Mini Chicken Chimichangas
These Mini Chicken Chimichangas are mini Mexican appetizers filled with creamy chicken and spicy Pepper Jack cheese. Perfect for Cinco De Mayo!
MINI CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS
I recently asked on Facebook what everyone was fixing for Cinco De Mayo appetizers. Half the people were surprised that we in the United States celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Um, yes!
Then I started drooling thinking about nachos, taquitos, 7 Layer Dip, jalapeno poppers, and fundido.
I really have a deep-rooted love for Mexican food and just talking about it makes me happy.
I know I have these Baked Chicken Chimichangas, a chicken recipe that I already love, but I was thinking about making a creamy mini version of a chimichanga was just what I want for a Cinco De Mayo appetizer.
Pepper Jack cheese makes for a spicy little kick big enough for flavor but not too big that your kids won’t eat it.
A little taco seasoning to add some more spice!
If you use soft taco/fajita tortillas to make the chimichangas they turn into two bite appetizers!
As with all chimichangas, the toppings are half of the fun. I HAVE to have guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream on mine. It’s just not the same without it.
The best part about these is that you can totally prepare these ahead of time and then bake right before serving.
Enjoy friends!
OTHER MEXICAN RECIPES:
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- One-Pan Chicken Enchilada Skillet
- Chicken Enchilada Roll Ups
- Easy Beef Burrito Skillet
- Taco Pizza Rolls
- Pico De Gallo
- Homemade Tortillas
Mini Chicken Chimichangas
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon Old El Paso taco seasoning
- 8 ounces Pepper Jack, , shredded (about 2 cups)
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken, (rotisserie works well)
- 16-20 Old El Paso™ Flour Tortillas for Soft Tacos & Fajitas
- 1 tablespoon butter, , melted
- toppings: sour cream, , guacamole, and pico de gallo
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray with cooking spray).
- In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, taco seasoning, Pepper Jack, and chicken. Stir until well combined.
- Place about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Fold the sides in and then roll the tortilla up and place on the baking sheet seam side down. Repeat for remaining tortillas and fillings. Brush with the melted butter.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until chimichangas are golden brown and crispy.
- Top with desired toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
Can they be cooked in Air Fryer?
Yes absolutely!
Can you freeze the chicken mix that you don’t use?
absolutely!
I made these and froze them! Then thawed and baked them…. They were delicious!! So easy to make!!
Thank you!
Good
I prefer beef to chicken. Could these be made with ground beef or shredded beef?
Yes absolutely
Can these be frozen ahead of time and then thrown in the oven? Going to an event and wanted to make these a couple of days out- thanks
Yes they can!
Great easy recipe! But say you broiled them to get that golden brown color! Just saying to bake them at 350 for 15 minutes, will NOT get them looking like your photos.
Mine really got that brown with just baking!
Not a cream cheese person. Did shredded chicken with taco seasoning & a drained can of Rotel. Shredded a bunch of cheddar cheese and filled each one with chicken mixture and lots of cheese. Used low carb tortillas which turned out fine. Overall they were really delicious. My picky 5-year-old was a fan. Will make again. Thanks!!
You’re welcome!
Made for supper and Cinco de Mayo tonight and family is already asking to make it again soon!
Great to hear!
Can these mini chicken chimichangas be frozen?
I froze leftovers and reheated in air fryer to make them crispy again. They turned out great. Dont remember how many minutes, just kept checking on them until I thought they were thawed and crisp enough.
I think your video show 350 oven and up top show 400.
Good catch! Thanks.
SO yes good catch, but which temp is it???
It should be cooked at 350 degrees.
Would canned chicken work in place of rotisserie?
Yes, totally!
What size tortilla?
They are the 6-inch tortillas!
Family love this. I put a little extra chicken in it about 1/2 cup and use taco cheese. We never have leftovers when I make it for dinner.
Sounds delicious!
If I freeze these how should I cook them?
I would thaw on the counter while preheating the oven and bake with maybe 5 minutes added.
Love your recipes
Thanks Connie!
Has anyone cooked these in an air fryer ? If so what temp and how long ?
What size flour tortillas did you use?
The 6-inch tortillas!
Why doesn’t this site have Pinterest? Im not going to print e ery recipe that looks good.
It does. There’s a red P on every photo.
Can you make these ahead of time and freeze them? Uncooked of course
Yes, totally!
I have had this recipe sitting open on my phone for 2 weeks waiting for a night to make these. Let’s just say it was worth the wait! They are sooooo good and beyond easy! I used a bag of Tysons frozen pulled chicken and it worked slick! My husband went to take take the first bite and said is that cream cheese…..I held my breath because I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. He said it was amazing. I suggested a couple things I could try different and he told me not to touch them because they are too good! I have too many leftovers so I will try to freeze and reheat. I will leave an update!
