Beef and Bean Chimichangas
These easy and delicious Beef and Bean Chimichangas use just seven ingredients and can be cooked in your air fryer or oven, whichever is more convenient for you! Chimichangas are traditionally deep-fried, but this lighter version still offers a crispy tortilla exterior for far fewer calories. I still found these super decadent, smothered in queso dip with a hearty, flavorful filling. It’s hard to believe each chimichanga is just 275 calories or 3 WW Points! To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app, click here.
Air Fryer or Oven?
I’ve made these Beef and Bean Chimichangas in my air fryer and in my oven and provided direction for both in the recipe instructions below. If you’re planning to serve all eight chimichangas at once, you may want to go with the oven method, since they’ll all be ready at the same time instead of in batches of two. If you’re only making two or four, the air fryer is my preferred option. I like the texture slightly better and I think it’s easier to check on them throughout the cook time to get them cooked exactly the way you want. Either way, you’re going to end up with delicious chimichangas!
Do I need to pre-heat my air fryer?
I’ve seen lots of mixed information about this. Some sources say you absolutely must pre-heat your air fryer and some say you needn’t bother. I think it probably depends on the brand of air fryer you own, so you may want to check your manual. I have a COSORI brand air fryer and do not pre-heat for this recipe. I see that Philips (another popular brand) also says you don’t need to pre-heat. If you’re not sure about your particular model, feel free to just run it for a few minutes before you add the chimichangas to be sure.
Recipe Notes
- Meat: I used lean ground beef in these, which is now zero points on Weight Watchers! However, ground chicken or ground turkey will also work just fine if that’s what you have on hand.
- Salsa: I like to choose a more liquid-y salsa for this recipe, rather than a thick, chunky variety. You’re partially using it to coat the meat, so you want it to be on the wetter side.
- Tortillas: You’ll want to use a low cal or low carb 8-inch tortilla if you’re interested in keeping similar WW Points or nutrition info. I love the La Banderita Carb Counter Soft Taco tortillas and buy them frequently, so I definitely recommend those if your local stores have them!
- Serving Ideas: These Beef and Bean Chimichangas make a great main course than can pair with a variety of tasty side dishes! I think they’d be great alongside my Easy Salsa Rice or a similar Mexican rice, beans, a salad, corn, or sauteed peppers and onions.
- Make Ahead/Leftovers: This recipe makes eight Beef and Bean Chimichangas, but if you don’t plan to serve that many at once, it’s easy to prepare and wrap them all once and then cook as needed. I cooked four of them for our family meal and then saved four of them wrapped up in the fridge to air fry as leftovers. I didn’t freeze them, but I’d imagine you could also easily do so by wrapping each uncooked chimichanga in cling wrap and then putting them in a sealed freezer bag. Great for meal prep!
More Tasty Lightened Up Mexican-Inspired Recipes:
Looking for more tasty, lightened up Mexican-inspired recipes? Check out my Chicken Taco Rice Skillet, Layered Meat and Bean Enchilada Bake, One-Pot Taco Pasta, Taco Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes, Turkey and Chorizo Enchilada Rice Bake, Cheesy Spicy Black Bean Skillet, Mexican Street Corn Chicken, Breakfast Tostadas, 7 Layer Dip, Fiesta Stuffed Chicken, Beef Taco Soup, and many more in the Mexican section of my recipe index!
Beef and Bean Chimichangas
Ingredients
- 1 lb uncooked lean ground beef, 90-95% lean (I used 93%)
- 1 oz packet taco seasoning
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup salsa, (choose a more liquid-y, less chunky brand)
- 8 (8-inch) lower cal/carb flour tortillas, (I use La Banderita Carb Counter Soft Taco Flour Tortillas)
- 1 ½ cups fat free refried beans
- 2 oz shredded 2% milk sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup queso blanco dip, (such as Tostitos Queso Blanco)
Instructions
- Lightly mist a large skillet or sauté pan with cooking spray and bring over med-high heat. Add the ground beef and sauté, breaking into small chunks with a cooking spatula until cooked through. Add the taco seasoning, water, and salsa and mix together thoroughly. When sizzling, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2-3 minutes until the meat mixture is thick and the liquid is mostly absorbed.
- To build each chimichanga, lay a tortilla out on a clean, dry surface. Spread three tablespoons of refried beans in a line down the center of the tortilla, leaving an inch or so bare at the top and bottom. Measure out a rounded ¼ cup of the meat from step one and spread it out on top of the beans. Follow by sprinkling a tablespoon of shredded cheese over the meat. Fold the top and bottom of the tortilla over the ends of the row of ingredients and then choose one side to fold tightly over center. Roll the tortilla full of ingredients over to the other side to finish wrapping the chimichanga so that it is sealed on all sides. Continue with the remaining ingredients to make 8 chimichangas. Lightly mist the wrapped chimichangas with cooking spray.
- Air Fryer: Transfer two of the chimichangas to the basket of your air fryer without touching each other. Set the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 6-10 minutes until crispy and golden. Repeat with the remaining chimichangas you plan to serve, two at a time (cook time will likely reduce in subsequent batches).Oven: Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the wrapped chimichangas to the baking sheet. Place the tray in the oven and cook for 20 minutes until crispy and golden.
- To serve, warm the queso dip in the microwave and then pour two tablespoons of queso over the top of each chimichanga. You may want to finish with an optional dollop of pico de gallo or salsa on top!
Notes
275 calories, 31 g carbs, 1 g sugar, 10 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 20 g protein, 15 g fiber, 1117 mg sodium (from myfitnesspal.com) Weight Watchers Points Plus:
7 per chimichanga (PP calculated using a Weight Watchers PointsPlus calculator and the nutrition information)
