Shredded Beef Chimichangas are filled with tender spicy shredded beef, rice, refried beans, sautéed bell peppers and zucchini, tomatoes, and cheese.
I love chimichangas because they are easy to make in a big batch – they are a perfect party food! I created these chimichangas using leftover shredded beef from when I made beef tacos. It was an easy way to turn leftovers into a new meal!
If you are wondering what a chimichanga is, it’s basically a burrito that is deep fried. I prefer to bake my chimichangas instead of deep frying. I brush the chimichangas with olive oil and them let them bake until they have lightly browned. Usually a chimichangas is served with a sauce on top.
Yes, you could completely skip the baking and just make burritos. I like to make baked chimichangas because this way I don’t have to reheat all of the ingredients. I just pull everything out of the fridge, make the chimichangas and then bake them. It’s faster, easier, and it makes less mess.
When it comes to chimichanga fillings, I always add refried beans. They go on top, so that when you roll up the chimichangas the refried beans hold them together. Genius, I know.
I also add brown rice, tomatoes with green chilies, vegetables, and cheese. A breakfast spot in my hometown makes amazing breakfast burritos and they come with sautéed zucchini and I love the taste and texture that the zucchini adds. So I quickly sautéed some zucchini and bell peppers and added them in!
Making chimichangas is a chance to see what you have hiding in your fridge. Find that half full jar of salsa, or that half bell pepper left from dinner two days ago. Discover what is in the cheese drawer and see if it will be a good match. I am always surprised by what it in my fridge.
I garnished the chimichangas with corn queso and thin slices of radish and jalapeno. The final touch was a bit of fresh cilantro. More cheese makes everything better, and I happened to have some leftover corn queso in my fridge.
This recipe makes enough to serve 8 – so you might want to share some with friends!
If you want to try some more chimichanga recipes, try these:
Chorizo and Queso Chimichangas
Chicken Chimichangas with Poblano Cream Sauce
I used my slow cooker shredded beef and my corn queso to make these shredded beef chimichangas – follow the links to get those recipes.
How to Make Shredded Beef Chimichangas:
Shredded Beef Chimichangas with Vegetables
Shredded Beef Chimichangas | Shredded Beef Chimichangas are filled with tender spicy shredded beef, rice, refried beans, sautéed bell peppers and zucchini, tomatoes, and cheese.
Ingredients
- about 3 cups of Shredded Beef
- about 2 1/2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 2 Zucchinis
- 1 Bell Pepper (I used half a red and half a yellow)
- 2 cups of Rice (I used Uncle Ben's microwaveable Brown Rice
- 1/2 cup of Tomatoes with Diced Chilies (Rotel)
- 1 cup shredded Chihuahua Cheese
- 1 can of Refried Beans
- 10 Large Flour Tortillas
- 1 cup of Corn Queso
- Jalapeno for garnish (optional)
- Radish for garnish (optional)
- Cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Then sauté the zucchini and bell peppers. Slice the zucchini into quarter inch thick half rounds, I think they had a nice texture to the chimichangas when you keep them a little thick. Slice the bell pepper into thin long strips. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and lightly sauté for about 2 minutes until the vegetables are very lightly browned.
Now you want to assemble the chimichangas. Spread about 2 heaping tablespoons of refried beans about 2 inches from the top of the tortilla.
Below the refried add about 3 tablespoons of rice, a heaping 1/3 cup of the shredded beef, a tablespoon of the tomatoes with chilies, a couple tablespoons of the sautéed vegetables, and a couple tablespoons of the cheese.
To roll up the chimichanga, fold the sides of the tortilla over, and then fold over the bottom and roll from bottom to top, letting the refried beans act as a glue.
Repeat this process making 8 chimichangas. Then arrange them in a pan, and brush with the remaining olive oil.
Bake the chimichangas for 40 minutes. Serve drizzled with hot queso and garnished with sliced jalapeños, radishes, and cilantro.
If you want to save this Shredded Beef Chimichanga recipe for later, here is an image to save on Pinterest:
Kat @ Kat's 9 Lives
Friday 1st of March 2019
These look delicious, and they are perfect for Fiesta Friday! Thanks for sharing!