There are plenty of items that I love on a Mexican retaurant’s menu, hard tacos de carne, burrito supremo, taco loco, queso fundido, and a bunch more. But there is nothing I like more than a chimichanga. It is really quite basic yet I understand that in Tuscon Arizona, the “chimi” has reached celebrity cult status. It is simply a burrito filled with beans, beef or chicken, and deep fried. Restaurant after restaurant in Tucson have their own variation of the chimi and naturally each claiming to have the best.

Where chimichangas were invented is impossible to pinpoint other than to say it was probably somewhere in a Tucson restaurant. Legend has it that either Monica Flin or Cameron Strukoff, circa 1922, accidentally dropped a burrito (some say pastry, but burrito fits better here) in the deep fryer and uttered a swear word aloud. With young family members around, she changed the word to “chimichanga” which is supposed to be the Spanish equivalent of “thing-a-ma-jig.” Other restaurants claim to have invented it in the 1950s. To me, it’s only curiosity as to the chimichangas historical origin; I mean I never researched a taco.

This is another one of those things I usually only have in restaurants that I decided I can make at home. I have a deep fryer, why not give a chimi a try. Well, you can tell by the pictures that it was a success. I teamed the chimi up with the usual suspects, guac, sour cream, and pico de gallo (salsa would be great here as well). I also made tortilla chips and re-fried beans. The beans went into the chimichanga and were enjoyed as a side dish along with Spanish rice.

Follow up:

For the chicken in this recipe, I used 4 thighs to make two nice sized chimichangas. You can substitute breasts or even use beef of some sort.

Ingredients:

For Chimichanga:
4 chicken thighs
2 green chilies (canned or fresh) chopped
6 oz queso blanco sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp coriander
pinch red pepper flakes
2 1/2 cups refried beans (2 cans will also do here)
2 burrito sized flour tortillas

For Pico de Gallo:
5 or so Roma tomatoes diced seeds removed
1 large or 2 small jalapeno peppers finely diced
1 medium onion diced
bunch cilantro (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)
juice from 1 lime
kosher salt to taste

For Chips:
7 corn tortillas quartered (you can use more or less)
1 cup vegetable oil
salt

Method:

Cook the chicken. I stove-top smoked the chicken. You can bake, grill, boil, saute, whatever, just cook it.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the pico de gallo.

Toss all ingredients together. Add salt to taste.

When the chicken is done, shred it. Put the shredded chicken in a bowl, add the spices, salt to taste, chilies, and toss to combine.

I had some black beans from a previous dish, so I used them for the re-fried beans. I sauteed some garlic and onions, added the beans, let them cook a minute or two, and them mashed them.

To assemble the chimichanga:

Warm the tortillas to make them pliable. Heat them in a skillet until small brown spots begin to appear. Put them in between paper towels and microwave them for 20-30 seconds or wrap them in foil and put them into a warm oven. The idea here is to warm them and keep them warm to make them soft and easier to work with.

Lay the tortilla flat. Add a layer of the beans in the center. Follow with the chicken then the cheese.

Turn the tortilla so that the layers are going right to left.

Fold the right and left ends over the filling.

Role from the bottom to the top.

Secure ends with toothpicks. Don’t go crazy here, two should be fine.

To make the chips, in a large skillet heat oil to 350 degrees-f. Add chip in bunches to oil making sure not to bunch them. Fry until golden and crispy.

Salt the chips, drain on paper towels, and keep warm.

I deep fried my chimi in a fryer at 375 degrees-f for about 5 minutes. You can use a deep pot or even in a skillet turning until all sides are golden.

For the guac, I simply scooped and smashed two Hass avacados, added some lime juice, and tossed with some of the pico de gallo.