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About this recipe

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Recipe highlight

Why you’ll love it

Crackly golden tortillas, juicy chile-spiced beef, creamy black beans, melted cheese, and smoky chipotle-lime crema deliver everything you want from a chimichanga — with the air fryer doing the crisping. 🌯🔥

Ingredients

• 🥩 450 g ground beef, 85–90% lean (1 lb)
• 🫒 10 ml neutral oil (2 tsp / 0.35 fl oz)
• 🧅 120 g white onion, finely diced (¾ cup / 4.2 oz)
• 🌶️ 100 g roasted poblano pepper, diced (about 1 medium / 3.5 oz)
• 🧄 15 g garlic, minced (3 cloves / 0.5 oz)
• 🌶️ 2 tsp ancho chile powder
• 🌿 1 tsp ground cumin
• 🌿 ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 🌶️ ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 🧂 ¾ tsp fine sea salt
• ⚫ ¼ tsp black pepper
• 🍅 30 g tomato paste (2 tbsp / 1.1 oz)
• 💧 60 ml water or beef broth (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• Filling and tortillas 🌯
• 🫘 240 g cooked black beans, drained (1½ cups / 8.5 oz)
• 🍚 240 g cooked Mexican-style rice (1½ cups / 8.5 oz)
• 🧀 180 g shredded Oaxaca, Chihuahua, Monterey Jack, or low-moisture mozzarella (1¾ cups / 6.3 oz) dairy
• 🌯 6 large flour tortillas, approximately 25 cm / 10 inch gluten
• 🫒 15 ml neutral oil or avocado oil, for brushing (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• Chipotle-lime crema 🌶️
• 🥛 150 g Mexican crema or sour cream (⅔ cup / 5.3 oz) dairy
• 🌶️ 20 g chipotle pepper in adobo, finely blended (1 tbsp / 0.7 oz)
• 🍋 20 ml fresh lime juice (1 tbsp + 1 tsp / 0.7 fl oz)
• 🧂 ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 💧 10–20 ml water, as needed (2–4 tsp)
• Fresh finish 🍅
• 🍅 180 g fresh pico de gallo (about 1 cup / 6.3 oz)
• 🥑 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 🌿 Fresh cilantro
• 🧅 Finely diced white onion
• 🍋 Lime wedges
• 🌶️ Pickled jalapeños, optional

Preparation

• 1 Cook the beef 🥩 Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 4–5 minutes, breaking it into small pieces until browned and no longer pink.
• 2 Build the smoky filling 🌶️ Add the onion and roasted poblano. Cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the garlic, ancho chile powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
• 3 Concentrate the flavor 🍅 Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until it darkens slightly. Pour in the water or broth and cook for another 2–3 minutes until the beef mixture is juicy but no loose liquid remains.
• 4 Prepare the crema 🍋 Mix the Mexican crema, chipotle in adobo, lime juice, and salt until smooth. Add just enough water to create a thick drizzle. Refrigerate while assembling the chimichangas.
• 5 Warm the tortillas 🌯 Warm the flour tortillas briefly until flexible. Keep them covered with a clean towel so they stay soft and do not crack while folding.
• 6 Build the filling 🫘 Place one tortilla on the work surface. Add a layer of Mexican-style rice, black beans, seasoned beef, and shredded cheese across the lower center. Leave a generous border around the filling.
• 7 Fold the chimichangas ✨ Fold the left and right sides inward, then bring the bottom edge tightly over the filling and roll forward into a compact burrito-shaped parcel. Place seam-side down.
• 8 Prepare the air fryer 🌬️ Preheat the air fryer to 190°C (375°F) for 3 minutes. Lightly brush or spray every side of each chimichanga with oil.
• 9 Air-fry until crisp 🔥 Arrange the chimichangas seam-side down in a single layer without crowding. Air-fry at 190°C (375°F) for 7 minutes, turn carefully, then cook for another 5–7 minutes until deeply golden, blistered, and crisp.
• 10 Rest briefly ⏳ Transfer the hot chimichangas to a wire rack and rest for 3 minutes. This allows the molten cheese and filling to settle while keeping the tortilla shell crisp.
• 11 Finish and serve 🍽️ Place the chimichangas on a dark serving plate and drizzle lightly with chipotle-lime crema. Add fresh pico de gallo, avocado, cilantro, diced onion, pickled jalapeños, and lime wedges. Serve immediately while the shells are hot and crunchy.

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