Baked Chicken Chimichangas

These Baked Chicken Chimichangas are full of seasoned chicken, refried beans, tomato sauce, and melty cheese. Baked, not fried, for a crispy, golden finish without the mess! The post Baked Chicken Chimichangas appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Jun 3, 2025 - 15:30

I’ve been making this Baked Chicken Chimichanga recipe for years, and it’s always a hit with both kids and adults. It’s hands-down one of my favorite easy dinners because it’s made with budget-friendly pantry staples like canned tomato sauce, refried beans, and a few simple spices and comes together effortlessly. I like to add a generous helping of cheese, which melts into the filling, turning these chimichangas into an irresistible ooey-gooey dream. I can’t wait for you to try this recipe and make it a staple in your kitchen. Just add your favorite toppings and enjoy your meal!

Overhead view of baked chicken chimichangas in a baking dish topped with sour cream and fresh herbs.

Easy Baked Chicken Chimichangas Recipe

Chimichangas are traditionally made by filling a tortilla, folding it up like a burrito, and deep frying it until crispy. The traditional preparation is delicious, no doubt, but a little messy for everyday cooking, which is why I like to bake mine instead. You still get that golden, crispy outside without the fuss of hot oil. This Mexican-inspired recipe is different from chicken enchiladas, which are usually smothered in sauce and baked soft. Chimichangas keep their crunch and are often served with toppings instead of being baked in sauce.

My version of this dish is filled with seasoned chicken, refried beans, and two types of cheese (Colby Jack and cream cheese!) for a creamy, cheesy, perfectly seasoned filling. I’ve also added some simple variations and substitution ideas below the step-by-step instructions if you want to switch things up!

These are pretty large portions, especially if you serve them with a side! You could absolutely stretch this dish to serve 8 people by slicing each baked chicken chimichanga in half before serving.
As the chicken and cheese are the pricier ingredients in this recipe, feel free to use any type of cheese you already have on hand (it doesn’t have to be Colby Jack!) You could also try reducing the chicken to just one breast and use cooked white rice in place of the second chicken breast. Stir the cooked rice (about 2 cups) into the chicken and sauce mixture before filling the tortillas. It’ll still be super hearty, satisfying, and full of flavor, just a little easier on the grocery bill.

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Baked Chicken Chimichangas

These Baked Chicken Chimichangas are full of seasoned chicken, refried beans, tomato sauce, and melty cheese. Baked, not fried, for a crispy, golden finish without the mess!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican, texmex

Total Cost $11.21 recipe / $2.80 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings (1 each)

Calories 774kcal

Author Melissa Nolan

Equipment

Medium Sauté Pan
8×8 Oven-Safe Baking Dish

Ingredients

2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 oz, $0.08
½ yellow onion small dice (a little under 1 cup, 100g) $0.70
2 garlic cloves minced, 1 Tbsp, $0.12
2 chicken breasts cut into small strips (1.10oz, 500g) $4.34
1 Tbsp chili powder $0.19
½ tsp cumin $0.04
¼ tsp paprika $0.05
¼ tsp salt $0.01
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.04
¼ cup chicken broth 2 oz, $0.02*
1 8 oz can tomato sauce 227g, $0.48**
2 cups Colby Jack cheese shredded (8oz) $1.97
4 oz cream cheese $0.88
1 16 oz can refried beans $1.00
4 large flour tortillas $1.04***
non-stick cooking spray $0.01
¼ cup sour cream $0.24

Instructions

Gather all ingredients and prep chicken and vegetables. Preheat oven to 400°F and grease an 8×8 oven-safe baking dish.
Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken strips and season with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth and reduce the liquid by half, 3-4 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
Once the sauce is thick, turn off the heat and stir in the Colby Jack and cream cheese until melted, 2 minutes.
To assemble the chimichangas, evenly divide the refried beans and spread them on each tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border. Add the meat filling evenly to the center of each, fold in the sides, and roll up like burritos.
Place the wrapped chimichangas, seam side down, into the oven-safe dish. Spray the tops with a cooking spray and bake for 10-15 minutes in the oven until golden brown. Remove them from the oven and top them with sour cream and any additional toppings you like!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I like to use Better Than Bouillon when making broths to keep costs low.

