Beef and cheese chimichangas are large flour tortillas filled with seasoned ground beef, refried beans and melted cheese, folded into tight packets and fried until crisp and golden. The outside shatters, the inside is hot and cheesy, and the whole thing is ready in 30 minutes. They are a restaurant favorite that is easy to make at home, good for taco night, game day or a freezer-friendly dinner.
How to make beef and cheese chimichangas: Brown ground beef, drain it, and simmer it with chili powder, cumin, seasoned salt, garlic salt, oregano, pepper and water until the water is absorbed. Spread refried beans on flour tortillas, add beef and cheese, and roll them up tightly with the sides folded in. Fry seam-side down in hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Why You’ll Love It
- Crisp outside, cheesy inside. Everything a chimichanga should be.
- Thirty minutes. The filling cooks fast and the frying is faster.
- Pantry seasoning. No packet needed. The spices are already in the cupboard.
- Fry, bake or air fry. All three methods are covered below.
- Kid-approved. Mild beef, beans and plenty of cheese.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef. One pound.
Seasonings. One tablespoon of chili powder, 1/2 tablespoon each of seasoned salt and ground cumin, 1 teaspoon each of black pepper and garlic salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano. Garlic powder can stand in for the garlic salt.
Water. One cup, simmered with the beef and spices until it is absorbed.
Refried pinto beans. One can. A thin layer on each tortilla helps hold the filling together.
Cheese. Two cups, shredded. Cheddar or a Mexican blend both melt well.
Flour tortillas. Six large ones. They need to be big enough to fold around the filling.
Vegetable oil. Two cups, for frying.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup water
- 1 can refried pinto beans
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 6 large flour tortillas
- 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
How to Make Beef and Cheese Chimichangas
1. Cook the beef. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Check that it reaches 160°F with a food thermometer, then drain the excess grease.
2. Season and simmer. Return the beef to the skillet over medium heat. Add the chili powder, seasoned salt, cumin, black pepper, garlic salt, oregano and water. Stir and simmer until the water is absorbed.
3. Fill and fold. Heat the vegetable oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, spread about 1 tablespoon of refried beans on one side of each tortilla. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of beef and a generous sprinkle of cheese. Roll the tortilla over the filling, fold the sides inward halfway through, then finish rolling tightly.
4. Fry seam-side down. Place the chimichangas seam-side down in the hot oil. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, flipping to brown the sides as well, until golden brown. Drain on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
5. Serve. Serve with sour cream, shredded lettuce, salsa or chopped tomatoes if you like.
Do Chimichangas Have to Be Fried?
No. Frying is the classic way, and it gives the crispest, most blistered shell. But a chimichanga is just a folded, filled tortilla, and it can be crisped in the oven or an air fryer too.
| Method | How | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fried | Seam-side down in hot oil, turning to brown all sides | 1 to 2 minutes per side | The crispest shell, deep golden |
| Baked | Brush lightly with vegetable oil, seam-side down on a baking sheet at 400°F, flip once | 18 to 20 minutes | Golden and crisp, with less oil |
| Air fried | At 380°F, flipping halfway | 10 to 12 minutes | Crisp, with very little oil |
The baked and air fryer times are starting points, so watch the first batch and go by color. Whichever way you cook them, the fold is what matters most. Roll tightly, tuck the sides in and always start seam-side down. The heat seals the seam shut in the first minute, and the filling stays inside.
Tips for Success
How do I fold a chimichanga?
Put the filling in a line just below the center. Roll the bottom edge up and over it, fold both sides in toward the middle, then keep rolling into a tight packet.
My tortillas crack when I fold them. What can I do?
Warm them. Fifteen to 20 seconds in the microwave makes stiff tortillas soft and easy to roll.
How do I keep them from opening in the oil?
Lay them in seam-side down and do not move them for the first minute. A toothpick through the seam is extra insurance. Remember to take it out before serving.
How much filling should I use?
Less than you think. About 1 tablespoon of beans, 1 to 2 tablespoons of beef and a good sprinkle of cheese. An overfilled tortilla will not close.
How hot should the oil be?
Hot enough that the tortilla sizzles as soon as it touches the oil. If it sits quietly, wait a little longer.
How Long Does It Take?
About 30 minutes: 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking, which covers the beef and the frying.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftover chimichangas within 2 hours, in a covered container. To reheat, use the oven or an air fryer so the shell crisps up again, and heat until the center reaches 165°F. The microwave will warm them but leaves the tortilla soft.
What to Serve With It
Top them with sour cream, shredded lettuce, salsa or chopped tomatoes, and serve rice and beans on the side. A bowl of 4-ingredient cheese dip poured over the top turns them into a smothered restaurant-style plate. For more ground beef dinners, try ground beef stroganoff or the slow cooker Amish ground beef noodle casserole. For other easy beef mains, there are slow cooker Amish beef and noodles, 4-ingredient beef and noodles and slow cooker beef cubed steaks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do chimichangas have to be fried?
No. They can be baked at 400°F for 18 to 20 minutes or air fried at 380°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
How do you reheat a chimichanga?
In the oven or an air fryer, until the shell is crisp and the center reaches 165°F.
What goes inside a beef and cheese chimichanga?
Seasoned ground beef, refried beans and shredded cheese, wrapped in a large flour tortilla.
Why do they go in seam-side down?
The hot oil seals the seam first, so the chimichanga stays closed.
Final Notes
I fold all six before the first one goes into the oil, because the frying goes too fast to roll and watch the pan together. If you make them, leave a comment to tell me how they turned out or ask a question.
Beef and Cheese Chimichangas
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt or garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup water for simmering with the seasoned beef
- 1 can refried pinto beans
- 2 cups cheese shredded
- 6 flour tortillas large
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Check that it reaches 160°F with a food thermometer, then drain the excess grease.
- Return the beef to the skillet over medium heat. Add the chili powder, seasoned salt, cumin, black pepper, garlic salt, oregano and water. Stir and simmer until the water is absorbed.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, spread about 1 tablespoon of refried beans on one side of each tortilla. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of beef and a generous sprinkle of cheese. Roll the tortilla over the filling, fold the sides inward halfway through, then finish rolling tightly.
- Place the chimichangas seam-side down in the hot oil. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, flipping to brown the sides as well, until golden brown. Drain on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
- Serve with sour cream, shredded lettuce, salsa or chopped tomatoes if you like.
