This Baked Beef Chimichangas recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner. It features juicy, seasoned, ground beef, refried beans, gooey cheeses, & more. It is a fun & flavorful way to enjoy your next Mexican food night.
Chimichangas are one of my favorite Mexican dishes to eat at our local authentic eatery. If you’re not familiar with what a chimichanga is, it is basically a burrito that has been deep-fried, making it even more delicious. This Baked Beef Chimichangas recipe takes all the flavors of an authentic chimichanga and bakes them in your oven for a healthier version that tastes just as great!
What Are Beef Chimichangas Made Of?
Baked Beef Chimichangas are a Tex-Mex favorite and they’re easy to make. All you need is ground beef, onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and a few other ingredients like tomatoes and cheese. For the wrap itself, you can use either flour or corn tortillas
Once your Baked Beef Chimichangas are ready to go, it’s time to plate them up for your guests. Assemble the chimichangas on a large platter and garnish with some lettuce or cabbage, tomatoes, and fresh cilantro for an extra splash of
I love serving these Baked Beef Chimichangas topped with cheese, salsa, and a side of lettuce, tomato, cilantro, and sour cream or Greek yogurt. To top off your Baked Beef Chimichangas, I recommend adding sliced tomatoes, jalapenos, and cilantro
Why I Love Baked Beef Chimichangas
A few reasons why I loved this meal is that you can make this crispy in the oven without deep-frying them. It saves a few calories, and a lot of grease spatter, and still produces a yummy, toasty flour tortilla, and a cheesy, meaty, inside.
You could serve these with a carby side like Mexican rice, but I prefer a basic salad with some fresh guacamole. These are very filling so piling up on carbs might be an overload.
Making these is so simple! This recipe made 5 comfortably with 1 1/2 lbs. of lean ground beef. You can use taco seasoning to flavor the meat, but I prefer this spice blend for the best flavors.
Chimichanga Seasoning
I recommend the following blend of spices for this beef chimichanga recipe. They will add a delicious and savory boldness to the ground beef.
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
Tip: To make these seasonings last longer, you can double or triple the measurements and store them in an air-tight container. They should keep for a few months.
How to Make Baked Beef Chimichangas
Begin by preheating a sizable skillet on medium-high heat, then combine the ground beef, one chopped yellow onion, and chimichanga seasoning. Thoroughly blend and cook until brown and fully cooked.
After the ground beef is fully cooked, go ahead and preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
At this point, you’ll need to gather the other ingredients like the flour tortillas, shredded cheddar cheese, refried beans, red onion, tomato, lettuce, and 2 tablespoons butter.
Dice the 1/2 cup of red onion, 1 cup of tomato, and shred 2 1/2 cups of lettuce.
Grab the flour tortillas and lay them out flat one by one on a clean surface. Add an even amount of refried beans to each, then spoon on an even amount of seasoned ground beef mixture. Sprinkle on some shredded cheese, and diced red onion.
Carefully roll the flour tortillas up one by one, making sure all of the ingredients are tucked tightly inside. As you finish each chimichanga, set it aside and continue to assemble the others. Place the folded side down onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Once you’re finished with all of them, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and brush it onto each chimichanga.
Bake them in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes and enjoy!
What To Serve with Beef Chimichangas
You can serve chimichangas with sides like Mexican rice, Mexican Street Corn Salad, refried beans, or pinto beans, and a side of fresh guacamole. Or, go all out and serve a classic Mexican meal complete with salsa, tortillas, cheese, sour cream, and your favorite hot sauce. And don’t forget to top it off with a sprinkling of cilantro!
No matter how you serve them, Baked Beef Chimichangas are sure to be a hit at your next gathering.
Cilantro Lime Sour Cream
No Mexican main dish is complete without a side of sour cream. However, when I discovered how delicious Greek yogurt was as a sour cream substitute years ago, I made the switch.
To create the cilantro lime sour cream, combine 1 1/2 cups of Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro, and juice from half a lime. For added flavor, top off with a sprinkle of salt.
I love how thick and smooth it is! Paired with lime, and fresh cilantro–what a vibrant, and refreshing taste!
How To Make Beef Chimichanga (Quick And Easy)
Equipment
- 12" Skillet
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 5 white tortilla wraps 12 inch
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup refried beans
- ½ cup red onion diced
- 1 cup tomatoes diced
- 2 ½ cups iceberg lettuce shredded
- 2 tbsp butter
Chimichanga Seasoning
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika or regular paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
Cilantro Lime Yogurt
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt or sour cream
- 3 tbsp cilantro
- 2 tsp lime juice
Instructions
- In a large skillet, combine 1 ½ lbs ground beef with 1 yellow onion chopped, seasonings – ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp oregano, ¼ tsp chili powder, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp salt. Fully cook on medium-high heat until browned. Drain any excess fat and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Dice the ½ cup red onion, 1 cup tomatoes , and shred 2 ½ cups iceberg lettuce .
- Lay out tortillas and add an even amount of refried beans to each.
- Add an even amount of seasoned ground beef to each.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on each.
- Top with about a tablespoon of red onion.
- Carefully roll the flour tortillas up one by one, making sure all of the ingredients are tucked tightly inside.
- Place folded side down on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Brush each with melted butter and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
- Serve with Cilantro Greek Yogurt and a side of lettuce, tomato, and remaining red onion.
That sounds so flavorful..making me hungry
This is definitely going to be my Tiffin Box snack often. I love that it is delicious and cheesy and a total meal option too. Love the combination to this tasty snack.
Oh, WOW. This is another fantastic recipe from your blog to try! I love to experiment with international cuisines, and this is my chance to try this Mexican meal. Sounds delicious!
This looks great and is so easy to make!! The cilantro lime sauce is delicious too!
I have everything here in my kitchen to make this for dinner tonight! This family love chimichangas or anything Mexican food related. Thank you for sharing!
Different Temps for oven?
Hello PK,
Sorry it is 400 degrees F. Thank you!