are ready to eat, make sure you reheat it. If it has been refrigerated then reheat for 30-seconds to 1-minute. If it has been frozen, then keep it in a 350°F oven for 10-minutes.

Other Possible Alternatives

• Beef - If you hate chicken and would like something else, then beef would be an excellent alternative.
• Pork - If you don't like chicken you can use shredded pork as well.
• Three Cheese Mexican Blend - If you don't like Colby jack then feel free to use The Three Cheese Mexican blend.
• Queso Blanco - You can serve them with Queso Blanco, Salsa, with some sliced avocados.
• Shredded lettuce - If you hate cilantro or parsley then you can use shredded lettuce instead.
• Butter - Instead of brushing the tops of chimichangas with Oil you can use melted butter for a buttery taste.
• Roasted Red Pepper -  If you are not a fan of Salsa, you can replace it with roasted red pepper.

What Do I Serve these with

These recipes make an excellent accompaniment with Baked Chicken Chimichangas. Check them out below.

• Mexican Cauliflower Rice (Low Carb)
• Shrimp Fried Rice
• Roasted Tomato Salsa
• Grilled Corn and Mango Salsa
• Sour Cream - Chicken Chimichangas with Sour Cream Sauce is another popular combination that you MUST try.
• Pico De Gallo
• Mexican Green Sauce - Chicken Chimichangas with Mexican Green Sauce or Authentic Salsa Verde is so tasty.

Other Mexican Recipes you can try:

• Honey Chipotle Chicken Tacos
• Chicken Carnitas Recipe or Mexican Shredded Chicken Taco Recipe
• Queso Mexican Dip (White Mexican Cheese Dip)
• Salsa Chicken Meatballs or Mexican Chicken Meatballs
• Buffalo Chickpea Quesadillas with Mexican Cheese Sauce
• Mexican Corn Salad Recipe with Cilantro Lime Dressing
• Baked Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos

If you like this recipe then please leave a rating below. Also, take a snap and share it on Instagram with #recipemagik. Tag me @recipemagik so that I can see how it turned out.