Kate's Chicken Chimmichangas

There was a period of time not so long ago that chimmichangas were pretty much the only thing my sister Kate would eat (that and ice cream, of course). She used to beg my parents to take her to the Mexican place one town over at least once a week. But then I came to visit and we dug up an old recipe from my aunt, modified it a bit, and suddenly trips to Newark were no longer necessary for Kate's happiness. She could actually have chimmies any time she wanted.

So now it seems like I "get" to make them whenever I go home to visit. It's not like Kater can't make them herself, but like most things in life, they're better when someone else makes them for you. And I'm not going to lie- these are a little bit of work. There's cooking and wrapping and frying involved, but the end result is so tasty that we usually forget about all the hard work (and oil splatter burns) after the first bite.


Kate's Chicken Chimmichangas
Recipe by Kelly
Photo by Clara*

3-4 large chicken breasts, broiled and shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small can green chilies
1/2 cup shredded white cheese, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, or queso fresco (which is easier to break into pieces than shred)
2-3 cups salsa
salt and pepper, to taste
8-10 8 inch (taco size) flour tortillas
canola oil for frying
large toothpicks
guacamole and salsa or chopped tomatoes for topping

1. Heat a large pan on medium high heat. Heat oil and then add onions. Cook about 5 minutes, or until onions are beginning to turn translucent. Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add chilies. Remove from heat. 
2. Combine shredded chicken, onion mixture, cheese, and salsa in a large bowl. 
3. Prepare the chimmies as follows: Heat the tortillas in the microwave for about 10 seconds to make them a little more pliable. Scoop about 1/2 cup of chicken mixture and place in the center of the tortilla. Fold 2 sides of the tortilla in towards the middle (making a quasi-rectangle). Fold the top halfway down and secure it with a toothpick; fold the bottom up towards the middle and secure with another toothpick. Your chimmi should now be a tightly wrapped rectangle and is ready to fry.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil to about 375 degrees F in a deep fryer, a deep frying pan, or a dutch oven. The oil is ready when you see tiny bubbles in the oil (but it's not boiling) and if you flick a small amount of water on the oil, the water dances.
5. When oil is hot, gently place the chimmies in the oil. Let cook about 3 minutes, or until the side in the oil is light brown. Using a set of tongs, gently turn the chimmies over to fry the other side and cook another 3 minutes. Remove from oil and set on paper towels until ready to eat. Serve topped with guacamole, salsa, and/or chopped tomatoes

*Photo credit for this post and an upcoming one on German donuts go to my sister Kate and our family's foreign exchange student Clara. Thanks sistahs!