Make these Air Fryer Chimichangas for a delicious and healthier version of your favorite Mexican dish. Use your favorite filling and condiments to have a fast and easy weeknight meal everyone will love!
One of my guilty pleasures is ordering a huge fried chimichanga at a Mexican restaurant. The flaky, greasy outside and deliciously filled inside is a combo that's hard to resist like my Doritos Locos Tacos Copycat Recipe. But, it comes with a hefty calorie price that I would rather avoid if possible.
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Why I Love This Recipe
I love these air-fried chimichangas because you still get a crispy outside and a delicious filling inside, but fewer calories and guilt. These come together pretty quickly if you are using meat that has already been cooked like my Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Recipe.
This is a great recipe for leftover meat in the fridge or a quick and easy meal for any weeknight just like my Air Fryer Taquitos. This recipe makes 2 large chimichangas but can easily be doubled.
Key Ingredients for This Recipe
- Flour Tortillas: For chimichangas, you get that unique texture from flour tortillas. Make sure you use burrito-size tortillas so you can stuff them with lots of filling.
- Cooked Meat or Vegetables: This recipe assumes that you have cooked protein or veggies already. This is a great recipe for leftovers!
- Black Beans or Pinto Beans: I think black beans and pinto beans are interchangeable and I love both However, you can use any bean you like, including refried.
- Canned Diced Green Peppers: Canned green chiles add the best flavor to Mexican dishes, especially the ones you want to make quickly. You get the benefit of roasted chiles without all of the work.
*See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Chimichangas in the Air Fryer
Step 1: In a saucepan over medium heat, warm up the meat, beans, and green peppers together.
Step 2: Warm up your tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds so they are warm and pliable. Place half of the filling mixture into the middle of the tortilla. Wrap the tortilla as tightly as you can just like a burrito.
Step 3: Spray the air fryer basket and place both rolled-up tortillas inside. Spray the top of the chimichangas with non-stick spray and air fry them at 350°F (175°C) for 8 minutes.
Step 4: Flip, spray, and heat for another 4 minutes on the other side. Add your favorite toppings and condiments and enjoy!
Filling and Topping Suggestions
For this recipe, I used my Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Beef. You could also use Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas, rotisserie chicken, or ground beef cooked in taco seasoning. If you are not a meat eater, you can stuff these chimichangas with roasted veggies or just beans and rice!
Toppings and condiments are super important in my house and can take an "ok" meal to an amazing meal. Here are some ideas for what to put on top of your chimichangas (or inside):
- salsa
- sour cream
- shredded cheese
- sliced avocados or guacamole
- shredded lettuce
- black olives
- tomatoes
- onions
- fresh cilantro
Which Air Fryer to Use For This Recipe
There are so many different types of air fryers out there now, and each one is slightly different. There are countertop air fryers, air fryer ovens, and air fryer attachments to name a few. They even make full-size ovens that act as air fryers now!!
I use a COSORI Air Fryer (shown below) and I love it. It does take up some counter space so make sure you have room for it. If you want a smaller option, check out the COSORI Small Air Fryer.
What If I Don't Have An Air Fryer?
No Air Fryer? No problem! You can make baked chimichangas in the oven and get a similar result! Brush the top of the chimichangas with butter or olive oil to get a nice brown and crispy outside. Bake at 400ºF for about 25 minutes.
If you get a chance to make these Air Fryer Chimichangas, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me, or leave a review below! You can also follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my e-mail list to receive more fun and delicious recipes right in your inbox.
Air Fryer Chimichangas
Equipment
- foil
Ingredients
- 2 flour tortillas, burrito size
- 1 cup filling of choice: meat or veggies
- ½ can black beans, rinsed (or pinto beans)
- 1 small can of diced green peppers (4 oz. can)
Toppings and Condiments
- salsa
- sour cream
- shredded cheese
- avocado or guacamole
- diced tomatoes and onions
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix the meat, beans, and green peppers together, stirring occasionally.
- Warm-up your tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds so they are warm and pliable. This makes it easier to roll the filling inside. Place half of the filling mixture into the middle of the tortilla, draining as much liquid as you can before you put it on. Wrap the tortilla, nice and tight, just like a burrito.
- Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick and then place the chimichangas inside. Spray the top of them with non-stick spray and cook them at 350°F for 8 minutes. Flip, spray again, and cook for another 4 minutes on the other side. At this point, your chimichangas should be done but if you want them a little more brown, you can cook on the first side for a few more minutes.
- Add your favorite toppings and condiments and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe is assuming you are using meat that has already been cooked. If you need to cook the meat first, this will add a little time to the total.
- You can also brush the top of the chimichangas with butter before cooking if desired.
- Always read the instruction manual that came with your Air Fryer and follow all safety guidelines.
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Sondra Barker says
Thanks for the recipe, looks amazing!
Marina says
What a fantastic recipe, thank u!
Emily says
You are welcome, Marina!
Chef Dennis says
This is making me crave right now!
Emily says
I love this recipe! Thanks for giving me another reason to use my air fryer.
Emily says
Of course! Any excuse to bust out the air fryer, right?