I’ve been making this Baked Rooster Chimichanga recipe for years, and it’s all the time a success with each youngsters and adults. It’s hands-down one in all my favourite straightforward dinners as a result of it’s made with budget-friendly pantry staples like canned tomato sauce, refried beans, and some easy spices and comes collectively effortlessly. I like so as to add a beneficiant serving to of cheese, which melts into the filling, turning these chimichangas into an irresistible ooey-gooey dream. I can’t wait so that you can do that recipe and make it a staple in your kitchen. Simply add your favourite toppings and luxuriate in your meal!


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Simple Baked Rooster Chimichangas Recipe
Chimichangas are historically made by filling a tortilla, folding it up like a burrito, and deep frying it till crispy. The standard preparation is scrumptious, little doubt, however just a little messy for on a regular basis cooking, which is why I prefer to bake mine as a substitute. You continue to get that golden, crispy outdoors with out the fuss of scorching oil. This Mexican-inspired recipe is completely different from rooster enchiladas, that are normally smothered in sauce and baked delicate. Chimichangas maintain their crunch and are sometimes served with toppings as a substitute of being baked in sauce.
My model of this dish is full of seasoned rooster, refried beans, and two forms of cheese (Colby Jack and cream cheese!) for a creamy, tacky, completely seasoned filling. I’ve additionally added some easy variations and substitution concepts beneath the step-by-step directions if you wish to change issues up!
- These are fairly massive parts, particularly for those who serve them with a facet! You could possibly completely stretch this dish to serve 8 individuals by slicing every baked rooster chimichanga in half earlier than serving.
- Because the rooster and cheese are the pricier elements on this recipe, be happy to make use of any kind of cheese you have already got available (it doesn’t must be Colby Jack!) You could possibly additionally strive decreasing the rooster to only one breast and use cooked white rice instead of the second rooster breast. Stir the cooked rice (about 2 cups) into the rooster and sauce combination earlier than filling the tortillas. It’ll nonetheless be tremendous hearty, satisfying, and stuffed with taste, just a bit simpler on the grocery invoice.
Baked Rooster Chimichangas


- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (1 oz, $0.08)
- ½ yellow onion (small cube (just a little below 1 cup, 100g) $0.70)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced, 1 Tbsp, $0.12)
- 2 rooster breasts (minimize into small strips (1.10oz, 500g) $4.34)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.19)
- ½ tsp cumin ($0.04)
- ¼ tsp paprika ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp salt ($0.01)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.04)
- ¼ cup rooster broth (2 oz, $0.02*)
- 1 8 ouncescan tomato sauce (227g, $0.48**)
- 2 cups Colby Jack cheese (shredded (8oz) $1.97)
- 4 oz cream cheese ($0.88)
- 1 16 ouncescan refried beans ($1.00)
- 4 massive flour tortillas ($1.04***)
- non-stick cooking spray ($0.01)
- ¼ cup bitter cream ($0.24)
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Collect all elements and prep rooster and greens. Preheat oven to 400°F and grease an 8×8 oven-safe baking dish.
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Warmth the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium warmth. As soon as scorching, add the onions and garlic and sauté for two minutes.
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Add the rooster strips and season with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook dinner for 2-3 minutes.
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Deglaze the pan with the rooster broth and cut back the liquid by half, 3-4 minutes.
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Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 4-5 minutes till the sauce has thickened, stirring often.
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As soon as the sauce is thick, flip off the warmth and stir within the Colby Jack and cream cheese till melted, 2 minutes.
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To assemble the chimichangas, evenly divide the refried beans and unfold them on every tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border. Add the meat filling evenly to the middle of every, fold within the sides, and roll up like burritos.
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Place the wrapped chimichangas, seam facet down, into the oven-safe dish. Spray the tops with a cooking spray and bake for 10-Quarter-hour within the oven till golden brown. Take away them from the oven and high them with bitter cream and any extra toppings you want!
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**Within the U.S., canned tomato sauce is cooked and pureed tomatoes. Typically, it contains salt and really minimal seasonings, however nothing too noticeable. The closest equal in different nations is probably going passata.
***I exploit the big, burrito-sized flour tortillas for this recipe.
Serving: 1servingEnergy: 774kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 50gFats: 46gSodium: 1999mgFiber: 8g
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the right way to make Baked Rooster Chimichangas step-by-step pictures


Collect your entire elements. Preheat your oven to 400°F and grease an 8×8 oven-safe baking dish.


