These slow cooker chicken chimichangas are stuffed with tender, slow-cooked shredded chicken, onions, jalapenos, beans, rice, cheese, and a zesty sauce. Then, they’re fried until golden for a crispy, delicious finish.
I lived in California for years, and out there we have some amazing Mexican food. After moving to Texas, I was exposed to even more delicious Mexican flavors. All that is to say that I love, no I LOVE, Mexican food. Tacos, burritos, nachos – if they’re from south of the border, I love them all.
One recipe I love more than any other is chimichangas. If you don’t know what they are, it’s just a fancy word for fried burritos. They’re stuffed full of delicious flavor, and frying the tortilla at the end really makes them pop. This recipe is one of my all-time favorites because I can cook the filling in the slow cooker. The only real cooking involved is frying the burritos at the end!
Why You’ll Love These Fried Chicken Burritos
- Simple Ingredients: Everything you need to make this recipe is either in your kitchen or in one quick trip to the store.
- Easy to Make: The filling is made in the slow cooker, making it super easy and convenient. Even frying the burritos at the end only takes a few minutes.
- Packed with Flavor: The meaty filling is loaded with bold seasonings, jalapenos, cheese, and guacamole salsa for a huge kick of flavor in every bite.
- Versatile: Serve these chimichangas for dinner or at all kinds of gatherings, from gameday bashes to potlucks.
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Chicken breasts have a mild flavor and meaty texture that pairs well with a wide variety of ingredients. They’re also very lean, which prevents a greasy filling.
- Yellow Onion: Yellow onion adds a bold combination of sweet and biting flavor.
- Jalapenos: Jalapenos add a “green”, vegetal flavor and heat.
- Slap Ya Mama Seasoning: This blend of Cajun flavors adds more kick and rounds out the flavor profile.
- Herdez Guacamole Salsa: Guacamole salsa is a creamy combination of guacamole and salsa adding the flavors of both to the filling.
- Ranch Style Beans: Ranch style beans are a combination of pinto beans, onions, and garlic in a spicy tomato sauce that add depth and complexity to the filling.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese makes the filling nicely ooey and gooey.
- Flour Tortillas: Flour tortillas are easy to wrap up into burritos, and when they’re fried, they become golden and crispy on the outside.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements.
Flavor Variations
- Mild: Leave out the jalapenos and red pepper flakes for a mild version of this recipe.
- Extra Spicy: Leave the seeds in the jalapenos for an extra-hot version of these chimichangas.
- Rice: You can use your favorite variety of rice. Just be sure to adjust your cooking time accordingly. For example, brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice.
- Meat: You can make this recipe with pork or beef, as well.
How to Make This Slow Cooker Chicken Chimichangas Recipe
1: Add the diced onions and jalapenos to a 6 or 8-quart slow cooker coated with nonstick spray. Then, add the chicken breasts.
2: Add the remaining filling ingredients except the rice, cheese, and beans, and cook on low or high until the chicken is tender.
3: 30 minutes before the filling is done, add the rice, stir, and let the filling continue to cook.
4: When the rice is fully cooked, remove the chicken and shred it. Then, return it to the crockpot and stir.
5: Heat the tortillas on both sides in a large frying pan over medium heat or over an open flame.
6: Cook the ranch beans in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot.
7: Add the beans to the center of the tortillas. Then, add the chicken mixture and cheese.
8: Wrap the tortillas into burritos and add them to a large frying pan with oil over medium-high heat.
9: Fry a few at a time until golden on both sides. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels until all the burritos are fried.
10: Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, green onions, or salsa, and enjoy!
Hint
Shred the chicken while it’s as warm enough to safely handle. The proteins in warm meat pull apart much more readily than cool meat.
Storage
Refrigerate these chimichangas for up to 2 days in an air-tight container. Any longer than that, and they’ll get too soggy. For longer storage, chill them, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Transfer them to an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag, and freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating them.
To reheat them, place them in a baking dish and bake them at 350 until heated through. Then, give them a quick toasting in a skillet to crisp them up a bit.
