I love filling them with leftover meats like pulled shredded pork, leftover turkey or chicken, or cooked chopped beef, anything can go in these you like!
Our recipe is also adapted for air frying, or baking also for an easier healthy alternative!
I usually love to make my own homemade Enchiladas Sauce for these also, to pour on top it's a favorite fresh sauce instead of the taco sauce we like!
Scroll down to my recipe card for all these great ideas!
Great Anytime
Chimichangas are the easiest fillings to make from sweet to savory for any weeknight or weekend meal. .
They're perfect for hosting a dinner party and also set up a topping bar for folks to build their own.
The use of leftovers makes them economical and I just love repurposing leftovers for these filling ideas!
These little tortilla-filled bundles are crispy and delicious and we just love our flavorful Spanish Rice as a side dish alongside of these.
Ingredients to keep on hand
- beef ground
- cumin
- chili powder
- olive oil
- flour tortilla
- oil for frying
- flour tortilla
- Options: cooked meats IE ham, pepperoni, cooked bacon, canned meats of any kind leftover, tuna, boiled boneless chicken, or rotisserie chicken off the bone
- shredded or sliced cheeses of any kinds
- salad dressings, sour cream, taco sauce, marinara sauce, buffalo chicken sauce, barbecue sauce
- shredded lettuce
- chopped tomatoes, peppers, olives, or other raw vegetables you like for garnish
- leftovers IE: chili, stews, leftover rotisserie chicken, and/or (cooked beef, pulled pork, burgers, hotdogs, etc) or anything that can be used as a filling
Toppings
- lettuce
- tomato
- sour cream
- jalapenos
- salsa
- diced avocado
- diced onions
- taco sauce
- shredded cheese of any kind
- sliced black olives
- guacamole
Suggestions for Fillings
Note: For leftover casserole fillings, they need to be a thicker style IE chili, and stews, as too much liquid will ruin the pockets. Always add cheeses to those fillings.
Seafood Stuffed
Cooked Shrimp and Scallops or Lobster with shredded cheeses added inside, garnished with jalapeno peppers, olives, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes. sour cream
Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey
Sliced turkey with leftover cranberry sauce, Romaine lettuce, and your favorite cheese.
Steak and Beef
Sliced leftover roast beef or steak can be used for Philly tortilla wraps just add onions, peppers, and cheeses.
Rotisserie chicken:
Ceasar style wraps with dressing: cooked chicken shreds of Parmesan cheese and romaine lettuce
Buffalo chicken hot pockets; cooked chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese chopped and sharp cheddar
Cordon Blue: ham, cheese, cooked chicken
Leftover Hamburgers and Hotdogs:
Cheesedogs: Hotdogs sliced with shredded cheese or a dollop of chili for chili cheese dogs
Hotdogs cut up with sauerkraut, Dubliner cheese shredded, spicy brown mustard
Cheeseburgers, leftover hamburger cut up, shredded cheese, add some condiments of choice
Pork Ideas
Shredded pulled pork hot pockets with barbecue sauce and shredded cheese
Pork with apple slices, sharp cheddar
Shredded pork with Asian sauce and shredded cheese of choice
Sweet Things
Nutella
Peanut butter and jelly
Slices of apples and caramel
Raspberries or other fruit with cream cheese
Bananas, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows
Tips and Cooking Methods
- Use around 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling
- Don't overfill the tortilla
- Always place filling in the center
- Seam side down, to prevent opening and filling spillage
- Always use butter or another flavored spray for crispier flaky pockets before cooking
- For easy cleanup in the oven, place on parchment paper
- If baking in the oven oil spray then bake at 400 degrees for around 10 minutes, keep checking for how brown they are
- (remember everything is already cooked so the tortilla just needs to be fried crisp)
- Use vegetables to mark them when making assorted fillings
- If using an air fryer check the tortilla at 3 minutes, mine took a total of 7 minutes to brown
- If freezing place on a cookie sheet, freeze, and add to freezer bags sheet wax paper or parchment between each. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or reheat foil-wrapped.
Frying with Seam Down
After filling in the center of each tortilla of filling choices, fold both sides to the center and then roll up placing the seam down ( this seals them while frying so the filling won't leak out).
