Easy Oven Chicken Chimichangas with seasoned rice, salsa and cheese are a healthy, lighter twist on the Mexican classic.
At our house we love Mexican style food, like these easy oven chicken chimichangas. They’re easy to make and you can top them with your favorites so everyone’s happy. And let me tell you, that’s not easy with four adults and a small child packed into one house.
Must Love Home is all about simple recipes that are easy to make…and this recipe definitely fits in. It’s actually the reason I started making Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken.…so I’d have the chicken ready in the freezer. Almost like meal planning…but in reverse!
HOW TO MAKE EASY OVEN CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS
I really can’t stress how easy these are to make. Mix up the filling, wrap, brush with oil and bake. It’s not gourmet and doesn’t pretend to be. That’s it…dinner panic over!
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE OVEN CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS
- Shredded Chicken
- Chunky Salsa
- Ground Cumin
- Shredded Cheese – Mexican blend, cheddar and jack cheese are all good!
- Boxed Vermicelli & Rice Mix – use your favorite brand or make your own. This recipe is perfect for using up leftover rice too.
- Flour Tortillas – soft taco sized tortillas are the perfect size!
- Vegetable Oil – brushed on the tortillas before baking, this helps get them extra crispy. Substitute butter for golden color.
First, make the vermicelli and rice according to the box directions. I make mine on the stove (old school) but most have microwave directions too.
Add it to a bowl with the chicken, cheese, salsa and cumin. Mix it up to make the chimichanga filling.
Put about a third of a cup on each tortilla, fold in the sides over the edges of the filling and roll them up.
Put the chimichangas seam side down on a large baking sheet. Brush lightly with oil to crisp up the tortillas while baking.
The filling is super hot when it comes out of the oven, so let them cool slightly before serving.
CAN I FREEZE BAKED CHIMICHANGAS?
Yes, absolutely yes! After the chimichangas are baked and cooled, they can be safely stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When I’m going to freeze some for later, I’ll cool them on a wire rack before wrapping them up. That let’s as much moisture evaporate as possible so the tortillas don’t get soggy when they’re reheated.
I’ve had the best luck by wrapping them individually in wax paper, then putting the wrapped chimichangas in a large plastic freezer bag. To Reheat: Unwrap and put frozen into the microwave for 2 – 3 minutes before eating.
Easy Oven Chicken Chimichangas
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- 1 cup chunky salsa
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese shredded or shredded cheddar
- 7 ounce chicken vermicelli and rice mix 1 box
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine
- 8 medium flour tortillas soft-taco size
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cook vermicelli and rice mix according to package directions. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool slightly. Add chicken, salsa, cumin and cheese to rice. Stir to combine.
- Lay tortilla on flat surface. Place 1/3 cup filling in center of tortilla. Fold sides over to cover edges of filling and roll up. Place seam side down on sheet pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Lightly brush tortillas with oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes on middle rack of oven until tortillas begin to brown and edges are crispy. Garnish with sour cream, tomatoes and green onions. Serve with additional salsa on the side.
Equipment Used
Nutrition Facts
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