I think I went to one of the only high schools in the country that still has an off-campus lunch period.
Every day, my friends and I had 35 glorious minutes of freedom. No cafeteria food for us. Sometimes we’d head to someone’s house, or to McDonald’s (hello, dollar menu), or to DQ.
Or sometimes, if we were feeling particularly gastronomically-courageous, we would walk to the little cinder block convenience store on Main Street. They served everything from chimichangas and burritos to pizza sticks and sausage pockets. Their smorgasbord of fried food was the type only teenagers can eat and live to tell about; remembering the way the smell would cling to my clothes still makes me cringe.
Hungry?
These oven-fried chimichangas are everything you wish you could get from your local hole-in-the-wall, but without the lingering smell and the quadruple-digit calorie count.
They’re baked instead of fried, so they’re much healthier than the version you might be used to. Before baking, the tops are brushed with butter and sprinkled with salt to achieve a delightfully crisp and crunchy outer shell while maintaining a melty inside.
(Notice anything different about these photos? Like maybe that they’re a million times better than any that I’ve ever taken? That’s because they were taken by my oh-so-talented sister-in-law, Ashley.)
oven-fried chicken chimichangas
adapted from Big Oven
2/3 cup salsa (green or red both taste great; sometimes I use a combination of both)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried Oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on the heat of your salsa, or your personal preference, you might want to omit this)
1/4 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
1 cup shredded cheese (I usually use cheddar because that’s what I have; use your favorite)
6 medium flour tortillas
1 tbs butter, melted
kosher salt
garnish(es) of choice: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cheese, tomatoes, etc.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the salsa, cumin, Oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and onion. Add chicken and cheese and stir until well-combined.
Place one-sixth of the mixture in the center of a tortilla. Fold two opposite sides over the mixture and then fold in the other sides. Place seam-side down on a greased cookie sheet. I cover my baking sheet with foil because these have a tendency to ooze just a little. While it might not be environmentally friendly, it’s certainly cleanup friendly.
Brush each chimichanga with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tortillas are golden brown. Garnish with your choice of toppings.
Note: I almost always make a double batch of these and freeze half. To freeze, just prepare as instructed and, before brushing with butter, put chimichangas in a freezer bag (I often use the tortilla bag) and freeze. When you’re ready to bake, just remove from freezer and follow instructions. It may be necessary to extend cooking time.
What food from your childhood would you love to remake now?
Yay! These look super good! I’ve been trying to find good freezer recipes! :] Can’t wait to try these out! 😀 I think I actually have most of the ingredients needed to make em’! 😀
As far as freezer recipes, this is one of my favorites. Some recipes I tolerate because of convenience, but these are, I swear, just as good after being frozen. You’ll have to let me know what you think!
Abby,
These look absolutely amazing. I am always looking for a good recipe that will please the family. This is going to be one of them. Question, when you freeze, how do you keep the tortilla’s from becoming soggy? I have not had great luck with that. Can’t wait to try them.
Leah
Yall are going to love them! I wrap the filling inside and freeze them- no butter yet- and I’ve never had a problem with sogginess. I don’t let mine thaw, though; they go straight from freezer to oven. Maybe that would help? Let me know!
Looks so so yummy!
Thank you, Clare! I hope your week is going well!
Mmm these look heavenly! I love any kind of Mexican food, especially with some hot sauce and some green chile.
I make Mexican food at least twice a week! If you like green chile, you should check out my chicken taquitos recipe.
Oh my gosh I want it NOW!!!!!! Can we place orders for delivery!? 😉
I wish! When I get that figured out, you’ll be the first to know 😉
Chimichangas have got to be one of my favorite dishes I love ordering for our local San Miguels but since trying to eat cleaner and healthier, we’ve had to take some time apart lol. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
I think this would definitely satisfy your Chimichanga need!
Hey, I wanted to really thank you for this recipe – my housemate and I are both really lazy/terrible when it comes to cooking, and this has been such a great addition to our limited dinner repertoire! We already cooked it twice. It’s fairly quick, it’s easy, it’s delicious, and it’s perfect for taking to university – what more do we need?
Just one question, how much longer do you leave it in the oven when taking it right out of the freezer?
Thanks again!
Samantha
Wow, thank you for the kind words! I love that y’all are spicing things up! I’ve never timed the cooking after freezing, I just keep an eye on them. When they get to the golden brown, they’re done. Sorry that isn’t more helpful!
If you like this recipe, you should check this one out, too!
Hey girl!!! Thanks for linking up to Creative K Kid’s Tasty Tuesdays Linky Party. I’ve pinned your post to the Tasty Tuesday’s Pinterest board!!! Have a great week!!
They sound great, I’ll have to give them a try soon! Thanks for sharing at You Link It, We Make It, we hope to see you back tomorrow. Pinning!
Thank you, April! We have a batch in our freezer right now. It’s one of our favorite easy weeknight meals 🙂