Crispy Beef Chimichangas (Oven Method)

Who loves chimichangas with tons of pico and sour cream? Everyone. Who wants to deep fry them on a random Tuesday? No one. Well, these will give you that crispy outside without all the mess. Make sure you brush the oil on top before baking. It makes all the difference.

My favorite thing about dishes that finish in the oven is that I can clean the kitchen while they’re baking. And eat some chips and guac. You know, the basics.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

This is one of those dishes where the toppings are important. Sometimes I make my own pico, sometimes I don’t, but I never, ever skip it. Make sure you have all your favorite dips and sauces and everything else. And flour tortillas are essential here… corn tortillas won’t work for this method.

This will make 5 regular tortillas or 3 large burrito tortillas servings. If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• 12-inch skillet

Ingredients

Chimichangas

• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 can tomato sauce 8 ounces
• ¾ cup black beans drained
• ½ can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies drained, 10 ounces
• 1 cup shredded cheddar jack or Colby jack cheese
• 5 8-inch flour tortillas or 3 10-inch burrito-size flour tortillas
• 2-3 tablespoons oil or cooking spray

Optional Toppings

• Guacamole
• pico de gallo
• shredded lettuce
• sour cream
• salsa

How to Make Baked Beef Chimichangas

Don’t overfill your tortillas – it’s tempting, but about ¾ cup for regular tortillas or 1¼ cup for burrito size is perfect. Use a measuring cup or else you will overfill. Or maybe that’s just me.

Step One: Make the Filling

Heat your oven to 400°F and grease a baking sheet.

Cook the ground beef in a large skillet for 5-7 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the onion and cook 5 more minutes until soft. Drain the grease.

Add all the spices and stir. Then add tomato sauce, black beans, and the Rotel tomatoes. Stir in the cheese and let it melt for 2-3 minutes.

Step Two: Fill Tortillas

Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave 20-30 seconds to soften them.

Put ¾ cup filling in regular tortillas or 1¼ cups in burrito-size ones. Leave about an inch border on the edges.

Fold the ends in, then roll tightly. Place them on the baking sheet and spray the tops with oil.

Step Three: Bake and Serve

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with guac, sour cream, salsa, or whatever you like.

Serving & Storing

Serve with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and sour cream and add a side of Mexican rice.

These freeze well, but not as a whole dish. Wrap them individually in foil before baking. When you’re ready to serve them, unwrap and bake straight from frozen, adding about 10 minutes to the cooking time.

For leftovers, reheating in an air fryer or oven will keep that crispy exterior you worked so hard for.

Make It Your Own

There are lots of ways to adjust this recipe.

• Swap ground beef for ground turkey or chicken
• Try different cheese combinations – pepper jack adds a nice kick
• Make it vegetarian by using a mixture of black beans and pinto beans
• Add diced bell peppers or corn to the filling
• If you can’t find Rotel, use regular diced tomatoes plus a small can of diced green chiles.

More Delicious Mexican Recipes

• This cast iron skillet queso is some of the best dip you’ll ever have.
• Slow cooker shredded beef tacos is very affordable and another taco night dinner option.
• These key lime margaritas are ready in 10 minutes flat.

Printable Recipe