Slice the rooster: If you happen to haven’t already, slice 2 rooster breasts into strips.


Sauté the onions and garlic: Add 2 Tbsp oil to a medium sauté pan. Warmth over medium warmth and add ½ a diced onion and a pair of minced garlic cloves as soon as the oil is scorching. Sauté for two minutes till aromatic.


Cook dinner the rooster: Add the sliced rooster and 1 Tbsp chili powder, ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper to the skillet with the onions. Cook dinner for 2-3 minutes.


Deglaze the pan: Pour ¼ cup rooster broth into the skillet to deglaze the pan. Cook dinner till the liquid has decreased by half, about 3-4 minutes.


Make the sauce: Now add the 8oz can of tomato sauce and simmer for an additional 4-5 minutes, stirring often, till the sauce has thickened.


As soon as your sauce is properly thickened, flip the warmth off. Stir within the 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese and 4 ouncescream cheese till melted and mixed, about 2 minutes.


Assemble: Evenly divide the 16oz can of refried beans and unfold them throughout 4 massive flour tortillas, leaving a 2-inch border all the best way across the edge. Prime every tortilla with the rooster filling equally.


Fold the edges of every tortilla over the filling and roll them up like a burrito. Place every rolled chimichanga seam facet down into your ready oven-safe dish.


Now spray the tops with cooking spray.


Bake: Place the baking dish into your preheated oven and bake for 10-Quarter-hour till the tops are golden brown. Prime with ¼ cup bitter cream and another toppings you’re keen on (I’ve shared some concepts beneath), and serve! Get pleasure from.


- If you wish to make this recipe even simpler, you should utilize store-bought rotisserie rooster! Simply make the creamy sauce as directed, add the rooster, after which fill your tortillas.
- Be happy to play with the spices. Add extra cumin for those who’re an enormous fan like me, and even add some cayenne for those who prefer it spicy!
- You may substitute the Colby Jack for cheddar or another cheese in your fridge.
- Strive making your individual refried beans by following our straightforward sluggish cooker (not) refried beans recipe. It makes a TON (about three 15oz. dimension cans value) and is ideal for stocking the freezer.
- Swap the rooster on this recipe for equal quantities floor rooster or beef (browned and drained earlier than including the tomato sauce), pulled pork, or beans and rice (see our bean and cheese burritos recipe for example!)
Topping Concepts
I all the time high these selfmade baked rooster chimichangas with bitter cream at a minimal. However actually, the toppings are a number of the finest components! Listed below are some topping concepts I like:
Serving Options
If I’m stretching this recipe to serve extra individuals or hoping for leftovers, I all the time serve it with a facet. Spanish rice and shredded lettuce are my normal decisions, however I additionally love our road corn salad, too. And if I’ve gone just a little overboard with toppings (if that’s even attainable?!), I’ll crisp up a number of further tortillas within the air fryer to make air fryer tortilla chips for scooping up all of the extras.
Storage, Meal-prep & Reheating
Leftover baked rooster chimichangas may be saved within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days or within the freezer for as much as 3 months (allow them to thaw within the fridge earlier than reheating). Reheat within the oven or air fryer till warmed by and crisp once more.
For meal prep, you possibly can both freeze totally assembled (unbaked) chimichangas, wrapped tightly, for as much as 3 months or simply freeze the cooled filling in an hermetic container. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, assemble, and bake following the instructions. It’s possible you’ll want so as to add a number of further minutes to the bake time because the filling is chilly. Cowl with foil if the tops begin to brown too rapidly.



