Make this Easy Oven-Baked Chimichangas recipe for a delicous, and versatile, family dinner! This oven-baked version is a healthier option than the traditional chimichangas (deep-fried burrito).
This post is part of a sponsored campaign on behalf of Lundberg Family Farms and Brandfluential.
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I’m not sure if what I do is actual “resolutions”, but I enjoy starting fresh in the new year and thinking about the changes I want to make. This year, I decided to work on something I haven’t done enough. I’ve started making better food choices and learning more about the ingredients on the items I buy. I have a LOT to learn, but I’m determined to make 2014 a year that I get a bit more personal with whole, real foods.
While I’m continuing to cook new recipes as usual, I have some old favorites that have been getting a makeover. One of those meals is Oven-Baked Chimichangas — which are traditionally a deep-fried burrito. I’ve been baking them for years though, which no doubt makes them healthier, but there was still other areas to improve this meal.
One change I’ve made is that I make them with 100% Whole Wheat Tortillas. Only one of my kids even mentioned the change — my oldest son said “Thanks, Mom…those were good. But I could tell you used a healthy tortilla or something”. I’ll take that as a compliment, especially since he ate THREE of them.
One of the fillings we almost always use for chimichangas is Spanish rice — my husband’s favorite. While I know how to make homemade Spanish rice, I usually pick up a packaged rice dish. Homemade Spanish rice is not hard, but the simplicity of a boxed rice entree makes my life even easier and pretty much guarantees a successful outcome.
Prior to a few weeks ago, I had bought a variety of Spanish Rice boxed dishes…never once paying attention to the ingredients. But now that I am paying attention, I have found a product that I never noticed before: Lundberg Family Farms Organic Whole Grain Southwestern Rice. It’s an organic, whole grain rice dish that works great as a side dish or as part of a main dish, such as in the case of our chimichangas.
One of the things I liked the most about the Lundberg Southwestern Rice (and their other products) is that the ingredient list was short AND I could understand and read all the words on the the box. It might seem like such a little thing, but really, this is huge! Now that I’m reading labels more, I find my fair share of ingredient lists with items I can’t pronounce. Not the case with the Lundberg Rice.
One box of Lundberg Southwestern Rice is plenty for making this Easy Oven Baked Chimichangas recipe for a family of 6 — and maybe even more. As you seen the photo before, it has black beans and corn included, so I was able to skip making a pot of beans for our chimichangas. The seasonings are perfect and not spicy hot. My youngest son is always the official “is it spicy” taste tester and he liked it, so it gets a big thumbs up from him.
In addition to the Lundberg rice entree, you’ll just need 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast that is cut into thin strips. You’ll also want some colorful bell peppers (I used 3: orange, red, and yellow), plus a medium onion. All this is cooked in a skillet and seasoned with a simple blend of chili pepper, cayenne, cumin, and garlic powder (a homemade taco seasoning I make).
To make the chimichangas, you’ll lay a line of your chicken mixture on a 100% whole wheat tortilla. You top that with the Southwestern Rice. If you wish, you can add some shredded cheese. I say “if you wish” but what I really mean is ADD SOME SHREDDED CHEESE. Ok, you don’t have to, but cheese rocks, especially in a chimichanga. Feel free to skip is you want to save the fat or calories.
The chimichangas are rolled up and placed on a greased baking sheet. The tops are sprayed or lightly brushed with olive oil or grapeseed oil (I sprayed with grapeseed oil) and baked until brown and crispy.
We like to serve our Oven Baked Chimichangas with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. If you’ve read any of my other posts, you already know what my youngest dipped his chimichanga in — all hail the ketchup king. We also usually have tortilla chips to go along with it, as well as some fresh fruit.
I’ve included the complete recipe below, but the great thing about this recipe is how versatile it is. Here’s more filling ideas:
- Refried Beans
- Black Beans
- Thinly sliced steak
- Ground beef or turkey
- Any leftover meat (such as from a roasted chicken)
- Rotisserie whole chicken (buy at grocery store, take meat off bones)
- Shredded meat — pork, chicken, beef
- Roasted vegetables (zucchini, corn, sweet potato, etc)
- ….your own idea! What are your ideas?
