Mexican food always get the bad rap of being unhealthy -- it's too oily, high in cholesterol, etc, etc. But I love Mexican cuisine and I just couldn't bear not eating my favorite empanadas, tortillas, chimichangas and burritos for "health" reasons! Thank god I stumbled on a copycat recipe of Chi−Chi’s famous healthy Baked Chicken Chimichangas. Nomnomnom! =) You can use ground pork or beef for this recipe but that would defeat the purpose of eating healthy so try to use chicken or turkey or any white meat. Me, I use leftover chicken -- no skin of course!
Baked Chicken Chimichangas
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chicken, cooked, shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
16 ounces salsa
1/2 teaspoon cumin
pinch of salt
6 − 10 inch flour tortillas
1 cup refried beans
Olive oil (for basting)
Sour Cream
Guacamole
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in chili powder, salsa, and cumin. Stir in shredded chicken. Let cool.
3. Grease rimmed 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan.
4. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon a heaping tablespoon of beans down center of each tortilla. Top with a scant 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture.
5. Fold up the bottom, top and sides of tortilla; secure with wooden toothpicks if necessary.
6. Place chimichangas in greased baking pan, seam side down. Brush all sides with the oil.
7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, turning every 5 minutes.
8. Serve with sour cream and guacamole. This recipe has 8-10 servings.
photo credit: Janet is Hungry
Baked Chicken Chimichangas
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chicken, cooked, shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
16 ounces salsa
1/2 teaspoon cumin
pinch of salt
6 − 10 inch flour tortillas
1 cup refried beans
Olive oil (for basting)
Sour Cream
Guacamole
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in chili powder, salsa, and cumin. Stir in shredded chicken. Let cool.
3. Grease rimmed 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan.
4. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon a heaping tablespoon of beans down center of each tortilla. Top with a scant 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture.
5. Fold up the bottom, top and sides of tortilla; secure with wooden toothpicks if necessary.
6. Place chimichangas in greased baking pan, seam side down. Brush all sides with the oil.
7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, turning every 5 minutes.
8. Serve with sour cream and guacamole. This recipe has 8-10 servings.