Crispy Baked Beef Chimichangas
Who loves crispy chimichangas topped with tons of pico and sour cream? Everyone. Who wants to deep fry them on a random Tuesday? No? Well, these baked beef chimichangas will give you that crispy outside without all the mess. I started making these when taco night was getting a little boring, and I needed something a little different. Now, it’s part of my easy dinner recipes list. Make sure you brush the oil on top before baking. It makes all the difference.
Baked Beef Chimichangas
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 8- ounce can of tomato sauce
- ¾ cup black beans drained
- ½ 10- ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies drained
- 1 cup shredded cheddar jack or Colby jack cheese
- 5 8- inch flour tortillas or 3 burrito-size flour tortillas 10 inches
- 2-3 tablespoons oil or cooking spray
Optional Toppings
- Guacamole
- pico de gallo
- shredded lettuce
- sour cream
- salsa
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Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 400 ℉. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray or oil and set aside.
- Cook beef and onion. In a 12-inch skillet, cook beef for 5-7 minutes over medium heat until browned, breaking into smaller pieces as you cook. Add onion and cook another 5 minutes until the onion becomes softened and looks translucent. Drain excess grease.
- Add seasonings. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir into the meat mixture to season the beef.
- Add rest of ingredients. Stir in tomato sauce, black beans, and the tomatoes and green chilies. Stir in shredded cheese and let melt, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes.
- Fill. Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels, place them on a plate, and warm them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften. For smaller tortillas, spread ¾ cup of chimichanga filling down the center of the tortilla, leaving an inch border from the edge. For burrito-size tortillas, spread 1 ¼ cup of filling.
- Roll. Roll the filled tortillas up burrito style, folding the ends in and over the filling. Then, roll the tortilla over the filling, tightening as you roll.
- Bake. Place on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray or brush with oil. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool and Serve. Rest for 5 minutes after removing from the oven, and then serve immediately with optional toppings.
Notes
- This is a great alternative to taco night.
- One regular flour tortilla is a good serving size. The burrito-sized tortillas are very large.
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.
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.
Tips for Success
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.
Make sure your tortillas are warm when rolling – cold tortillas will crack and split.
Tuck those ends in tightly when rolling to prevent the filling from escaping.
Let them rest for 5 minutes after baking – this helps the filling set and makes them easier to handle.
Ingredients and Equipment
Tortillas: Flour tortillas are essential here – corn tortillas won’t work for this method.
Rotel tomatoes: Adds flavor and just the right amount of heat. Find them in the canned tomato aisle.
Rimmed Baking Sheet: A large baking sheet with sides will catch any filling that might escape.
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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.
These are a great way to get a restaurant meal without worrying about frying. Once you’ve made them a few times, you’ll reach for this whenever taco night rolls around.
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.