Dinner Recipes,  Low-Calorie Recipes,  Recipes under 300 calories

Low-Calorie Chicken Chimichangas


When I think of chimichangas I don’t think low-calorie, but I recently found a recipe that lent itself very well to “healthifying.” For starters, the chimichangas are baked not fried, and that really helps bring the calories down and the health up. But you’d never know it because they’re so tasty!

If you prefer to watch your recipes, I made a fun video – otherwise, just scroll for the text recipe…

What is a chimichanga?

Simple: it’s a deep-fried burrito! They’re sooo good, but not great to eat too frequently unless you’re following my recipe.

Easy Shredded Chicken
Are you tired of tediously shredding chicken with forks? Then this recipe is for you.
Try this recipe…
shredded chicken in a bowl

Low-Calorie Chicken Chimichangas

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CALORIES: 299
SERVINGS: 8 chimichangas
TIME: 30 minutes
BY: shrinkviolet.com
▸ INSPIRATION
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Ingredients

  • 1 TB olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion (chopped)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tsp chipotle powder (or chili powder)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp Kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ¾ cup salsa (use your favorite)
  • 12 oz shredded chicken thighs (cooked)
  • 1 16-oz can refried beans (see Notes)
  • 8 Mission Carb Balance Tortillas ('soft taco' size)
  • 1 cup pepper jack cheese (shredded)
  • cooking spray (preferably olive oil)
  • hot sauce (optional)

Equipment

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet.
  • Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, chipotle powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt and pepper and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.
    chicken chimichangas spices
  • Add salsa and bring sauce to a simmer.
    chicken chimichangas salsa
  • Add the shredded chicken and stir well. Take the skillet off the heat.
    shredded chicken in a bowl
  • Get your air fryer (or oven) heated up to 425℉. (Some air fryers don't require pre-heating, if so, skip this step.)
  • Put the tortillas on your countertop laid out assembly-line style.
  • Add about 1/4 cup of the refried beans and spread it around.
    chicken chimichangas tortilla refried beans
  • Sprinkle about 2 TB of the pepper jack over the top of the beans.
    chicken chimichangas pepper jack cheese
  • Top with about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture.
    chicken chimichangas filled
  • Roll each tortilla into a burrito. You fold in the top and the bottom, and then roll one of the sides all the way around. Do it as carefully yet tightly as you can. These will be very full burritos! Put on a plate with the seam sides down.
    chicken chimichangas folded
  • If you want to freeze them for later, now is the time. I recommend using a vacuum sealer so they don't fall apart in your freezer.
  • If your air fryer takes trays, or you're using your oven, spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and place the burritos on it seam-side down. No matter which cooking method you're using, then spray the burritos with more olive oil.
    chicken chimichangas sprayed with olive oil
  • Air Fry (or bake) for 5 minutes then gently flip them over. Cook another 5 minutes. (If cooking from frozen, increase the time per side to 7 minutes.)
    chicken chimichangas baked and flipped
  • Serve with hot sauce, if desired.
    I recommend letting them cool a few minutes before eating as the insides get pretty thermo-nuclear!
    chicken chimichangas finished

Notes

Refried beans: technically, you could use the reduced-fat or fat-free kind, but they just don’t taste as good. I used the regular kind in this recipe, and the calories are still low.

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 299Carbohydrates: 28.7gProtein: 22.2gFat: 15.1gSaturated Fat: 5.4gCholesterol: 49.9mgSodium: 930.5mgFiber: 16.6gSugar: 3.9g

Did you make this recipe?

I want to see… Leave a comment below or snap a pic/video and tag me on TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook, Lemon8, Instagram, or Threads!

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Low-Calorie Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki & Rice
Savory chicken pieces in a delicious teriyaki sauce served over rice.
Try this recipe…
chicken chimichangas

Let me know if you make these. My freezer is stocked – isn’t that a great feeling? I love having a freezer full of delicious dinners ready to go. I hope you like them!


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