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Crispy chicken chimichangas (air fryer or baked) are a healthier twist on the Tex-Mex favorite! They’re filled with cheese, green chiles, and seasoned shredded chicken, then topped with fresh pico de gallo.
Air Fryer Chicken Chimichanga Recipe
These chimichangas are a recipe from The Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook: The 75 Best Healthy Recipes for Your Air Fryer, but I just had to share them here too. When I was testing these chimichangas for my cookbook, Tommy was a very happy man. They are really so delicious, and come together pretty quickly and they’re loaded with protein. They are great to make anytime you have leftover chicken.
To simplify this for a quick weeknight meal, I used the breast of a cooked rotisserie chicken but you can make your own shredded chicken in the slow cooker by covering the chicken breast with broth and cooking them on high 3 to 4 hours. To finish them, they are delicious with a dollop of sour cream, pico de gallo and avocado.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Chimichanga Recipe
- No deep frying needed. Traditional chimichangas get their crispy exterior from deep frying, but my version is air fried (or baked). They’re still crispy, but lightened up—and they don’t have that oily deep fried flavor to them.
- Family-friendly. Your whole family is going to love these chicken chimichangas. Between the tender seasoned chicken, melty cheesy, and crispy tortilla, they are impossible to resist.
- Quick and easy. You can have these chimichangas on the table in a little over 30 minutes. Pair them with a simple side dish and you’ve got the perfect weeknight dinner.
- High Protein. Each serving has 40 grams of protein which means they’ll fill you up!
What You’ll Need
This is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make air fried chimichangas. Scroll down to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
For the Pico de Gallo
- Tomato – the star of the show
- Onion – Chop this finely so it’s evenly distributed.
- Fresh cilantro – Not a fan of cilantro? You can omit this.
- Fresh lime juice – The lime juice will mellow the flavor of the raw onion.
- Kosher salt and black pepper
For The Chimichangas
- Shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken breast
- Citrus juice – You’ll need the juice from half of an orange and half of a lime.
- Garlic – for flavor
- Ground cumin – adds a great earthy taste
- Mild diced green chilies – If you want more heat, you can pick up a can of hot chilies instead.
- Low-carb whole wheat flour tortillas – I like the tortillas from La Tortilla Factory.
- Shredded pepper Jack cheese – Jack cheeses are very melty and pepper jack adds a bit of a kick, so it’s my favorite for these chimichangas. That said, you can use another cheese you like like cheddar cheese or Monterey jack cheese.
- Olive oil spray
- Lettuce, sour cream, and avocado – For serving.
How to Make Chicken Chimichangas
See the recipe card below for printable instructions.
- Make the pico de gallo. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Make the chimichanga filling. Stir together the chicken, juices, garlic, cumin, and drained chiles.
- Assemble. Divide the chicken mixture onto the center of the tortilla, then top with cheese. Roll up the chimichangas like burritos.
- Cook. Spray the chimichangas with oil and place two of them seam-side-down in the air fryer basket. Cook at 400ºF for 7 to 8 minutes until golden brown, flipping halfway through the cooking time, then repeat with the remaining chimichangas.
- Serve. Divide the lettuce onto plates, then add the chimichangas, pico de gallo, sour cream, avocado, and cilantro.
Tips and Variations
- Bake them in the oven. If you don’t have an air fryer or want to cook all of the chimichangas at the same time, you can bake them in a 400ºF oven on a baking sheet for 18 to 20 minutes or brown them on a skillet on medium-high heat.
- Skip the homemade pico de gallo. Shave some prep time from this recipe by using store-bought pico de gallo or salsa instead of making your own. Or try it with guacamole!
- Roll tightly. The key to chicken chimichangas (and burritos) that don’t fall apart is to roll them tightly. As you roll, tuck the filling in towards the center instead of letting the rolling push it out to the edges.
- Switch up the filling. Leave out the chicken and add beans or shredded pork instead, or experiment with other filling ideas.
- Coat evenly with the cooking spray. This is important to get an evenly crispy exterior.
What to Serve with Chicken Chimichangas
To make it a meal, serve these chimichangas with a side of Cilantro Lime Rice, Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice or Instant Pot Refried Beans. A light salad would also make a great side dish—try this Mexican-Inspired Grilled Corn Salad with Cotija or Corn Tomato Avocado Salad.
Proper Storage
- Store: Store leftover chicken chimichangas in an airtight container or wrapped in foil in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Thaw frozen chimichangas in the refrigerator. Reheat in the air fryer at 350ºF until warmed through and crispy on the outside.
More Air Fryer Recipes
Chicken Chimichangas
Crispy air fryer chicken chimichangas (or baked) are a healthier twist on the Tex-Mex classic and so easy to make! Filled with cheese, green chiles, and seasoned chicken.
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1 chimichanga + toppings
Ingredients
For The Pico de Gallo
- 1/2 cup diced tomato
- 3 tablespoons chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper, Freshly ground
For The Chimichangas
- 12 ounces chicken breast, shredded leftover or rotisserie
- Juice of 1/2 navel orange
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 (4 oz) can mild diced green chiles, drained
- 4 low-carb whole wheat tortillas, (I used La Tortilla Factory) 7- to 8-inches each
- 1/2 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese, 2 oz total
- Olive oil spray
- 3 cups shredded lettuce
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
- 4 ounces avocado, from 1 small Hass, diced
Instructions
- For the pico de gallo: In a small bowl, combine the tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
- For the chimichangas: In a large bowl, combine the chicken, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and drained chiles. Mix well to incorporate.
- On a work surface, working with one at a time, place one-quarter of the chicken mixture (almost 3/4 cuonto the bottom third of a tortilla. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons cheese. Lift the edge nearest you and wrap it around the filling. Fold the left and right sides in toward the center and continue to roll into a tight cylinder. Set aside, seam side down, and repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Lightly spray all sides of the chimichangas with oil. Place 2 of the chimichangas seam side down in the air fryer basket. (Make sure each chimichanga is tightly wrapped and seam side down in the basket or it will open during cooking.) Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp. (For a toaster oven–style air fryer, cook at 350°F; the timing remains the same.) Repeat with the remaining chimichangas.
- To serve: Place 3/4 cup shredded lettuce on each plate. Place a chimichanga on top, along with 2 tablespoons pico de gallo, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and 1 ounce avocado. Garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.
Baked Method
- To bake in the oven, bake in a preheated oven 400F 18 to 20 minutes.
Last Step:
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Nutrition
Serving: 1 chimichanga + toppings, Calories: 391 kcal, Carbohydrates: 30 g, Protein: 40 g, Fat: 18.5 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 93 mg, Sodium: 716 mg, Fiber: 16.5 g, Sugar: 5 g
