Cheese Steak Chimichangas Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a chimichanga and a burrito? ›

Chimichangas tend to have a slimmed-down list of ingredients and a drier, stickier filling to help them survive deep frying. Burritos have a lot more ingredient freedom, which almost makes them harder to define other than being wrapped in a tortilla. Want the delicious flavors without the carbs of a tortilla?

What is a chimichanga? Chimichanga is a Mexican appetizer or entre that includes a tortilla filled with a meat or bean mixture, typically deep fried to make it crispy on the outside. Chimichangas are basically deep-fried burritos.

While historians agree that the chimichanga is not an authentic Mexican food, the exact location of its origin is disputed. Both El Charro in Tucson, Arizona, and Macayo's Mexican Kitchen in Phoenix, Arizona, claim to be home to the first chimichanga.

They were called “chivichanga,” which means “thingamajig.” The dish was likely brought to the United States by Mexican immigrants and has since become a popular Tex-Mex dish in many parts of the country.

1922), accidentally dropped a burrito into the deep-fat fryer in the early 1950s. She immediately began to utter a Spanish profanity beginning "chi..." (chingada), but quickly stopped herself and instead exclaimed chimichanga, a Spanish equivalent of "thingamajig".

Chimichangas invariably fall into two basic categories: dry and wet. The former is crisply fried, topped with sour cream and guacamole and perhaps a little cheese. The latter is smothered with a sauce or salsa.

Traditionally, a chimichanga is filled with a combination of rice, beans, meat and cheese, similar to a burrito. You can opt for seasoned Mexican-style rice or yellow rice or even plain white rice. As for the beans, refried beans, black beans or pinto beans are traditional.

Fold one side of the tortilla over to meet the center. Then fold the other side over to meet the center. Lastly, with both sides folded into the center, tightly roll your tortilla forwards up until you have a perfect burrito! Press down to seal the edge with the slurry.

Why are chimichangas so good? ›

Chimichangas' best and most addictive characteristics are their crunchy shells. Chimichanga fillings vary widely, but the crispy shell is the hallmark of this dish. You can achieve that crispiness by baking, frying or air frying them.

A Chimichanga is simply a fried burrito. Many Mexican restaurants use a deep fryer to make it easy and fast, but we don't want to serve you a plate of grease with a side of meat. Instead, we'd rather lightly pan fry the Chimichanga and let the fresh flavors do the talking.

My family absolutely loves this easy Chicken Chimichangas recipe! A large flour tortilla filled with shredded chicken, refried beans, cheese, salsa and spices, rolled up like a burrito and then pan fried or baked. Served topped with sour cream, guacamole and salsa, this Mexican inspired recipe is delicious!

Making fried cheese requires an additional step of freezing the cheese for thirty minutes before frying, so the outer shell gets perfectly browned and crispy without overcooking the cheese. Once the cheese is extra cold, heat oil to temperature, and fry cheese in batches.

Cheeses that have a high melting point can be fried. While the cheese melts slightly, it will generally retain its shape in the fryer or skillet. Popular fried cheese options are cheese curds, queso blanco, halloumi, paneer, mozzarella, bread cheese, certain cheddars, and provolone.

Another important tip is to place the breaded meat onto a sheet pan, cover and place back in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before frying. This will firmly adhere the breading onto the meat and help keep it from falling of when frying. You want to use a heavy skillet, like an iron skillet for even frying.

Ribeye steak is the only choice for a real Philly cheesesteak. You can substitute flank, skirt, top round, sirloin, or any other cut that cooks into tender, thin strips, but ribeye is the original choice. Just make sure you buy grass-fed and grass-finished beef for the best results.