What to Serve with this Chicken Chimichanga Recipe
Serve these chimichangas with your favorite Mexican sides, like Chipotle corn salsa, Mexican street corn pasta salad, or chips and jalapeno cilantro salsa.
You can also use the chicken mixture as a filling for other Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas, burritos, taquitos, and quesadillas.
Tips for the Best Fried Chicken Burritos
- Add the vegetables first and then the chicken. This ensures the veggies get nicely tender and that they and the chicken are fully bathed in the sauce.
- Check your rice about 25 minutes after you add it to the slow cooker. All slow cooker heats vary a bit, so it’s important to give yourself a little leeway to ensure you don’t make the rice mushy.
- If you choose to use a different rice, BE SURE to adjust your cooking time. Short-grain rice takes less time to cook than long-grain. Brown rice takes more time than white rice.
- Unlike most canned beans, you don’t want to drain and rinse your ranch beans. They’re designed to be used, as-is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ranch beans are pinto beans, onions, and garlic that have been cooked in a spicy tomato sauce. They’re used in a variety of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes to add flavor and texture.
Guacamole salsa is simply guacamole mixed with salsa. The salsa is pureed until smooth, so the guacamole salsa has a smooth, creamy texture.
Using corn tortillas for chimichangas or burritos is not recommended. Unlike tacos, which are only folded in half, burritos are wrapped up tightly and folded over on the ends. Corn tortillas are too brittle for this process and almost always break when wrapped, even if they’ve been heated up.
Chimichangas are the traditional word for fried burritos.
The only difference between burritos and chimichangas is that chimichangas are fried.
Try These Delicious Chicken Chimichangas Today
These chicken chimichangas feature a filling made in the slow cooker, and they’re finished off in just a few minutes with a quick fry at the end. They’re as easy as they are delicious, and boy, are they delicious! Serve these up for your next Taco Tuesday and watch them disappear as quickly as you make them. With all that flavor and such an easy recipe, you’ll fall in love.
More Delicious Fried Burrito Recipes You’ll Enjoy
If you try this recipe and love it, please be sure to leave a 5 ★★★★★ rating below and leave a comment! You can also pin it you to favorite Pinterest boards and save it for later. Also, follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Remember to “like” or “follow” us on all social media.
Chicken Chimichangas
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 jalapenos, stem and seeds removed, diced
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 15.7 ounce bottle Herdez Guacamole Salsa
- ½ cup white rice
- 2-15 ounce cans Ranch Style Beans
- 3+ cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 20+ flour tortillas, burrito size
Instructions
- Spray a 6 or 8 quart crock pot with non-stick spray.
- Add diced onions and jalapenos first, followed by the chicken breasts.
- Sprinkle the seasonings over the chicken.
- Pour the guacamole salsa over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
- Add the rice in the last half hour of cooking.
- Shred chicken and make burritos.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.
- Heat flour tortillas in a large frying pan over medium heat or over an open flame. Flip over so both sides are heated up.
- In a medium saucepan, heat ranch beans until hot.
- Add beans to the center of the heated tortilla followed by shredded chicken and sharp cheddar cheese.
- Roll up and fry a few burritos at a time. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan.
- Fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels until all the burritos are fried.
- Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, green onions, salsa, if desired.
- Serve with your favorite sides.
Notes
- Add the vegetables first and then the chicken. This ensures the veggies get nicely tender and that they and the chicken are fully bathed in the sauce.
- Check your rice about 25 minutes after you add it to the slow cooker. All slow cooker heats vary a bit, so it’s important to give yourself a little leeway to ensure you don’t make the rice mushy.
- If you choose to use a different rice, BE SURE to adjust your cooking time. Short-grain rice takes less time to cook than long-grain. Brown rice takes more time than white rice.
- Unlike most canned beans, you don’t want to drain and rinse your ranch beans. They’re designed to be used, as-is.
- Cutting the chicken into strips or into one-inch chunks will help the chicken cook quicker.
Nutrition
