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Looking for an easy dinner recipe for Taco Tuesday? Try these Baked Turkey Chimichangas with beans, corn and cheese. Dinner in under 30 minutes!

When busy days hit and I’m not sure what to put on the dinner table, I often turn to Mexican food. We’ve shared our easy chicken chimichangas that are lightly fried in pan, but these turkey chimichangas are baked which allows for a lighter dinner.

Who invented chimichangas?

According to Wikipedia, there are two different possibilities for how the chimichanga came about. One is that a restaurant owner in Arizona (in 1922) accidently dropped a burrito in the fryer. She exclaimed “chimichanga!” and the tasty dish was born.

Another claim is that a different Arizona restaurant founder got creative and tried deep frying a burrito (in 1946) and they quickly grew in popularity and were a main menu item.

Either way, the chimichanga is a classic Tex-Mex recipe that many have come to love.

What is the difference between enchiladas and chimichangas?

Chimichangas are deep fried burritos. Burritos are fairly easy to make so it is just taking it one more step and putting them in the deep fryer.

Enchiladas are more like a casserole because they have meat and cheese rolled in a tortilla, then topped with a sauce, then baked.

They are two different types of foods and take two different types of preparation.

How to Make Chimichangas Healthier

Today we’re sharing a recipe for baked turkey chimichangas. We use ground turkey to lighten up the filling, then instead of deep frying, we bake them. You get the same crunchy exterior without all of the fat.

You could also use your air fryer for this recipe!

How to Make Baked Turkey Chimichangas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat oil over medium high and add in onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until onions begin to soften and turn translucent.
Add in ground turkey and adobo seasoning. Continue cooking 5-6 minutes, stirring as needed, until turkey browns and is cooked through. Add the corn and tomato paste. Mix well. Remove from heat.

Add a tablespoon of refried beans to the center of the tortillas, spread it out over the half of the inside radius of the tortilla. Next, layer over it about 2-3 tablespoons of ground turkey mixture, next, top with 2 tablespoons of cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Fold tortilla over like a burrito, ensuring the ends are tucked in and place the chimichangas seam side down over a baking pan. Repeat with all chimichangas.
Spray the top of the chimichangas with cooking spray, this helps keep it from burning and gives it a beautiful golden color.

rolled tortillas on wooden cutting board

Bake for 20 minutes for cheese to melt and everything to heat through.
If desired, place under the broiler for up to a minute for a gentle smokey roasted taste.
Serve warm.

How do you keep chimichangas crispy?

In order to keep chimichangas crispy, whether you are baking, frying or air frying, place the chimichangas on a wire rack after they bake so air can circulate underneath them. Serve them as close to the time that you cook them as possible.

If you’ve fried the chimichangas, make sure you place paper towels underneath so you can catch any oil drips.

How do you eat chimichangas?

Chimichangas are often a hand-held food. You can simply pick it up and eat it!

In restaurants, chimichangas will often be topped with a white cheese sauce or other sauce. In this case, you’ll want to eat the chimichanga with a fork and knife.

What do you eat with chimichangas?

We like to serve chimichangas with a side of tortilla chips and our favorite salsa. You can also serve with these Mexican side dishes:

Other Mexican Recipes