Easy Oven-Baked Chimichangas Recipe
PrintEasy Oven-Baked Chimichangas Recipe
Description
Make this Easy Oven-Baked Chimichangas recipe for a delicous, and versatile, family dinner! This oven-baked version is a healthier option than the traditional chimichangas (deep-fried burrito).
Ingredients
- 1 box Lundberg Organic Whole Grain Southwestern Rice
- 1 pound boneless (cut into thin strips, skinless chicken breast)
- 3 small bell peppers (seeded and sliced)
- 1 medium onion (sliced)
- 6 100 % whole wheat tortillas (approximately 9″ size)
- Olive Oil (Grapeseed Oil, or Cooking Spray of your choice)
- Optional: shredded cheese (sour cream, guacamole, etc.)
Seasoning
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- Prepare rice entree according to package instructions and set aside. Mix seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Grease a large baking sheets with oil or cooking spray. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a large skillet, heat approximately 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add chicken strips and cook until no longer pink and starting to brown. Add bell pepper and onion to chicken and cook over low heat just until vegetables are just barely tender-crisp (don’t over cook). If any liquid remains in pan, drain it off. Sprinkle chicken/veggies with seasoning and drizzle 1-2 tablespoons water over seasoning. Stir to combine with chicken/veggies.
- Lay one tortillas on clean work space or counter top. Place approximately 1/2 cup of chicken & vegetable mixture in the middle of the tortilla, in a line. Place approximately 1/4 cup of rice on top of chicken. Top with shredded cheese if desired.
- Fold opposite sides of the tortilla (near each side of the “line” of ingredients) inward towards the center. Fold bottom edge (edge closest to you) of tortilla over filling. Roll until filling is completely enclosed. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Repeat with additional tortillas. When all tortillas have been filled, spray or brush tops and sides of chimichangas generously.
- Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, turn chimichangas over once after about 5-7 minutes. Bake until browned and crispy. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc.
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Stephanie says
These sound SO good- and perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
creativejewishmom/sara says
looks amazing, of course in my case, no cheese with the chicken, but i’m sure it is still quite delicious, thanks for sharing on craft schooling sunday!
Melanie Comello says
It’s important to me and my family because i believe giving my daughter healthier choices while she’s young will make her food habits, a lot healthier when she grows up.and starts her own family. I’m hoping to instill a healthier lifestyle from the getgo. Hoping for the best 😉
Tamra H says
Real Food is important to me because I’m trying to make healthier eating decisions!
Paula @ Frosted Fingers says
Real food is important because I have growing kids and I’d like to keep as many chemicals and nasty things out of their bodies as possible
Matt T says
Who wants to eat junk made of nothing but chemicals with 14 syllables in their name? Real food is real good.
Vikki Billings says
Its important to us because it is healthier for us and with fresh ingredients it tastes so much better.
Sarah L says
I buy organic foods to stay away from pesticides and GMO stuff.
Thanks for the contest.
Vicki Andrew says
real food helps keep us happy plus it tastes better than processed
Roxann says
It is important because it is more nutritious and better for your health.
Jennifer says
Simple – it’s better for our bodies, and it makes us feel good to eat!
Kobi Hensley says
With two people who have food allergies in our family eating natural/whole foods is very important. We need to know what we are eating
Jo Ann F says
It is very important because it is healthier!
jofo120 at yahoo dot com
Tina M says
because it keep us healthy
Tian A. says
Real food is important for my family because as stay at home mom, I want to give the best for my family besides we have strict diet foods.
Paula Michele Hafner says
It’s better for you. I also have to cook most things from scratch since one of my daughters has a deadly allergy to red food dye and a milder allergy to blue and certain yellow dyes. Food dyes are in so many products.
