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Beef and Cheese Chimichangas

Beef and cheese chimichangas with crispy, golden-fried tortillas wrap seasoned ground beef and melty Mexican blend cheese. Pan-fry until deeply golden and serve immediately with lettuce, sour cream, and salsa.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 980
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef filling and tortillas
  • 1.5 lb ground beef
  • 1 can (1 oz) taco seasoning packet
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • 8 flour tortillas
  • 1 vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce for serving
  • 0.5 cup sour cream for serving
  • 0.5 cup salsa for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the beef
  1. Brown the ground beef and diced yellow onion in a skillet over medium-high heat for 6–7 minutes, breaking the beef apart as it cooks.
  2. Stir in the taco seasoning packet and 3 tablespoons water, simmering for 2 minutes until thickened.
Assemble chimichangas
  1. Divide the beef mixture and shredded Mexican blend cheese among the flour tortillas.
  2. Fold in the sides and roll the tortillas tightly like a burrito, securing with a toothpick if needed.
Fry until crisp
  1. Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet to 350°F.
  2. Fry the chimichangas seam-side down for 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp.
  3. Drain on a wire rack and remove any toothpicks.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately topped with shredded lettuce, sour cream, and salsa.

Notes

For the crispiest results, let the fried chimichangas drain on a wire rack (not paper towels) so they stay crisp. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a hot oven or air fryer until warmed and re-crisped (freezing is not recommended for best crunch). If you want a lighter option, use reduced-fat cheese and serve with plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.