Beef Chimichangas filled with a ground beef/refried bean mixture seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and oregano, rolled up and fried until crispy, and covered with cheese and jalapeno tomato sauce tastes so much better than restaurant chimichangas. They are sure to be a family favorite.
In fact, this is the recipe my son requests more than any other. I don’t make these Beef Chimichangas often since they are fried, but every now and then I’ll make them when we are craving some Mexican food, but it’s not a convenient night to go out to eat.
Plus, cooking chimichangas at home is much more economical than going out to eat.
Beef Chimichangas Recipe Tips:
Sometimes I make the filling and sauce ahead of time and then all that is left to do is roll them up and fry them. Super easy meal.
If you don’t want to deep-fry these chimichangas, spray them with oil and air fry them until golden and crispy or you can bake them at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Serve with this Mexican Rice for a meal that rivals any Mexican restaurant.
For more amazing Mexican-Style Recipes follow Spicy Southern Kitchen’s Cinco de Mayo Pinterest Board.
Try These Other Mexican Favorites:
Watch the short video below to see how easy this recipe is to make.
Beef Chimichangas
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 garlic clove,, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 (15-ounce) can refried beans
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (4.5-ounce) can green chilies
- 1 jalapeno,, minced
- 8 (10-inch) tortillas
- wooden toothpicks
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese or Colby Jack
- Vegetable oil
- Cilantro and sour cream for garnish
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a nonstick skillet. breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When it is about halfway cooked, add onion.
- Once onion is softened and beef is cooked, add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Stir to mix and cook 30 seconds.
- Add refried beans and 1/2 cup tomato sauce from the 8-ounce can. Save leftover tomato sauce to add to sauce.
- Stir to mix and remove from heat.
- In a medium saucepan, combine remaining tomato sauce from 8-ounce can plus the 15-ounce tomato sauce. Add the green chilies and jalapeno. Place over medium heat to warm.
- If tortillas are not very pliable, heat in microwave for about 20 seconds covered with a damp paper towel.
- Place about 1/3 cup filling towards one side of a tortilla. Fold over the side nearest the filling to cover the filling. Fold in the two sides and roll up. Secure with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Heat about 2 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a Dutch oven (or whatever type of pan you like to fry in).
- Fry 2 chimichangas at a time, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
- Top chimichangas with cheese, sauce, sour cream,and cilantro.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published Sept 16, 2014
Now this is comfort food. Taco anything is a plus for me but this is very good. Thank you for another taco idea.
Going to make tonight read 2 different recipes that both said meat mixture should be rolled up and cheese on top . Thank you for the previous comment that stated they added cheese to inside of roll. I plan on doing same, adding cheese inside as well as on top. Just wondering if there was a reason why recipe only called for cheese on top
Very good and easy to follow directions
These turned out great and I used GF tortillas. Took less than 2 min per side in the oil, but I was pleasantly surprised how the GF tortilla held up. Kids loved them and I plan on trying with chicken fajita tonight.
Excellent! Family all agreed these were great and well worth making again! Thank you for such a tasty recipe!!
these are not refried beans
I am still smiling from my husband’s reaction to your Beef Chimichangas recipe — ” spectacular”. He always pays me compliments on my cooking, but never spectacular. I followed the recipe as closely as I could, but I didn’t have green chilies, so I substituted Salsa and also added some to the meat portion and the sauce. I have plenty left for a second go-round and already he wants to know when that will be. Thanks for the great recipe.
Easy as pie
Just made these. Delish votes all the way around! I used salsa in place of the tomato sauce-what flavors!! We like it cheesy, so cheese went into and on top once they came out of the oil. Definately doing this one again! Thank you!
These were really really delicious! Husband is a big fan, for sure! I made them exactly as instructed (except for the jalapeno, which I didn’t have on hand) and we will definitely be bookmarking this recipe and putting it on the rotation list for sure! Thank you for sharing it.
I did do what another reviewer suggested and put the sauce underneath.