It irks the heck out of me when people ruin these and bake them. And then, to top it off, call them “chimichangas”.  Everyone has their pet peeves, and I guess one of mine is authenticity and calling things what they really are.

I get the healthy thing. Really. I do. But some things just shouldn’t be – – baked – – in this case. I have had one baked by a friend years ago, and it was awful. It was dried out and parts were hard as a rock. The edges were so hard and sharp, that it literally tore the roof of my mouth and hurt for days. She said, “But they’re so much healthier this way”….. (as she loaded hers with sour cream, cheese and guacamole!)

{Insert eye roll here.} 😉

I know that you know exactly what I’m talking about. We all have those irritating, but sweet, friends. 😉

But here’s the thing. Ok….several.

If you bake it, it’s not a “chimichanga”. It’s a baked burrito of sorts. It’s only, and truly ONLY, a chimichanga if it’s fried.

Secondly, if you get your oil hot, it takes less than a minute on each side to brown and they are NOT greasy. Not at all. Tortillas are paper thin, so it’s not like they can absorb very much oil. Especially the fourth of the surface that’s left that will actually even come in contact with the oil.

Not only that, but the whole chimichanga experience is absolutely INCREDIBLE done correctly.

I swear to you, they end up with an AMAZINGLY delicate, flaky, “crust” if you will. Honestly, you’ll think that you’re eating a fancy french pastry, because that’s what the texture is like.

So why ruin them in the oven? Eat in moderation, add lots of refried beans, lean white chicken, and garden-fresh vegetables on top, and stop worrying about every single little thing so much that it’s not even worth eating anymore. ENJOY life. 😉

So if you’re still with me, let’s go and have fun!! 😀

Mix up the seasoning mix, then place your chicken breasts into the crock, bottom side-up. Sprinkle the bottoms well, turn over, and sprinkle the tops with the rest of the seasoning.

Add onions, salsa and beer!

Dot with a little real butter, cover, and let it do it’s thing! Easy, right? 😀

Then shred right into the pot. Don’t pour out any of those yummy juices, you’ll need it all.

Go ahead, take a pinch! (I won’t tell! 😉 )

Those who do the work, get the perks, I say! 😉 😀

Next is the super easy assembly. Down the middle with spicy refried beans, then the chicken, and top with a small handful of a nice Mexican blend shredded cheese. I prefer Sargento’s myself, but Kraft also works just fine. You can of course shred your own blend, too.

Turn them so that the filling is horizontal to you. Then just fold over the two outsides, fold over the side closest to you, crimping just a little, and roll over to end up with a package.

Place into hot oil folded side down.

When nicely browned, carefully turn over, and brown the other side. This happens very quickly, so pay attention to it. It doesn’t take long at all.

Then top them with fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce, black olives, a little sour cream or Greek yogurt, and fresh snipped green onions! Serve a little guacamole on the side for those who want to enjoy some. A little hot sauce on the table brings smiles, too.

Trust me when I say….these aren’t as “unhealthy” as you may think. There’s a lot of healthy going on, and they’re drop dead delicious!  😉

No offense meant towards those who fear frying, just please don’t call them “chimichangas”. 😉 Respect the chimi, I say! 😀

So if you’re looking for a fantastic Mexican main dish, that is incredibly delicate, light and flaky, filled with lean chicken and topped with wholesome ingredients, you’ve just stumbled onto the right place. 😉

Truly a Mexican Fiesta in your mouth!! 😀

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Yield: 8-10 Chimichangas

Cerveza Chicken Chimichangas

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Ingredients

Seasoning Mix:

• 2 Tbl. flour
• 2 Tbl. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. seasoning salt, I like Johnny's
• ½ tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. cumin

Rest of Ingredients:

• 2½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 large)
• ½ - 1 small onion, chopped (as you like it)
• ¾ cup salsa, mild, medium or hot (to taste)
• ½ cup Mexican beer, (or your favorite)
• 8-10 large burrito-sized flour tortillas, room temp
• 1 can spicy fat-free refried beans
• 1 (8 oz.) bag shredded mexi-blend cheese
• (oil for frying)

Toppings:

• extra cheese, melted (top and broil), or just sprinkled on cold or room temp
• shredded lettuce
• chopped tomato or pico de gallo
• guacamole or fresh avocado
• sour cream or Greek yogurt
• black olives, sliced or coarse chopped
• pickled jalapeño slices
• snipped green onions
• hot sauce

Instructions

In small bowl, mix well the seasoning mix ingredients.

Trim any and all fat from chicken breasts, and place into crock pot bottom side-up. Sprinkle with a little less than half of the seasoning mix, turn over, and sprinkle with rest.

Add onions, salsa and beer.

Dot with butter, place on lid, and cook on HIGH for 5 hours. Turn off and shred meat right in pot with 2 forks. (Do not drain any of the juices).

Heat about 1" of oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. (If it gets too hot, turn down a little). Place chimichanga (1 or 2 at a time) in hot oil seam side down. Fry until nicely browned, carefully turn over, and fry other side. Remove to a paper towel-lined rack placed over a baking sheet to cool slightly. *If more cheese on top is desired, top with a small hand full while they are resting so that the cheese can warm and melt lightly.

Place on plates or a serving platter and top with toppings as desired.

Serve hot.

(*One per person is plenty).

Notes

If making all at once for a crowd, assemble all of the chimichangas. Get two pans of oil going so that you can fry 2, possibly 3, in each pan. Remove from oil and place onto a brown paper sack-lined rack placed over a baking sheet, top with cheese, and keep hot in a warm oven while you fry the rest.