Chimichanga Alamo

Votes: 3

Time: 1 hour.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

A chimichanga is a popular Mexican dish consisting of a filling wrapped in a tortilla and fried in oil. Essentially, it's a souped-up burrito. The chimichanga filling is traditionally ground beef, fried with spices, and refried beans. Everything is wrapped in a soft tortilla, like a burrito (or empanada), fried until golden brown, and served with delicious toppings, including melted cheese, tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, fresh shredded lettuce (or any vegetables you like), and a smooth Mexican-style sour cream sauce with avocado. A chimichanga is very filling; one per person is enough.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Chimichangas

4 wheat tortillas, 25 cm in diameter.
1 can (430 g) canned fried beans
Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup grated cheddar
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into pieces
8-12 pickled jalapeño rings
4 radishes, thinly sliced

Filling

450 g of ground beef with 20% fat content
1 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
1 cup minced Vidalia onion or other sweet onion
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tsp ground cumin
3-4 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely grated

Sauce

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 avocados, pitted and mashed
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Make a sour cream sauce with cilantro and avocadoIn a blender, combine cilantro, avocado, sour cream, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth.
Prepare the beef fillingHeat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, salt, some ground black pepper, cumin, and thyme. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon or spatula to ensure even cooking. When the meat is done, taste it and add more salt if needed.

Assemble the chimichangas: warm up tortillas Microwave for a few seconds. Using a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon, spread 1/4 of the refried beans in the center of each tortilla to form a rectangle approximately 6 x 3 inches (15 x 8 cm). Add the ground beef directly on top of the beans. You'll end up with 2 inches (5 cm) of empty tortilla on the short sides of the filled rectangle and 3.5 inches (9 cm) of tortilla on the long sides.
Roll up the chimichangasPlace the chimichanga with the long side of the filling horizontally facing you, and using both hands, fold the sides of the tortilla over the filling. Then fold the end closest to you over the filling, gently but firmly tucking it under the filling, and roll away from you like a burrito. Place the chimichanga seam-side down and continue folding the rest.
Fry the chimichangasIn a large, straight-sided skillet, add 1 inch of vegetable oil and heat to 350°F (175°C) on a deep-fry thermometer. When the oil is hot, add 2 burritos, seam-side down, adjusting the heat so the oil never drops below 350°F (175°C). Cook until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and cook on all sides, about 3-5 minutes.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining chimichangas.
Preheat oven to broil or 260°C (400°F). Place chimichangas seam-side down on a baking sheet. Combine the cheddar and pepper jack cheese in a bowl. Sprinkle each chimichanga evenly with the cheese mixture. Broil in the oven until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving platter.
Add toppings: Evenly top with iceberg lettuce, sour cream-avocado dressing, tomatoes, pickled jalapeños and radish slices.