Elena says
real food is important to me because I want to be healthy
Sourire says
This recipe doesn’t include salt as an ingredient. I thought it was weird, but I made the chimichangas without salt and it was delicious!!!
Sonya Morris says
Real food tastes better! After making most of our food from scratch I can hardly stand to eat processed food anymore without feeling yucky.
Danielle says
Because it is the healthiest and most natural way to eat.
Susan Chester says
Not only does real food taste and look better it is also much healthier!
Jennai says
It’s important because I want the best for my family and real food is, is, of course, much healthier. Tastes better, too.
amy pugmire says
Its important because we want to live a healthy long life and I always want to know what we are putting in our mouths.
Jannelle Hurney says
Eating real, organic food promotes and supports good health. I know my health has improved since I started changing my diet!
courtney b says
its healthy and healthy food gives you energy to get through your tough day !:)
ellen beck says
Its important because it is cleaner, not processed and in general healthier. Being a gardener I appreciate good fresh foods!
Wanda McHenry says
Real food is important because additives and preservatives are dangerous to your health.
Tamar says
Because it keeps my weight in check 🙂
McKim says
I’m a diabetic, so try to eat healthy.
Geoff K says
Because we have so much more energy, healthier digestion, and no unexpected side effects when we know exactly what’s going into our bodies!
alyce poalillo says
I believe we are what we eat and therefore it is critical to eat the best food one can.
Jay P says
Healthy eating is always important
Adrienne Gordon says
we love kale and quinoa
Christie Kammerer says
It just seems healthier without a bunch of preservatives and things I cant pronounce. LOL
Joseph Gersch says
Real food is important for our health
Jenna D says
I love my body and I want to keep it healthy and strong, no hormones or additives in my food.
Kaitlin says
Such a great idea! I love chimichangas, but I’ve never made them because I’m afraid of all that hot oil
Holly H says
I grew up eating nothing but processed and fast foods and I don’t want my kids to eat that way.
Brittany Koelmel says
Eating healthy is one of the most important things you can do for your body!
Amy S says
Eating healthy foods makes our bodies feel better!
Jennifer Brown says
Whole food is important because I believe you are what you eat!
Melanie Montgomery says
I want to make sure we’re getting the best nutrition for our bodies.
Tina W says
I have a ton of allergies, so knowing what goes into my food and how it was grown just makes good practical sense.
Deb Christie says
Real Food is important to us because it is healthier and really it just tastes better. Both are important.
Julie says
I like to know whats in my food thanks
Sarah Hall says
I grew up with a Mom who served a lot of veggies and fruit and very little sweets and snacks. All of her kids were healthy and strong and this is what I want for my kids, too.
Realia M says
im a fan of real food bc the “fake food” noticeably upsets my stomach
Vera K says
Real food is important because you just feel so much better.
Mary Beth Elderton says
Real food is what we need to be alive…for real. It is obvious from our health statistics that something is gravely wrong, and I think it is largely due the additives, preservative, processing, etc of our “food.”
Lisa Brown says
it’s important because it is healthy for you and simpler to utilize when preparing meals.
Angel says
Real food is important to every day health, knowing where food was sourced and that it is free of additives is essential.
Phyllis says
As I get older, I am more careful about what we eat so we can stay healthy.
Dani says
Real food is important for my family because we like to eat nutritious, good foods that not only taste good but are good for us.
Mary Happymommy says
Real food is important because of the health benefits.
Carolsue says
Of course Real Food is important to me and my family — foods without all the preservatives taste so much fresher and are so much tastier in my opinion!
Jessie C. says
Real food is essential for my family because we want to live a healthy and happy life!
Bea says
Fresh ,I have 2 grandchildren with allergies, now it’s a matter of severe health problems. It tastes so much better also. It is like going back to basics.
meredith says
Its important for me to feed my family healthy nutritious food
Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons says
These look so great, Brandie! I love how crunchy they look on the outside. I think I’d like these even more than the fried version.
Thomas Murphy says
It is important because it is healthy.
