How to make a chimichanga. A crispy fried Mexican burrito!

Man chimichangas are good. Take all the goodness of a burrito...and fry it! Maybe not a great option for everyday, but once in a while, a chimichanga sure hits the spot.

Chimichangas are not at all hard to make either. The problem most people have while making a chimichanga, is that the tortilla comes apart during the frying, and it ends up a goopy mess. The secret to making a chimichanga, is using a flour and water "glue" to stick the tortilla together.

This recipe is for a chicken chimichanga, but it can be made a vegetarian option simply by omitting the chicken. Alternatively, beef and pork also taste great in a chimichanga.

Grilled chicken chimichanga recipe

• 8 flour tortillas
• 2 grilled chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• One onion, and 2 sweet peppers sliced and sautéed until soft
• About 1/2 lb of mozzarella or Monterey jack, grated
• Refried beans
• Vegetable oil for frying
• A flour and water paste mixed to make thick "glue"

A few easy steps to chimichanga heaven!

1. Lay out all 8 tortillas on a work surface. You're going to put all the ingredients onto these and roll them up for frying. You want to pile all the ingredients in the very center of the tortilla, not edge to edge as you would for a burrito; this is so you will be able to roll it up and seal it later.
2. Add a couple of spoonfuls of refried beans into the center of your tortillas, and then divide up all the other filling ingredients into piles on top of the beans.
3. Take one of the tortillas, and roll it over once. Add some of your flour glue to the two ends, and fold them in towards the center. Roll it again, and use some more glue to seal off the edge. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. If your tortillas are breaking, you can warm them up in the microwave a bit first, to make them more pliable.
4. Heat some oil in a skillet. You can either deep fry these, or shallow fry them in a skillet. The deep fry method is better, but most people at home prefer the shallow fry method. These instructions are for the shallow frying method. You want to add about an inch of oil to your deep skillet, and heat it up over medium heat. When hot, (a little piece of tortilla starts bubbling immediately when dropped into the oil), add your chimichangas.
5. You will probably need to do this in about three batches, as you don't want to over crowd the skillet and drop the oil temperature down too much. Fry for about 2 minute's per side, or until crispy and golden brown.

Enjoy these with your favorite salsa, hot sauces, guacamole etc.

These will definitely become a family favorite!