This is one of my favorite Tex-Mex meals of all time … it’s a super-crispy flour tortilla stuffed full of flavorful shredded beef and cheese. Best of all, these chimi’s are oven baked, not deep fried!
Cliff Notes:
Prepare spice rub and apply to a roast. After browning thoroughly, cook in an Instant Pot for 75 minutes or until tender and falling apart; shred and season with chipotle puree, additional seasoning mix, and some of the cooking liquid. Warm flour tortillas in oil until soft and pliant. Fill with grated cheese and shredded beef, and bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until crispy.
Make It Your Way:
– Use a different meat … chicken and pork both work really well.
– Make it as spicy or as mild as you like. Add extra chipotle, cayenne, jalapeños, or leave the chilis out completely for a milder version.
– Add veggies: mix in cooked carrots, cauliflower, spinach, corn, or beans.
– Serve with a sauce … queso cheese sauce, enchilada sauce, or salsa verde.
Simplify It:
– Use seasoned ground beef instead of shredded beef
– Buy a pre-made spice blend instead of making your own
– Use leftover pot roast and add seasonings and peppers
– Freeze the baked chimichangas and reheat in the oven for a quick and easy dinner
When I was pregnant with my first-born son, I ate chimichangas as often as I possibly could. The crispiness of the fried tortilla that enclosed that was filled with spicy meat and cheese was heaven on a plate. And though I would have preferred to save money and make them myself, the idea of trying to deep fry them at home seemed like a disaster waiting to happen – I had no idea how to keep them closed in the frying oil. But then I happened upon a paper-back cookbook in the grocery store, and it contained a method for getting them super crispy in the oven. I was hooked!
It’s a modified frying method – prior to filling the tortillas, you briefly immerse them in a bit of warm oil on the stove, until they are soft and just starting to puff up. Then they get filled with grated cheese and meat, folded into a cute little bundle of deliciousness, and baked until they’re golden and crispy. But the absolute best part of these is how well they reheat in the oven or air fryer, both from the fridge or the freezer.
The recipe below gives directions for cooking the shredded beef in an Instant Pot®, but also includes options for cooking the shredded beef in a slow cooker or in the oven. But don’t limit yourself to shredded beef – try chicken or pork. I’ve even seasoned leftover pot roast and used that. And, if you’re watching your carbs, you’re in luck … this method works just as well with low-carb flour tortillas!
Tex-Mex Shredded Beef Chimichangas
Ingredients
- FOR THE SEASONING MIX:
- 2 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns (or 1 1/2 Tablespoons pre-ground Black Pepper)
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ———————
- FOR THE SHREDDED BEEF:
- 1 1/2-2 lb Beef Roast (chuck or tri-tip)
- 2-3 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
- 1 cup Beef Stock
- 2 Tablespoons Chipotle Puree (or to taste)
- 2 Tablespoons Seasoning Mix
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 cup Onion, chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
- FOR ASSEMBLY:
- 1 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
- 1 cup grated Monterrey Jack Cheese
- 1/2 cup Reserved Cooking Liquid (from cooking the beef)
- 12 Flour Tortillas
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- FOR THE SPICE MIX:
- Using a coffee or spice grinder, grind up peppercorns until they are a coarse grind. Add remainder of spice mix ingredients and blend thoroughly.
- ———————
- FOR THE SHREDDED BEEF:
- Rub seasoning mix generously over the roast. Brown all sides of the roast in oil, then place roast in the Instant Pot.
- Mix the beef stock, chipotle puree, and seasoning mix together, and pour over roast.
- Close lid and set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 75 minutes.
- Let the pressure naturally release. Remove roast from Instant Pot and set aside to cool. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
- When cool, use two forks to shred the roast.
- Sautee onion and garlic in butter until soft.
- Add onion and garlic to shredded beef, along with the reserved cooking liquid.
- ———————
- ASSEMBLY:
- Mix the cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese together in a bowl.
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil or silpat.
- Heat oil over medium low heat in a shallow skillet. Working with one tortilla at a time:
- * Dip tortilla into warm oil for a few seconds until it becomes warm and very pliant, but does not crisp.
- * Place 2 Tablespoons grated cheese in the middle of the tortilla, then add 3-4 Tablespoons shredded beef on top.
- * Fold the two sides in to the middle, then fold the other two edges in, making sure they overlap.
- * Place the chimichanga on the baking pan, open side down.
- * Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- * Sprinkle tops with a bit of grated cheese.
- Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes until tortillas are browned and crispy.
- ———————
- Serve with sour cream and salsa, or cool down, then freeze to reheat and serve later.
- ———————
- And here’s the video!
Notes
**Slow Cooker: Cook the roast on high for approximately 4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.
**Oven-Braise: Braise in oven at 275° for 4-5 hours.