Oh my goodness! That makes me happy!
Absolutely awesome. I use 2 tablespoons of the spicy toco mix. Everyone loves them. I’m going to try freezing before baking. Would love to keep a supply in the freezer for last minute dinners.
Oh that makes me happy!
Has anyone made these with beef?
You could totally make them with beef.
Hi.
They are Southwestern, yes, but they were created in Tucson, Arizona 🙂
Although to most Tucsonans it makes no difference who first made them because they are SO yummy but they are definitely Sonoran American or Mexican-American not Mexican.
Thanks for the great recipes!
Here’s Wikipedia’s info on the subject:
According to one source,[8] Monica Flin, the founder of the Tucson, Arizona, restaurant El Charro, accidentally dropped a burrito into the deep-fat fryer in 1922. She immediately began to utter a Spanish profanity beginning “chi…” (chingada), but quickly stopped herself and instead exclaimed chimichanga, a Spanish equivalent of “thingamajig”.[9]
Woody Johnson, founder of Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen, claims he invented the chimichanga in 1946 when he put some burritos into a deep fryer as an experiment at his original restaurant Woody’s El Nido. These “fried burritos” became so popular that by 1952, when Woody’s El Nido became Macayo’s, the chimichanga was one of the restaurant’s main menu items. Johnson opened Macayo’s in 1952.[2]
It looks so good an easy to make.
Looks great, can’t wait to try.
Yummy… It’s absolutely delicious!
I’m so glad I saved this recipe – I’ve probably made it a dozen times so far! If you guys are rotel fans, I highly suggest adding a can of hot or mild rotel tomatoes to the chicken mixture, so yummy! This is also a great recipe to save and freeze. I individually wrap them instead of baking them all at once and freeze them; it’s perfect for lunches or nights when you don’t know what to make/eat for dinner!
I love hearing that girl!
we love avocado,
we must try this recipe
oooohhhh…soooo good! This recipe is absolutely AMAZING! I don’t know why I never thought of it myself.
Have made these 4 times…everybody loves them…the last time..I added a small can of diced grn chilies…and some green onion…guess you can do whatever suits ya…but these are so easy..convenient…can get them all ready ahead of time…oh my gosh….love them…thx for the recipe…
Thanks. I love them!
I love chimichangas, but at restaurants they’re always so huge. What a great idea to make them mini! Then again, I’d probably use that as an excuse to eat like 3 of them 🙂 Pinning this recipe for sure
Haha. Thanks!
I am making these for my family tonight with a few little sides and I CAN’T WAIT! We are huge “mexican food” lovers (Americanized or traditional) so I know these will be a hit! Thanks for sharing.
Just wanted to update and share that we all enjoyed these little chimichangas. I love how crispy they turn out without having to fry them and the filling was absolutely delicious. Thanks again!
Thank you for coming back and sharing that!
You’re welcome!
Going to try these tonight!
These were a huge hit at a family gathering last week, I had to send recipe to everyone!!
Thank you!
OMG! This is the easiest recipe! AND it is DYUM! This is my second time making them. We had them for dinner and I took the leftovers to work. They microwaved well. Now they weren’t crispy and oven fresh, but they weren’t soggy. They heated up well enough for my teacher friends to wolf them down! As a matter of fact I have some in the oven right now for a pot luck by request!
Sandy,
I love hearing that!! YAY!!
Can you freeze before or after baking?
I would freeze before baking!
My husband needs to eat “gluten free” can these be made with corn tortillas?
Corn tortillas are really hard to fold in this shape but if you can get them to you can definitely use them/
Steam the tortilla’s first then assemble.
Mini Chicken Chimichangas must be delicious, thanks to the recipe
Thank you.
Amazing, and so easy to make, I am 13 years old and just made some for dinner
You’re awesome. Come cook for me!
hey girl – these look amazing! yummy!
Thank you!
I feel like Cinco de Mayo should be an International Holiday. Can that be a thing?
Totally!
Have you tried preparing, baking and then freezing and microwaving these for lunch at the office? If so does it work?
What I’ve found is that if you reheat in the microwave, they’re fine but can get soggy. If you want that crisp chimichanga texture you must bake them!
What about maybe frying them? A Mexican place in my town makes them as an appetizer and fries them with a small cup of queso and they are amazing. Have been getting them everytime I go for years now. Just a food for thought…
But I guess leave the cheese out of the middle and just melt some white cheese? Idk. Help me lol would love to try them fried
Yes, the traditional way is fried but I didn’t want to. You definitely can though.
These look amazing! I need to try them soon!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
They’re so easy!