Deep Fried Chimichangas

Thursday, May 5, 2011
Deep-Fried Chimichangas are as much fun to make as they are to eat with a crispy deep-fried flour-filled torilla everyone loves this alternative for a nice change with the American Mexican flair!


I love filling them with leftover meats like pulled shredded pork, leftover turkey or chicken, or cooked chopped beef, anything can go in these you like!


Our recipe is also adapted for air frying, or baking also for an easier healthy alternative!


I usually love to make my own homemade Enchiladas Sauce for these also, to pour on top it's a favorite fresh sauce instead of the taco sauce we like!


Scroll down to my recipe card for all these great ideas!


this is a mexican chimichanga filled with meat and cheese with sour cream and enchiladas sauce






Great Anytime



Chimichangas are the easiest fillings to make from sweet to savory for any weeknight or weekend meal. .


They're perfect for hosting a dinner party and also set up a topping bar for folks to build their own.


The use of leftovers makes them economical and I just love repurposing leftovers for these filling ideas!


These little tortilla-filled bundles are crispy and delicious and we just love our flavorful Spanish Rice as a side dish alongside of these.


stuffed flour tortillas ready to fry


Ingredients to keep on hand


  • beef ground
  • cumin
  • chili powder
  • olive oil
  • flour tortilla
  • oil for frying
  • flour tortilla
  • Options: cooked meats IE ham, pepperoni, cooked bacon, canned meats of any kind leftover, tuna, boiled boneless chicken, or rotisserie chicken off the bone
  • shredded or sliced cheeses of any kinds
  • salad dressings, sour cream, taco sauce, marinara sauce, buffalo chicken sauce, barbecue sauce
  • shredded lettuce
  • chopped tomatoes, peppers, olives, or other raw vegetables you like for garnish
  • leftovers IE: chili, stews, leftover rotisserie chicken, and/or (cooked beef, pulled pork, burgers, hotdogs, etc) or anything that can be used as a filling




These are flour tortilla with various fillings of chili, ham, eggs and cheeses





Toppings


  1.  lettuce
  2. tomato
  3. sour cream
  4. jalapenos
  5. salsa
  6. diced avocado
  7. diced onions
  8. taco sauce
  9. shredded cheese of any kind
  10. sliced black olives
  11. guacamole



Mexican taco sauce


Suggestions for Fillings



Note: For leftover casserole fillings, they need to be a thicker style IE chili, and stews, as too much liquid will ruin the pockets. Always add cheeses to those fillings.


Seafood Stuffed

Cooked Shrimp and Scallops or Lobster with shredded cheeses added inside, garnished with jalapeno peppers, olives, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes. sour cream


Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

Sliced turkey with leftover cranberry sauce, Romaine lettuce, and your favorite cheese.


Steak and Beef

Sliced leftover roast beef or steak can be used for Philly tortilla wraps just add onions, peppers, and cheeses.


Rotisserie chicken:

Ceasar style wraps with dressing: cooked chicken shreds of Parmesan cheese and romaine lettuce
Buffalo chicken hot pockets; cooked chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese chopped and sharp cheddar
Cordon Blue: ham, cheese, cooked chicken


Leftover Hamburgers and Hotdogs:

Cheesedogs: Hotdogs sliced with shredded cheese or a dollop of chili for chili cheese dogs
Hotdogs cut up with sauerkraut, Dubliner cheese shredded, spicy brown mustard
Cheeseburgers, leftover hamburger cut up, shredded cheese, add some condiments of choice


Pork Ideas

Shredded pulled pork hot pockets with barbecue sauce and shredded cheese
Pork with apple slices, sharp cheddar
Shredded pork with Asian sauce and shredded cheese of choice


Sweet Things

Nutella
Peanut butter and jelly
Slices of apples and caramel
Raspberries or other fruit with cream cheese
Bananas, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows


These are flour tortilla filled with buffalo chicken filling, blue cheese dressing, shredded cheddar cheese


Tips and Cooking Methods


  • Use around 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling
  • Don't overfill the tortilla
  • Always place filling in the center
  • Seam side down, to prevent opening and filling spillage
  • Always use butter or another flavored spray for crispier flaky pockets before cooking
  • For easy cleanup in the oven, place on parchment paper
  • If baking in the oven oil spray then bake at 400 degrees for around 10 minutes, keep checking for how brown they are
  • (remember everything is already cooked so the tortilla just needs to be fried crisp)
  • Use vegetables to mark them when making assorted fillings
  • If using an air fryer check the tortilla at 3 minutes, mine took a total of 7 minutes to brown
  • If freezing place on a cookie sheet, freeze, and add to freezer bags sheet wax paper or parchment between each. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or reheat foil-wrapped.


fried chimichangas


Frying with Seam Down


After filling in the center of each tortilla of filling choices, fold both sides to the center and then roll up placing the seam down ( this seals them while frying so the filling won't leak out).