**In the U.S., canned tomato sauce is cooked and pureed tomatoes. Sometimes, it includes salt and very minimal seasonings, but nothing too noticeable. The closest equivalent in other countries is likely passata.

***I use the large, burrito-sized flour tortillas for this recipe.

Nutrition

how to make Baked Chicken Chimichangas step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make homemade baked chicken chimichangas.

Gather all of your ingredients. Preheat your oven to 400°F and grease an 8×8 oven-safe baking dish.

A chicken breast being sliced on a cutting board.

Slice the chicken: If you haven’t already, slice 2 chicken breasts into strips.

Diced onion and minced garlic in a saute pan.

Sauté the onions and garlic: Add 2 Tbsp oil to a medium sauté pan. Heat over medium heat and add ½ a diced onion and 2 minced garlic cloves once the oil is hot. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.

Sliced chicken breast and seasonings added to sauteed onions and garlic in a saute pan.

Cook the chicken: Add the sliced chicken and 1 Tbsp chili powder, ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper to the skillet with the onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Broth being poured into cooked chicken in a saute pan to make baked chicken chimichnagas.

Deglaze the pan: Pour ¼ cup chicken broth into the skillet to deglaze the pan. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.

Canned tomato sauce added to a skillet with the filling for baked chicken chimichangas.

Make the sauce: Now add the 8oz can of tomato sauce and simmer for a further 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.

Cream cheese and shredded colby jack added to a skillet with seasoned chicken and tomato sauce.

Once your sauce is nicely thickened, turn the heat off. Stir in the 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese and 4 oz cream cheese until melted and combined, about 2 minutes.

Four flour tortillas lay flat on a work surface, with refried beans spread on top and a spoon adding chicken chimichanga filling on top.

Assemble: Evenly divide the 16oz can of refried beans and spread them across 4 large flour tortillas, leaving a 2-inch border all the way around the edge. Top each tortilla with the chicken filling equally.

A hand folding homemade chicken chimichangas.

Fold the sides of each tortilla over the filling and roll them up like a burrito. Place each rolled chimichanga seam side down into your prepared oven-safe dish.

Folded chicken chimichangas in a baking dish, topped with cooking oil spray.

Now spray the tops with cooking spray.

Finished baked chicken chimichangas in a baking dish.

Bake: Place the baking dish into your preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Top with ¼ cup sour cream and any other toppings you love (I’ve shared some ideas below), and serve! Enjoy.

Overhead view of a baked chicken chimichanga sliced in half on a plate with Spanish rice and shredded lettuce.

If you want to make this recipe even easier, you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken! Just make the creamy sauce as directed, add the chicken, and then fill your tortillas.
Feel free to play with the spices. Add more cumin if you’re a big fan like me, or even add some cayenne if you like it spicy!
You can substitute the Colby Jack for cheddar or any other cheese in your fridge.
Try making your own refried beans by following our easy slow cooker (not) refried beans recipe. It makes a TON (about three 15oz. size cans worth) and is perfect for stocking the freezer.
Swap the chicken in this recipe for equal amounts ground chicken or beef (browned and drained before adding the tomato sauce), pulled pork, or beans and rice (see our bean and cheese burritos recipe as an example!)

Topping Ideas

I always top these homemade baked chicken chimichangas with sour cream at a minimum. But honestly, the toppings are some of the best parts! Here are some topping ideas I love:

Salsa
Pickled jalapeños
Sliced green onions
Guacamole
Fresh cilantro
Diced avocado
Queso dip
Pico de gallo

Serving Suggestions

If I’m stretching this recipe to serve more people or hoping for leftovers, I always serve it with a side. Spanish rice and shredded lettuce are my usual choices, but I also love our street corn salad, too. And if I’ve gone a little overboard with toppings (if that’s even possible?!), I’ll crisp up a few extra tortillas in the air fryer to make air fryer tortilla chips for scooping up all the extras.

Storage, Meal-prep & Reheating

Leftover baked chicken chimichangas can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months (let them thaw in the fridge before reheating). Reheat in the oven or air fryer until warmed through and crisp again.

For meal prep, you can either freeze fully assembled (unbaked) chimichangas, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months or just freeze the cooled filling in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge, assemble, and bake following the directions. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time as the filling is cold. Cover with foil if the tops start to brown too quickly.