Amanda Sakovitz says
It’s important because we are trying to be healthier and real food definitely makes us feel better.
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious says
I love making baked chimichangas! Mexican food is my favorite!
Denise m says
real food is important to us because we have food allergies and processed packaged foods make us all feel bad
Mariaelena says
Real food is important to me because I like giving the best for their growing bodies!
Deanna says
Being pregnant, real food is extremely important to me to nourish myself and baby.
Mike says
These look delicious!
Lolli @ Better in Bulk says
Real food is food the way our bodies were meant to eat and grow and thrive. As a mom, that’s important to me. I haven’t had a chimichanga in years (it used to be my favorite thing to order at mexican restaurants) and now I MUST try these!
Cheryl F. says
Real food is important to us because we’re getting older and starting to experience some health issues.
Jake B says
Real food means you know whats going into your body not any manufactured mystery
Wendy | Around My Family Table says
These look great….love that they are baked and not fried.
Amy Z. says
Real food is important to us because it’s healthier and more nutritious – and it doesn’t contain all the preservatives and other ingredients that are unnecessary!
Shana D says
We try to live a healthy lifestyle and with fast food and convenient foods at every corner it’s not always easy. Mixing up fresh foods keeps it interesting and the kids pallet open. Not only has it helped in our healthy lifestyle but it helps with my daughter and husbands allergies.
Jacob LaFountaine says
Just seems like real food would be a better fuel for your body. Less chemicals and waste must make some difference long term
Carolyn says
Real Food keeps us healthy!
Betsy says
I’m going to make a freezer version of these! Looks awesome!
Stephanie Gossett says
Real food has become very important to my family of 6. My husband and I have lost a total of 137 pounds this past year in an effort to be healthy and good examples for our daughters. We have really talked about it, and they are worth it to us to serve them real and healthy food. Winning this would be a dream come true for us, and help us to raise our daughters with health!
beachmommy915 at gmail dot com
Heather Hayes Panjon says
Real Food Is Important To Me And My Family Because It Is Healthy And Offers Many Benefits To Keep Us Healthy.
Camille says
Real food is important to me because I like to know what we’re putting in our bodies!
rayraycartucci says
OMG…those look so good! I just want to win some….could you mail some chimichangas to me??? Real food is important to me because I used to eat badly and I got many health issues because of it but now I eat healthy..lost 100 pounds last year and I am completely healthy now! AWESOME!
Harmony B says
My son has ADHD so natural foods are important
Carla S says
I try to eat raw fruits and vegetables as much as possible.
-- Carolyn says
I love the idea of a lighter take on the ever-popular chimichanga … especially nice to kick off the New Year, when people are trying to make a healthy start!
brandie says
Thanks Carolyn!
Melissa says
I figure the less fake ingredients in a food, the better it is to put into our bodies.
Diane {Created by Diane} says
just look at how PERFECT these are!
brandie says
Thanks Diane!
Holly B says
Real food makes us feel SO much better, and I’d like to think it will affect our overall health down the road 🙂
Lisa says
There’s so many additives in foods these days & we just don’t know what the effects are yet…better safe than sorry!
Melissa L. says
It is important so I know what we are really eating. Thanks for the giveaway and recipe!
Allison Downes says
It is important to me and my family because it’s healthier and I care about what we put in our body! Thank you for the nice giveaway.
Wild Orchid says
Real food is important to keep us nourished and healthy!
Entered the rafflecopter as “Wild orchid”
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
rachel says
I’m pregnant, so I want to eat healthfully and that typically involves real food — veggies, lean meats, whole grains. My husband wants to lose weight so he likes real food, too!
Kelly D says
Real food is important because it helps us maintain our weight and health.
Sherrie | With Food + Love says
I’m totally gonna have to make these with corn tortillas for a gluten free version. Sounds incredible Brandi!
XO SHERRIE
brandie says
Thanks Sherrie! And I think going GF with corn tortillas is a great ideas. Thank you so much for coming by and commenting.