Place seam side down on either parchment paper or in a casserole dish until they are all filled.

Heat the oil, place seam side down, and deep fry in around 2 inches of vegetable oil until the outer shell is crispy.


air fried chimichangas


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pin for later deep fried chimichangas


Fun for the Whole Family


No matter what kind of filling you pick, there is something for everyone here to enjoy.


My personal favorite is shrimp, scallops, and cheese.


Make everyone get in on the fun and start making healthier homemade hot pockets.


Deep Fried Chimchanga

Deep Fried Chimchanga

Yield: 12
Author: Claudia Lamascolo
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 8 MinTotal time: 18 Min
This is a deep-fried filled flour tortilla with assorted filling recipes. The top is then garnished with sour cream, pico, salsa, and avocado.

Ingredients

  • 12 flour tortilla
  • 1-1/2 cups of jack cheese
  • 3 pounds of ground beef (or use seafood, ground pork, finely diced chicken breast, or ground chicken)
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 can 6 ounce can of tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
  • 1 small onion diced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the deep fryer to 350 degrees or deep frying pan with 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil.
  2. Fry the meat you're using in olive oil with all the seasonings and ingredients listed until all the pink is gone (if using chicken the juices should run clear and the internal temperature is 165 degrees).
  3. Layout all 12 flour tortillas adding the cheese first, filling then roll up with seam down tucking in the sides first before rolling them up.
  4. After all of them are filling deep fry in oil for 5 to 8 minutes seam side down until browned and crispy.
  5. Serve with suggestions in the note section below.

Notes

Tips and Cooking Methods


  • Use around 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling
  • Don't overfill the tortilla
  • Always place filling in the center
  • Seam side down, to prevent opening and filling spillage
  • Always use butter or another flavored spray for crispier flaky pockets before cooking
  • For easy cleanup in the oven, place on parchment paper
  • If baking in the oven oil spray then bake at 400 degrees for around 10 minutes, keep checking for how brown they are
  • (remember everything is already cooked so the tortilla just needs to be fried crisp)
  • Use vegetables to mark them when making assorted fillings
  • If using an air fryer check the tortilla at 3 minutes, mine took a total of 7 minutes to brown
  • If freezing place on a cookie sheet, freeze, and add to freezer bags sheet wax paper or parchment between each. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or reheat foil-wrapped.


Toppings


  1.  lettuce
  2. tomato
  3. sour cream
  4. jalapenos
  5. salsa
  6. diced avocado
  7. diced onions
  8. taco sauce
  9. shredded cheese of any kind
  10. sliced black olives
  11. guacamole


Suggestions for Fillings



Note: For leftover casserole fillings, they need to be a thicker style IE chili, and stews, as too much liquid will ruin the pockets. Always add cheeses to those fillings.



Seafood Stuffed


Cooked Shrimp and Scallops or Lobster with shredded cheeses added inside, garnished with jalapeno peppers, olives, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes. sour cream



Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey


Sliced turkey with leftover cranberry sauce, Romaine lettuce, and your favorite cheese.



Steak and Beef


Sliced leftover roast beef or steak can be used for Philly tortilla wraps just add onions, peppers, and cheeses.



