✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
These Chi-Chi's style beef chimichangas are golden, crackly fried burritos smothered in red sauce and sour cream, with fluffy Mexican rice on the side. Dinner takes under an hour.
How Do You Make Chi-Chi’s Chimichangas? (Quick Answer)
Brown 1 pound of ground beef with onion to 160°F, then simmer it with garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and tomato sauce. Roll it with cheese in 4 warm 10-inch flour tortillas, fry seam side down at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes per side, then top with red sauce, sour cream, lettuce and tomato. Serve with Mexican rice.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Fry seam side down first. The hot oil seals the seam shut in about a minute, so the chimichanga never unrolls when you flip it.
Why You'll Love These Chimichangas
- A Chi-Chi's favorite the crispy fried burrito people still talk about.
- Shatter-crisp outside melty beef and cheese inside.
- Smothered and loaded red sauce, sour cream, lettuce and tomato.
- Rice included easy Mexican rice in the same recipe card.
- Bake option brush with oil and bake if you'd rather not fry.
What Was the Chi-Chi’s Chimichanga?
Chi-Chi's opened in Richfield, Minnesota, in 1975 and grew into the festive Tex-Mex chain of the eighties, with about 210 restaurants by the mid-nineties. Chimichangas and fried ice cream were the orders people remember.
There's no official recipe, so this is how I make my chimichangas: seasoned beef and cheese, a crisp fried tortilla, a quick red sauce and a side of Mexican rice.
Can you still eat there? In one place. The original chain closed all its restaurants in 2004. A brand-new Chi-Chi's opened in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, in October 2025, and chimichangas are back on its menu.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: 85/15, drained well so the filling isn't greasy.
- Flour tortillas: large 10-inch, burrito size.
- Cheese: Monterey Jack melts creamiest; cheddar adds tang.
- Red sauce: a quick chili gravy from tomato sauce and broth.
- Long-grain rice: for fluffy, separate Mexican rice.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Warm tortillas roll, cold ones crack. Fifteen seconds per side in a dry skillet makes them soft and pliable.
- Cool the filling a little. Steaming-hot filling softens the tortilla from the inside. Five minutes of rest helps.
- Don't overfill. About 2/3 cup of filling per 10-inch tortilla. More than that and it bursts in the oil.
- Seam side down first. The oil seals the seam, so the roll stays shut.
- Watch the oil. At 350°F you get golden and crisp. Hotter oil browns the tortilla before the cheese melts. Back burner, handle turned in, never unattended.
- Baked chimichangas. Brush all over with oil and bake seam side down at 425°F for 18 to 22 minutes, turning once, until golden.
- Toast the rice. Golden, toasted rice is what makes Mexican rice taste nutty and keeps the grains separate.
Chi-Chi’s Beef Chimichangas
4
chimichangas20
minutes35
minutes780
kcal55
minutesCopycat-style Chi-Chi’s beef chimichangas: seasoned ground beef and melty cheese rolled in large flour tortillas, fried golden (or baked), smothered in a quick red sauce and topped with sour cream, lettuce and tomato, with Mexican rice on the side. Makes 4.
Ingredients
- For the Beef Filling
1 lb ground beef, 85/15
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano and salt
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack or cheddar, shredded
- For the Red Sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin and garlic powder
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
- For the Mexican Rice
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
- To Wrap, Fry and Serve
4 large flour tortillas (10 inch)
about 1 inch vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup each shredded lettuce and diced tomato
Directions
- Start the Rice
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium. Toast the rice, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes until golden. Stir in the onion and garlic for 1 minute, then the tomato sauce, broth, cumin and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 18 to 20 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then fluff.
- Make the Filling and Sauce
- Brown the beef with the onion in a skillet over medium-high, breaking it up, until it reaches 160°F. Drain the fat. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and tomato sauce and simmer 5 minutes until thick. Cool slightly.
- For the sauce, cook the oil and flour in a small pan for 1 minute. Whisk in the chili powder, cumin and garlic powder, then the tomato sauce and broth. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes until it coats a spoon.
- Roll and Fry
- Warm the tortillas so they bend. Spoon a quarter of the beef and cheese onto the lower third of each, fold in the sides and roll up tightly. Secure with a toothpick if needed.
- Heat about 1 inch of oil to 350°F in a deep skillet. Fry the chimichangas seam side down first, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and crisp. Drain on a rack and remove any toothpicks.
- Serve
- Spoon the red sauce over each chimichanga and top with sour cream, lettuce and tomato. Serve with the Mexican rice.
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Fried vs Baked Chimichangas
Both work. Here's the difference.
| Fried | Baked | |
|---|---|---|
| Texture | Blistered, shatter-crisp | Crisp, drier |
| Time | 2 to 3 min per side | 18 to 22 min |
| Oil | About 1 inch | A brush all over |
| Best for | The restaurant feel | Easy weeknights |
Storage and Reheating
Keep leftover chimichangas, sauce and rice in separate containers for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat chimichangas in a 400°F oven or air fryer for 8 to 10 minutes until they reach 165°F, and warm the rice with a splash of water.
More Tex-Mex and Lost Menus
For a full Chi-Chi’s night, finish with my Chi-Chi's style fried ice cream. Love a smothered burrito? Try my copycat Taco Bell Enchirito, and see more ideas in my Mexican appetizers roundup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Chi-Chi's serve chimichangas?
Yes. Chimichangas were one of the Chi-Chi's favorites people remember, and they're on the menu at the revived Chi-Chi's in Minnesota. This is my copycat-style version, not the restaurant's recipe.
Is Chi-Chi's still open?
The original chain closed in 2004. A brand-new Chi-Chi's opened in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, in October 2025, with chimichangas and fried ice cream on the menu.
What is the difference between a burrito and a chimichanga?
A chimichanga is a burrito that's deep fried (or baked) until crisp. It's usually served smothered in sauce with sour cream, while a burrito is soft and eaten by hand.
Can I make chimichangas ahead?
Roll them up to a day ahead and refrigerate, then fry just before serving. Fried chimichangas reheat in a 400°F oven or air fryer for 8 to 10 minutes, to 165°F.
Can I air fry chimichangas?
Yes. Brush or spray with oil and air fry at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway, until golden.
Can I use chicken instead of beef?
Yes. Use 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken with the same spices and tomato sauce, and heat the filling until it reaches 165°F.
