From my understanding the chimichanga is a good example of acculturation. I have a friend named Rosario who was born near Guadalajara over eighty years ago. According to Chaya, the nickname for people named Rosario, tortillas are never nor will they ever be flour. Suffice to say these Bean & Cheese Chimichangas are awesome. The dish however is assuredly not Mexican, but Mexican-American in every way.
I happen to adore flour tortillas but they don’t care about me so much. According to a physician friend, many Black people are gluten intolerant. Traditional Mexican cuisine like the traditional African American Heritage Diet approach, incorporates very few wheat products. Corn is king in both camps. New World Africans obviously acculturated to the consumption of corn from Native Americans. The introduction of wheat flour, and subsequently gluten, seems to have occurred when indigenous populations came into contact with Europeans. In the 1830’s the introduction of flour, lard and sugar to Native Americans relocated to reservations in North America led to grave health outcomes.
In order to prepare the Green Sauce that smothers the Bean & Cheese Chimichangas, you can use my Pozole Verde Soup recipe. Simply stir the sauce a few minutes on the stove with a bit of cornstarch to thicken it and you have got it. Sometimes I use Black Beans in my chimis, although Pinto Beans are surely more Mexican American and Southwestern.
Bean & Cheese Chimichangas
This classic Sonoran style Bean & Cheese Chimichanga with Green Sauce is the delectable dish you are craving for dinner tonight.
- Large Flour Tortillas
- ¾ cup Organic Avocado Oil
- Beans, pre-prepared
- 2½ cup Pozole Verde Soup, pre-prepared
- 2 tbsp Organic Cornstarch
- Organic Cheddar Cheese, grated
- Organic Green Onions, chopped
- Organic Cilantro, garnish
Place Pozole Verde (Green Sauce) Soup into the saucepan on medium heat.
Bring to a boil, add cornstarch and reduce heat to low, stirring frequently.
Add Avocado Oil to frying pan and heat to medium low.
Take two room temperature tortillas and fill with about ½ cup of beans, a Tbsp. of Pozole Verde Sauce and cheese.
Carefully fold the tortillas like a burrito and then place into the frying pan.
Cook until the side is brown and crisp, about one minute and then flip the chimichanga and cook for another minute.
Remove immediately from the oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towels.
Place chimichanga onto a plate and garnish with additional grated cheese, Green Sauce, chopped green onions and cilantro. Serve.
I am gluten intolerant, and I don’t know why. So it’s corn tortillas all the way, or tortillas made out of other things besides flour. Stay safe because, hopefully, the end is sorta near.
Crispy and full of flavor! I never tried making chimichangas at home and now they will be a part of the regular routine. Thanks for this recipe!
My daughter is gluten intolerant but luckily for us we’re not hard core flour tortilla lovers. To know that most African Americans are gluten- intolerant is very interesting!!
I thought the same thing Renia! I just came to the realization I was gluten intolerant this year. I however still enjoy the occasional flour tortilla without too much incident.
Wow! You are lucky. My gluten thing has gotten worse and worse as I get older. I used to be able to sample a bite of my husband’s cake or whatever, but now I cannot at all. I get violently ill from a crumb. One of the many reasons why I dislike aging so much! Oh well.
I’m so sorry, that’s terrible! Have you consulted anyone? I take quite a few herbal supplements and avoid gmo’s and preservatives.
I’ve been to a gastroenterologist. He said that wheat is now bioengineered, and he has several patients who developed an intolerance to wheat after that happened! I have a dairy intolerance now too, and he said that cows eat that wheat and treated grass. So voila! It’s his suspicion but not proven. It makes sense though. I too try to stay away from anything problematic, but chemicals are on everything we eat. Scary.
Sounds like we have the same exact digestive system. Did your gastroenterologist ever mention a Low FODMAP diet?
One did once, before I ever knew what was making me sick. It was hard to stick to. I love to bake and cook. I sort of knew then that I couldn’t eat sandwiches every day, yet I could eat a bowl of raisin bran with a glass of skim milk every morning and not get sick. Weird. Now, no way to either of those! Lol! All of this is tmi! Have a good weekend, such as it is.
This dish looks succulent. Great taco Tuesday dish to pair with my frozen margaritas!
We love Mexican-American food, and like you, my husband is partial to flour tortillas. We made this last night and it was a hit. Very satisfying and full of flavor.
Thanks for sharing.
I’ve never made chimichangas! I can’t wait to make these! Your recipe is very straightforward and approachable!
My first chimichanga attempt and it was perfect. Thanks!
This was delicious! I love pretty much anything fried, so this was right up my alley.
Bean and cheese chimichangas were the perfect meat alternative for my sister in law when we had a family Taco Tuesday. The flavors were amazing, and she gave rave reviews!
Chimichangas are one of our favorite Tex-Mex dishes (we eat them all the time here in Houston)! So glad we finally found a great recipe for it. This one is a keeper!
I’ve never made Chimichangas until now and they turned out great! Thank you for the recipe! I will definitely be making this again!
These chimichangas were amazing! Perfect for meatless Monday and full of flavor!
I’ve never made chimichangas before so I was so excited to try this recipe! It was so much easier to make than I thought! You really did a great job of making sure that the directions were clear and easy to follow. Also, the flavor of this dish was out of this world! I can’t wait to make this again!
We were just out for Mexican last night, but the next time we have it, it will be at home with this dish. Thanks
Please let me know how you like it when you make it!
Great vegetarian, Mexican meal to make for dinner! I’m loving this!! So easy and so delicious!
It’s interesting how our bodies adjust to what used to be available around us. I hadn’t thought about it before but it actually does make sense that Black people are more gluten intolerant. Anywho, these chimichangas are amazing. Mexican-American is a wonderful combination!
Mexican food is on the menu! Loving your chimichanga recipe, and the beans for the filling. Cannot wait to try!
I’d love to sit down to your chimichangas, they look ah-mazingly delicious!
This definitely looks so delicious and very tempting to the eye. Plus the creamy sauce makes it more enticing, can’t wait to make this at home for the family.
This makes the perfect dinner for my family! I love how crisp the tortilla gets and all the flavors come together so nicely! Delicious!
Thank you Jamie, the crisp tortilla is my favorite part too!
I’ve never made chimichangas but I love tortillas and burritos. This looks like a great weeknight dinner option, especially for meatless Mondays!
These chimichangas came out great! I love this so much and the flavors are perfect. Will make again soon.
So glad you enjoyed them!
I have always thought chimichangas were perfect comfort food. I can verify that over a summer I spent in Guadalajara in my college years I saw only corn tortillas! Look forward to checking out your pozole soup – sounds like a great topping.
Hahaha, yes chimichangas are the ultimate comfort food! Sounds like we both spent a summer in Guadalajara where corn is king.
These chimichangas are amazing! Huge hit with my family.
Thank you so much Alexis!
So delicious@ Thank you for sharing this recipe.
You’re very welcome!
These are a family favorite! Thanks for sharing the recipe, btw I love the name of your site!
Thank you so much!
This recipe looks delicious and i will definitely surprise my family with this! thank you for sharing this recipe, i cant wait to try it out.