Rotisserie chicken:


Ceasar style wraps with dressing: cooked chicken shreds of Parmesan cheese and romaine lettuce

Buffalo chicken hot pockets; cooked chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese chopped and sharp cheddar

Cordon Blue: ham, cheese, cooked chicken



Leftover Hamburgers and Hotdogs:


Cheesedogs: Hotdogs sliced with shredded cheese or a dollop of chili for chili cheese dogs

Hotdogs cut up with sauerkraut, Dubliner cheese shredded, spicy brown mustard

Cheeseburgers, leftover hamburger cut up, shredded cheese, add some condiments of choice



Pork Ideas


Shredded pulled pork hot pockets with barbecue sauce and shredded cheese

Pork with apple slices, sharp cheddar

Shredded pork with Asian sauce and shredded cheese of choice



Sweet Things


Nutella

Peanut butter and jelly

Slices of apples and caramel

Raspberries or other fruit with cream cheese

Bananas, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows

Nutrition Facts

Calories

419.79

Fat (grams)

27.38

Sat. Fat (grams)

10.59

Carbs (grams)

18.5

Fiber (grams)

1.99

Net carbs

16.53

Sugar (grams)

2.92

Protein (grams)

23.86

Sodium (milligrams)

392.68

Cholesterol (grams)

84.7
deep-fried chimichanga, deep-fried flour tortilla, Cinco de mayo recipes
Mexican food recipes, chimichanga filling recipes, deep-fried filled flour tortilla, Cinco De Mayo
Mexican


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pin for later flour tortilla fried


More Mexican Recipe Ideas


Cinco De Mayo Recipe

deep fried flour torilla filled with meat and cheese


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32 comments

  1. The cartoon is very nice and this menu very tempting and appetizing. I never tasted Mexican food but I'd be very curious. Bye dear, have a great day

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  2. I'd like one of everything please - and maybe two of somme. great looking line-up.

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  3. Awesome dishes for Cinco de Mayo and thanks for sharing the pictures too!

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  4. What a nice survey of Mexican stuff. Thank you.

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  5. Superb buffet offering! I agree with Bid Dude, a little of everything.

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  6. Everything looks great Claudia! Party time!

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  7. Love it! Everything looks outstanding. Especially that lasagna, but then it makes perfect sense that the Italian-Mexican dish on your site would look so mouthwatering :) Well done!

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  8. This is a great roundup. Now I have margaritas on the brain ;)

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  9. Oh my everything looks sooooo good! :) Love the cartoon!

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  10. Lucky you for visiting Cabo! Your Cinco De Mayo Menu looks delish!

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  11. Oh my God!With all these great pictures you ve made my mouth water!

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  12. Delicious Cinco de Mayo roundup!

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  13. Everything looks delicious. Beautiful pictures. Blessings, Catherine

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  14. Ah...so many choices. Everything looks delish!

    I appreciate your comment on my Royal Wedding Breakfast Part I and thought you might like to know that Part II is up now.

    - The Tablescaper

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  15. What a great collection of mexican food photos ... certainly looks like you had a great time ... sn't the sea so beautiful and warm there ... reminds me of the Mediterranean!

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  16. It all looks so good. Love the photos. Thanks for sharing!

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  17. Love this round-up! Everything looks delicious but that mexican fruit tart caught my eye. Yummy!

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  18. Drooling...why yes I am. Beautiful spread.

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  19. happy cinco de mayo,too!great round up,claudia!congratulations!

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  20. happy cinco de mayo,too!great round up,claudia!congratulations!

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  21. Awesome meal. Lovely dishes.

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  22. Yum! I really want some of those churros :)

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  23. Oh, what fabulous dishes, Claudia...of course, I'm eying that gorgeous tart!!!

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  24. ya know, of all the things, I knew somehow Curt would get in wings for the May celebration, so glad he did, always a treat, tell him thanks... and what a nice spread of fantastic spread of foods

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  25. Starting with the Mexican Chicken Wings I tried to mentally count which of your offerings I wanted to try. Eventually I gave up trying to keep track. I want to try all of them. Great line-up Claudia thank you.

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  26. What a mouth-watering round-up Claudia! I want it all! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

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  27. What a great round up of dishes. It all looks yummy and the Strawberry Margarita's are just the ticket here in sunny Florida.

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  28. OMG, what a mouth-watering roundup! Great job, Claudia :) Oh, saw the Circle of Friends tab. Awesome! Hopefully, I'll walk into your circle soon :)

    Happy a great weekend!

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  29. Now I'm really hungry!I could go for a breakfast burrito and a margarita! ;)

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  30. All great dishes for Cinco de Mayo, hope you had a great one :)

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Remember to use the search option for a recipe you're looking for and thanks for all your kind words and support. We love our readers all the best Claudia