I’ve been making beef chimichangas for one of my favorite Mexican‑style dinners. I slow‑cook a tender beef roast until it shreds easily, wrap it up in a flour tortilla with cheese, then fry (or bake) it until it’s golden and crisp.
When I bite into one, I get that satisfying crunch outside and the rich, savory mixture inside. Topped with salsa, sour cream, guacamole or diced tomato, it’s the kind of meal I’m always excited to dig into.
What to love about chimichangas
- A satisfying crunch. The crisp exterior gives a great contrast to the soft filling.
- Versatile. You can bake or fry them depending on your preference or time. You can also swap in a different type of meat, cheese, tortillas, or bean.
- Crowd‑friendly. Easy to scale up, and everyone can add their own toppings.
- Flavor-packed. Tender beef, seasoned perfectly, wrapped with cheese and tortilla.
- Tex‑Mex fun. They bring a festive feel to any weeknight or weekend dinner.
If you would prefer chicken instead of beef, check out my recipe for Chicken Chimichangas.
PrintBeef Chimichangas Recipe
Slow‑cooked and shredded beef roast gets wrapped in a flour tortilla with cheese, then fried until it’s golden and crisp.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Inactive Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 8 hours, 15 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours, 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow-cooked, fried
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 lbs boneless chuck roast (trimmed of fat)
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 (8 inches) flour tortillas
- oil (for frying)
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the beef mixture. In a bowl combine beef broth, red wine vinegar, chili powder, and ground cumin.
- Brown and slow-cook the roast. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Place in beef roast and brown on both sides (about 5 minutes per side). Place the beef roast into the slow cooker, and pour the beef broth mixture over the roast. Cover and cook on low until the meat is very tender (about 6–8 hours on low).
- Shred the beef. Allow the meat to cool and then shred it into pieces using 2 forks. Mix with the juices from the slow cooker.
- Assemble the chimichangas. Using a slotted spoon, spoon equal amounts of the beef down the center of each tortilla, top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Roll up the tortillas while tucking in the sides. Secure each of the wrapped tortillas with a toothpick.
- Fry the chimichangas. Heat about ½ inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the tortillas, turning once until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 733
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 852
- Fat: 48
- Saturated Fat: 20
- Unsaturated Fat: 25
- Trans Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 9
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 66
- Cholesterol: 213