These air fryer bean and cheese chimichangas are quick and easy to make. They are a protein rich vegetarian breakfast, lunch or dinner.
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Chimichangas are easy to make, and can be varied endlessly. In essence, they are fried or baked burritos with a crispy exterior. This recipe only takes a few minutes to make if you have premade or leftover refried beans.
🥘 Ingredients
To make these chimichangas, you will need tortilla wraps, grated cheese and refried beans. You can make your own beans, or buy your favorite brand.
You will also need an air fryer. If you don't have one available, you can bake the chimichangas in the oven instead.
🔪 Instructions
Place down your tortillas. You might want to warm them up slightly, but they have to be soft enough to roll.
Spread refried beans over the middle part of the tortilla wraps.
Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Wrap the chimichanga by first folding in the sides of the wrap.
Then roll it tightly from the bottom until it's a tight, solid burrito.
Repeat the process until all the wraps are secured.
Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/360°F. Place the chimichangas in the air fryer with the opening faced down, and fry them for 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.
💭 Top tips
Here are my best tips for air fryer bean and cheese chimichangas:
- Check on the chimichangas every few minutes in the air fryer. Your might cook faster or slower than the suggested time, and you don't want them to burn!
- If you prefer a texture with more bite, consider adding some black beans or rice to the chimichangas.
- Add the beans and cheese to the middle of the tortilla wraps, and leave some space on the edges to keep the fillings contained.
- Wrap the chimichangas tightly to avoid spillage.
🥗 Serving suggestions
There chimichangas can be served by themselves as a quick meal on the go, or you can serve them with sides for a complete meal.
Consider serving them with a light salad, guacamole or chili lime rice. You can also serve it as a part of a Mexican style buffet or potluck with salsa chicken, Mexican casserole and buffalo chicken tacos.
🍲 Leftovers
Leftover bean and cheese chimichangas can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them slightly before serving.
They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. I love having frozen chimichangas available for quick an easy meals. Simply add frozen chimchangas wrapped in foil to the air fryer, and fry on 200°C/360°F for 10-15 minutes. Flip and air fry on the other side for another 10-15 minutes. They will be really hot, and super delicious.
📋 Frequently asked questions
Are these bean and cheese chimichangas vegan? - No. As they contain cheese, they are vegetarian. If you want a vegan version, you can replace the cheese with a plant based cheese alternative.
Is this recipe allergy friendly? - Yes. This is egg free, nut free and soy free. It does contain gluten and dairy.
Can you air fry chimichangas? Absolutely! Air fried chimichangas will not be greasy like the fried version, but will have the same crispy exterior.
More air fryer recipes
Recipe
Air Fryer Bean and Cheese Chimichangas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tortilla wraps
- 450 g refried beans
- 100 g grated cheese
Instructions
- Place down your tortillas. You might want to warm them up slightly, but they have to be soft enough to roll.
- Spread refried beans over the middle part of the tortilla wraps. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Wrap the chimichanga by first folding in the sides of the wrap. Then roll it tightly from the bottom until it’s a tight, solid burrito. Repeat the process until all the wraps are secured.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/360°F. Place the chimichangas in the air fryer with the opening faced down, and fry them for 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Notes
- Check on the chimichangas every few minutes in the air fryer. Your might cook faster or slower than the suggested time, and you don’t want them to burn!
- If you prefer a texture with more bite, consider adding some black beans or rice to the chimichangas.
- Add the beans and cheese to the middle of the tortilla wraps, and leave some space on the edges to keep the fillings contained.
- Leftover bean and cheese chimichangas can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them slightly before serving.
- They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. I love having frozen chimichangas available for quick an easy meals. Simply add frozen chimchangas wrapped in foil to the air fryer, and fry on 200°C/360°F for 10-15 minutes. Flip and air fry on the other side for another 10-15 minutes. They will be really hot, and super delicious.
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