Place seam side down on either parchment paper or in a casserole dish until they are all filled.
Heat the oil, place seam side down, and deep fry in around 2 inches of vegetable oil until the outer shell is crispy.
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Fun for the Whole Family
No matter what kind of filling you pick, there is something for everyone here to enjoy.
My personal favorite is shrimp, scallops, and cheese.
Make everyone get in on the fun and start making healthier homemade hot pockets.
Deep Fried Chimchanga
Yield: 12
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 8 MinTotal time: 18 Min
This is a deep-fried filled flour tortilla with assorted filling recipes. The top is then garnished with sour cream, pico, salsa, and avocado.
Ingredients
- 12 flour tortilla
- 1-1/2 cups of jack cheese
- 3 pounds of ground beef (or use seafood, ground pork, finely diced chicken breast, or ground chicken)
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 can 6 ounce can of tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
- 1 small onion diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the deep fryer to 350 degrees or deep frying pan with 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil.
- Fry the meat you're using in olive oil with all the seasonings and ingredients listed until all the pink is gone (if using chicken the juices should run clear and the internal temperature is 165 degrees).
- Layout all 12 flour tortillas adding the cheese first, filling then roll up with seam down tucking in the sides first before rolling them up.
- After all of them are filling deep fry in oil for 5 to 8 minutes seam side down until browned and crispy.
- Serve with suggestions in the note section below.
Notes
Tips and Cooking Methods
- Use around 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling
- Don't overfill the tortilla
- Always place filling in the center
- Seam side down, to prevent opening and filling spillage
- Always use butter or another flavored spray for crispier flaky pockets before cooking
- For easy cleanup in the oven, place on parchment paper
- If baking in the oven oil spray then bake at 400 degrees for around 10 minutes, keep checking for how brown they are
- (remember everything is already cooked so the tortilla just needs to be fried crisp)
- Use vegetables to mark them when making assorted fillings
- If using an air fryer check the tortilla at 3 minutes, mine took a total of 7 minutes to brown
- If freezing place on a cookie sheet, freeze, and add to freezer bags sheet wax paper or parchment between each. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or reheat foil-wrapped.
Toppings
- lettuce
- tomato
- sour cream
- jalapenos
- salsa
- diced avocado
- diced onions
- taco sauce
- shredded cheese of any kind
- sliced black olives
- guacamole
Suggestions for Fillings
Note: For leftover casserole fillings, they need to be a thicker style IE chili, and stews, as too much liquid will ruin the pockets. Always add cheeses to those fillings.
Seafood Stuffed
Cooked Shrimp and Scallops or Lobster with shredded cheeses added inside, garnished with jalapeno peppers, olives, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes. sour cream
Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey
Sliced turkey with leftover cranberry sauce, Romaine lettuce, and your favorite cheese.
Steak and Beef
Sliced leftover roast beef or steak can be used for Philly tortilla wraps just add onions, peppers, and cheeses.
Rotisserie chicken:
Ceasar style wraps with dressing: cooked chicken shreds of Parmesan cheese and romaine lettuce
Buffalo chicken hot pockets; cooked chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese chopped and sharp cheddar
Cordon Blue: ham, cheese, cooked chicken
Leftover Hamburgers and Hotdogs:
Cheesedogs: Hotdogs sliced with shredded cheese or a dollop of chili for chili cheese dogs
Hotdogs cut up with sauerkraut, Dubliner cheese shredded, spicy brown mustard
Cheeseburgers, leftover hamburger cut up, shredded cheese, add some condiments of choice
Pork Ideas
Shredded pulled pork hot pockets with barbecue sauce and shredded cheese
Pork with apple slices, sharp cheddar
Shredded pork with Asian sauce and shredded cheese of choice
Sweet Things
Nutella
Peanut butter and jelly
Slices of apples and caramel
Raspberries or other fruit with cream cheese
Bananas, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows
Nutrition Facts
Calories
419.79Fat (grams)
27.38Sat. Fat (grams)
10.59Carbs (grams)
18.5Fiber (grams)
1.99Net carbs
16.53Sugar (grams)
2.92Protein (grams)
23.86Sodium (milligrams)
392.68Cholesterol (grams)
84.7
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