By Krista Teigen
Published Apr 23, 2025
What’s better than a loaded burrito? A fried loaded burrito. Beef chimichangas are a Tex-Mex favorite—packed with savory spiced ground beef, refried beans, fresh salsa, and melty cheese, all rolled up and pan-fried to crispy perfection. I love making these to spice up my weekly Mexican comfort food night. They’re easy to throw together with ingredients I always have on hand. Friends, family, and kids will love these.
Easy Beef Chimichangas Recipes
I was already a huge beef burrito fan but then I heard about chimichangas. Who knew it could get even better? Refried beans are one of my favorite ingredients, so I made sure to include plenty. I actually skipped the rice in these, but you can easily add it if you want to bulk them up. These are stuffed with perfectly spiced ground beef, melted shredded cheddar, and fresh salsa, then pan-fried until golden and crispy. It’s the kind of comfort food that hits every time!
Tips for Beginners
- I know it’s tempting to pack the tortillas to the brim, but I always leave a little space so I can roll them up without any spillages.
- If your tortillas are stiff, microwave them for 15–20 seconds to make them easier to fold without cracking.
- When wrapping, I like to fill just the bottom third of the tortilla. I pull the edge closest to me up and over the filling, then fold in the sides before gently rolling it up completely.
- To keep everything secure, I either pop a toothpick in or I whip up a quick flour paste. I brush the paste lightly around the edges and seams—it really acts like a little glue.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢ 1/2 onion chopped
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ 1 pound ground beef
- ▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 15 ounces refried beans 1 can
- ▢ 10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies 1 can
- ▢ 8 flour tortillas burrito size
- ▢ 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ▢ 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Toppings
- ▢ salsa
- ▢ extra shredded cheese
- ▢ shredded lettuce
- ▢ sour cream
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add in the onion and cook until softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add in the ground beef, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and salt. Stir while browning the meat. 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 pound ground beef, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Stir in the refried beans and the diced tomatoes with green chilies. 15 ounces refried beans, 10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies
- Lay a tortilla flat on the counter. Add 1/2 cup of the beef mixture to the center of the tortilla. Top with shredded cheese. 8 flour tortillas, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Fold the bottom half of the tortilla up over the filling. Tuck in the sides, and roll up. Repeat for the remaining filling and tortillas.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add 2-3 chimichangas add a time to the skillet, seam side down. Fry on each side until golden brown. 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
- Transfer to a sheet pan lined with paper towel. Repeat for the chimichangas.
- Top the chimichangas with salsa, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. salsa, extra shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream
Becky’s Tips
- Brush with a little oil and bake at 400°F for 20–25 minutes or air fry at 380°F for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Cook Beef Chimichangas Step by Step
Gather the ingredients: Gather all the ingredients together.
Cook the aromatics and beef: Add ½ tbsp olive oil to a large skillet and warm it over medium heat. Once hot, sauté ½ a chopped yellow onion until softened. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Add 1 lb ground beef, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp onion powder, and ½ tsp salt. Break up the meat and cook until it’s browned and fully cooked through.
Add refried beans and tomatoes: Once the meat is browned, add 1 (15oz) can refried beans (or homemade refried beans ) and 1 can (10oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies.
Fill the tortillas: Place a tortilla flat on the counter. Spoon about ½ cup of the beef mixture into the center, then sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Make sure you don’t overfill the tortillas.
Wrap it: Fold the bottom edge of the tortilla up over the filling. Tuck in the sides, then roll it up tightly. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
Fry until crispy: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully place 2–3 chimichangas in the pan, seam side down. Fry each side until golden brown and crispy.
Drain and repeat: Place the fried chimichangas on a paper towel-lined sheet pan to drain. Repeat until you’ve wrapped and fried all the tortillas.
Serve and enjoy: Serve warm on a bed of shredded lettuce and topped with salsa, more cheese, and sour cream. Enjoy!
How to Store and Reheat
If I’m making a big batch of these, I always save a few for later—they’re perfect for meal prep and make awesome grab-and-go meals. Once they’ve cooled, I store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, I pop them in the air fryer or oven for a few minutes to get that crispiness back (microwave works too, but they’ll be softer).
If you want to make them ahead or freeze them, just wrap each chimichanga tightly in foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 4 months. When I’m ready to eat, I reheat straight from frozen in the oven at 375°F until heated through—no need to thaw!
Variations on Protein
If I have any extra pulled meat, I’ll use it for chimichangas. Try swapping the ground beef for crockpot beef carnitas , pork carnitas , or BBQ chicken —whatever you have on hand. You can also make baked chicken chimichangas . I’ve even used beef birria for an extra rich, juicy twist. Just make sure your filling isn’t too wet, so the chimichangas stay nice and crispy.
Serving Suggestions
If I’m serving these to a crowd, it’s only right that I fill the table with other Mexican favorites. I like to add sides like Mexican rice , chips with guac or salsa, and street corn . A simple salad with lime vinaigrette balances things out, and if we’re feeling festive for Cinco de Mayo this year, make a margarita pitcher for all your friends.
More Tex-Mex favorites to try!
Barbacoa Burrito Bowls
Easy Chicken Fajitas Recipe (Queso Smothered Chicken Fajita Recipe)
Skillet Steak Fajita Nachos
Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
Beef Chimichangas
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 15 ounces refried beans 1 can
- 10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies 1 can
- 8 flour tortillas burrito size
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Toppings
- salsa
- extra shredded cheese
- shredded lettuce
- sour cream
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add in the onion and cook until softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add in the ground beef, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and salt. Stir while browning the meat. 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 pound ground beef, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Stir in the refried beans and the diced tomatoes with green chilies. 15 ounces refried beans, 10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies
- Lay a tortilla flat on the counter. Add 1/2 cup of the beef mixture to the center of the tortilla. Top with shredded cheese. 8 flour tortillas, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Fold the bottom half of the tortilla up over the filling. Tuck in the sides, and roll up. Repeat for the remaining filling and tortillas.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add 2-3 chimichangas add a time to the skillet, seam side down. Fry on each side until golden brown. 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
- Transfer to a sheet pan lined with paper towel. Repeat for the chimichangas.
- Top the chimichangas with salsa, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. salsa, extra shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream
Notes
- Brush with a little oil and bake at 400°F for 20–25 minutes or air fry at 380°F for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
