Quick Chimichanga Recipe - Deep fried burritos filled with ground chicken, beans, rice and cheese.


Here is my quick version of chimichanga you can put together in under 30 minutes. We had Mexican food over the weekend. This meant I bought a pack of tortillas from Costco. Now I realize it was an impulsive decision and I have to use them all up before they go bad :( 


Yesterday, I cut up the tortillas into quarters and made pooris, the Indian deep fried flat bread. Today I made burritos and chimichangas for dinner. These are easy to put together and are very filling. It helps if you have taco seasoning and canned beans in your pantry as well. 


Traditionally, a chimichanga is filled with a combination of rice, beans, meat and cheese, similar to a burrito - then they are either baked or deep fried. 

Recipe: Serves 4

For the ground meat 

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 1 Tbsp taco seasoning
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Directions

  1. In a pan or griddle on medium heat, add oil and let it smoke. Sauté onions and garlic until brown. 
  2. Add ground chicken and sauté  until browned. Season with salt, sugar and taco seasoning. 
  3. Once aromatic, add tomatoes. 
  4. Cook until the chicken has reduced water content is dry. Set aside. 

For the burritos

  • Cooked ground chicken
  • 4-6 flour tortillas, 5 inch diameter, store bought or homemade
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 1 colored pepper, diced
  • 1 cup day old rice
  • 1 cup canned red beans, drained and washed in cold water
  • 1 tsp taco seasoning
  • 1 cup grated cheese of your choice
  • 2 tsp all purpose flour mixed with a few spoons of water to make a runny paste to make edible glue
  • 3 cups vegetable oil, if deep frying

Directions

  1. In a shallow pan on medium heat, add a spoon of oil. Add in a few spoons of diced onion and sauté.
  2. To this add taco seasoning and rice. Combine well. To this, add beans. Stir and set aside. 
  3. Set a pan and add oil to deep fry. Set it on medium heat. As it begins to smoke, lower the temperature and let it stay turned on. 
  4. While the oil heats up, prep the burritos. 
  5. Set all the chopped veggies, ground meat, rice and beans, cheese and tortillas handy on the counter in an assembly line. 
  6. Start with a base of tortilla. Add a spoonful of rice and beans, then ground meat, onions and peppers, and finally a spoonful of cheese. If you have large tortillas, you can go big on the stuffing. 
  7. Cover this heap on both sides by wrapping it with 2 edges of the tortilla, then carefully envelope the top and roll it down to the edge. Use a tiny dollop of edible glue ( flour and water mix mentioned in the ingredients) to seal the corner edges. Set aside and assemble the next one. Once all 4 or 6 burritos are prepped and wrapped, its time to deep fry them. 
  8. The oil should be smoking by now, lower the temperature from medium to low. 
  9. Carefully immerse the burritos into the hot oil and gently toss and turn it to golden color on all sides. 
  10. Drain and remove on to.a paper towel. serve with sour cream or taco sauce. Enjoy!
  11. PS: If baking, lightly brush the tortillas with a little oil, set on a baking tray and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes rotating them half way so they get crunchy on both sides.