Baked Chicken Chimichangas
These healthier chicken chimichangas aren’t deep fried like they are at any Mexican restaurant you would order them at. These baked chicken chimichangas are loaded with veggies and can even be made vegan or vegetarian (see note below). I enjoy making comfort foods a little bit healthier by pumping up the nutrition and cutting back on unnecessary additives.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. Olive oil
⅔ c. Salsa (plus extra for topping)
1 c. Shredded cheddar cheese
½ Onion, finely diced
1 Bell pepper, finely diced
1 tsp. Ground cumin
½ tsp. Oregano
½ tsp. Seasoning salt
3 Boneless chicken breasts, diced
10 Soft taco flour tortillas
Optional: sour cream or plain greek yogurt for topping
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Saute diced chicken breast in 1 tbsp olive oil until fully cooked then put into a large bowl. Using the same pan, saute the diced onion and pepper until soft and slightly browned. Add pepper, onion, cheese, salsa, cumin, oregano, and salt to the bowl with the chicken and stir until combined.
Scoop about ½ c. of the mixture into each tortilla, roll up then fold the top and bottom corners until you form a pocket. Repeat until all the filling is used up then place the chimichangas seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush the tops of each chimichanga with remaining olive oil.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until the tops are slightly browned and crispy. I like to serve mine with guacamole, sour cream, and salsa for dipping. Rice and refried beans also make excellent side dishes for these.
** To make this recipe vegetarian feel free to substitute any faux chicken product or 1-2 cans of black beans for your protein. To make the recipe vegan simply substitute the chicken and omit the cheese.
