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Easy 40-Minute Beef and Cheese Chimichangas

Whole Beef and Cheese Chimichangas served with salsa
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Beef and Cheese Chimichangas combine seasoned ground beef, creamy refried beans, salsa, and melted cheese inside flour tortillas. Baking gives the rolled tortillas a crisp, golden exterior while keeping the filling warm, savory, and satisfyingly cheesy.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1 cup refried beans prepared with vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican-style cheese blend
  • 6 large burrito-size flour tortillas
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
  2. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion, breaking the meat into small crumbles as it cooks. Continue until the beef is browned and the onion is tender, then drain off excess grease.
  3. Stir in the garlic, taco seasoning, and salsa. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is evenly seasoned and moist but no liquid pools in the pan.
  4. Lay out the tortillas. Spread the refried beans down the center of each one, then divide the beef mixture and shredded cheese evenly among them.
  5. Fold both sides of each tortilla over the filling, bring up the bottom edge, and roll tightly to form a closed package. Arrange the chimichangas seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
  6. Brush the tortillas lightly with the vegetable oil. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, turning once, until both sides are golden and crisp.
  7. Let the chimichangas rest for 2 minutes before serving so the hot filling can settle.

Notes

  • Use a thick salsa and simmer the filling until excess liquid has reduced to help keep the tortillas crisp.
  • Warm stiff tortillas briefly before filling so they fold without cracking.
  • For skillet cooking, heat the measured vegetable oil over medium heat and brown the chimichangas seam-side down first for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  • Assembled uncooked chimichangas may be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Store cooled cooked leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • Reheat in an oven or air fryer to restore the crisp exterior; microwave reheating will produce a softer tortilla.
  • Nutrition information is an estimate calculated per serving and may vary by ingredient brand and portion size.

Nutrition

Keywords: Beef and Cheese Chimichangas, baked chimichangas, crispy beef chimichangas, Tex-Mex dinner, ground beef recipe, cheesy tortilla recipe

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