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    Popular » Recipes » Air Fryer

    Air Fryer Chicken Chimichangas

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: Jul 16, 2019 · Modified: Mar 25, 2021 by Dee

    Air Fryer Chicken Chimichangas are baked burritos filled with salsa chicken and plenty of cheese and air fried until hot and crispy.  Ready in minutes!

    Jump to Recipe -

    air fryer chicken chimichanga with sour cream and guacamole on a white plate

    You can make the best crispy baked burritos, or chimichangas, by using both your Instant Pot and your air fryer. Make salsa chicken in your pressure cooker, fold it into tortillas, and air fry until crispy!

    Contains affiliate links. See disclosure for info.

    As much as I love authentic chicken chimichangas from our favorite Mexican restaurant, those babies are high in fat and calories! But, they are absolutely delicious! So after I got my air fryer, chicken chimichangas were one of the first air fryer recipes I made.

    You can definitely make these baked burritos in the oven with leftover rotisserie chicken. But, I like making a batch of salsa chicken in the Instant Pot and using that as the filling. It's super easy, and I can use the leftover chicken later or make extra chimichangas and freeze for later.

    Air fryer chicken chimichangas are perfect when you want a quick and easy weeknight dinner. And these are a nice change if you're getting tired of making the same old chicken recipes over and over!

    How to Fold a Chimichanga

    I like to set out all of my ingredients -- kind of like an assembly line. I can make burritos super fast this way.

    Place the tortilla on a flat surface, then add some of the salsa chicken in the middle. Next, sprinkle some shredded cheese over the chicken.

    salsa chicken and shredded cheese on a tortilla

    Then, fold both sides of the tortilla over the filling. The sides probably won't meet, but that's fine.

    fold tortilla ends over chicken and cheese

    Finally, bring the bottom of the tortilla up and over the filling. It should look like an envelope. Then, tuck and roll the tortilla over so that the seam is on the bottom.

    roll tortilla up over chimichanga filling

    How to Cook Chimichangas in the Air Fryer

    I've made chimichangas in my new Instant Pot Vortex air fryer and in my smaller Ninja air fryer. The advantage with the larger Vortex is that you can cook more of them at once, instead of in batches. Otherwise, the cooking process is mostly the same.

    Lightly spritz the chimis with olive oil spray. Then, place them on the air fryer tray or in the basket.

    air fried chicken chimichangas on instant pot Vortex baking rack

    Preheat your air fryer according to manufacturer's instructions. I set the temperature for both air fryers to 390 degrees for both.

    Then cook the chimichangas for 3 minutes if you're using a smaller air fryer and 2 to 3 minutes in the Vortex air fryer. I personally found the chimichangas got brown faster in the Vortex, so you should rotate the trays about half way through the cooking time.

    Top your chicken chimis with guacamole, salsa, fresh tomatoes, sour cream and anything else you want. Homemade queso would be awesome!

    chicken chimichanga cut open with melted cheese

    Pin to save the recipe

    crispy air fryer chimichanga on plate

    Air Fryer Chicken Chimichanga Recipe

    air fryer chicken chimichanga with sour cream and guacamole on a white plate

    Air Fryer Chicken Chimichangas

    Published by Dee
    Air Fryer Chicken Chimichangas are baked burritos filled with salsa chicken and plenty of cheese and air fried until hot and crispy.  Ready in minutes!



    5 from 6 votes
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 2 mins
    Total Time 12 mins
    Course Main
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 8
    Calories 258 kcal

    Equipment

    • air fryer

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 cups cooked salsa chicken
    • 8 flour tortillas
    • 4 cups shredded cheese cheddar, colby jack or Mexican Blend
    • olive oil spray

    Instructions
     

    • Add some salsa chicken to center of tortilla
    • Sprinkle cheese over chicken
    • Roll tortilla up and over filling into burrito shape
    • Repeat process until all burritos are formed, and spritz with olive oil spray
    • Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees. Place chimichangas into air fryer. If using the Instant Pot Vortex or similar air fryer, place burritos on 2 separate trays. If using smaller air fryer, you may have to cook these in batches
    • Cook for 2 minutes, rotating trays halfway through cooking time -- or 3 minutes for extra crispy chimichangas or if using smaller air fryer
    • Serve with sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, extra cheese and salsa or your favorite toppings

    Notes

    Recipe was made in the both Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer and the Ninja Air Fryer
    You can use leftover rotisserie chicken or shredded cooked chicken seasoned with taco seasoning and salsa in place of salsa chicken 
    If you don't have an air fryer, bake the chimichangas at 400 degrees until brown

    Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 258kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 15gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 557mgPotassium: 88mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 380IUCalcium: 315mgIron: 1.2mg
    Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

    I hope you enjoy these easy chicken chimichangas for dinner as much as we do!

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. james says

      July 19, 2019 at 6:38 am

      Dinner last night. Had left over chicken and the rest fell in line well. Even the picky eaters loved it.5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        July 19, 2019 at 12:38 pm

        Yay! So glad to hear this, James. Thanks!

    2. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

      July 19, 2019 at 2:31 am

      This looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        July 19, 2019 at 12:37 pm

        Thanks, Erin. We absolutely love them!

    3. Katerina @ diethood .com says

      July 18, 2019 at 12:04 pm

      I have to make these very soon!! They sound SO GOOD!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        July 19, 2019 at 12:36 pm

        They are! Thanks, Katerina -- hope you enjoy them.

    4. Sara Welch says

      July 18, 2019 at 10:56 am

      Prepared this for lunch for a pool party yesterday and everyone loved them! Perfectly light and easy too! Delish!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        July 19, 2019 at 12:36 pm

        That's awesome, Sara! Thanks so much!

    5. Beth Pierce says

      July 18, 2019 at 7:23 am

      Another great recipe for my air fryer! Excited to make this for lunch today; looks amazing and easy too!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        July 19, 2019 at 12:35 pm

        Thanks, Paula! I hope you get a chance to try them!

    6. Catalina says

      July 18, 2019 at 2:09 am

      These chimichangas are so perfect for our weeknight meal. So easy and delicious!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        July 19, 2019 at 12:35 pm

        They are super easy and sooo good!

    7. Kimberly says

      July 17, 2019 at 9:11 pm

      These look so good and I've got to try out an air fryer!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        July 19, 2019 at 12:35 pm

        I can't believe I waited so long to get one! 🙂

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    I’m the blogger, chief cook, recipe developer and photographer behind Meatloaf and Melodrama. I absolutely love to create easy, budget-friendly, homemade meals and treats for my family. I also love to think of new ways to repurpose leftovers so that my family will actually eat them!

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