What is the difference between a burrito and a chimichanga?

A burrito is served fresh, unfried, with the tortilla soft and rolled around the filling. The chimichanga is exactly the same burrito but submerged in hot oil until golden and crisp. You could say every chimichanga starts as a burrito, but not every burrito ends up as a chimichanga.

What does a chimichanga taste like?

The outer layer of fried wheat-flour tortilla is crisp, golden and slightly oily, with a toasted-bread flavour. Inside, the filling is hot and juicy, with salty, spiced shredded meat, creamy beans and melted cheese. The cold sauces and soured cream that cover it balance the heat and the fat.

How is a chimichanga served?

It is placed on a large plate, generally bathed in hot tomato or ranchera sauce, covered with guacamole, soured cream, grated cheese and lettuce. It is accompanied by Mexican rice and refried or charro beans. It is eaten with knife and fork because of its size and because it is too hot and crisp to pick up by hand.

Where does the chimichanga come from?

Its origin is disputed between Sonora, Mexico, where frying leftover burritos was a documented custom, and Tucson, Arizona, where the Flin family of the El Charro restaurant claims its accidental invention around 1922. Today the dish is considered shared heritage of the Sonoran-Arizonan desert cuisine, and forms part of the Mexican-American tradition.

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Chimichanga: the Sonoran fried burrito born by accident

What is it?

The chimichanga is one of the most representative dishes of north-western Mexican-American cuisine: a large wheat-flour tortilla burrito filled with shredded meat, refried beans, cheese and rice, deep-fried in hot oil until golden and crisp on the outside while keeping a juicy filling inside. It is served covered with tomato sauce, soured cream, guacamole, grated cheese and lettuce, on a plate with knife and fork. Although popularised in Arizona, its origin is disputed between the Mexican state of Sonora and the city of Tucson, with several legends agreeing on one thing: it was born by accident, when a burrito fell by mistake into a fryer. Today it is an iconic dish of the Sonoran-Arizonan desert cuisine and of Tex-Mex chain restaurants across the United States.

Origin and history

The origin of the chimichanga is surrounded by legends. The most cited version attributes its invention to Monica Flin, founder of the restaurant El Charro Café in Tucson, Arizona, around 1922: according to family tradition, she accidentally dropped a burrito into a fryer and, to avoid swearing in front of her nieces, exclaimed chimichanga, a euphemism close to a swear word. Another version, defended by the Macayos restaurant also in Tucson, attributes its creation to Woody Johnson in 1946. In Sonora, however, an independent and earlier invention is claimed: local cooks fried leftover burritos to make use of them, a custom documented in towns such as Navojoa and Ciudad Obregón. The name chimichanga is interpreted in Sonora as a contraction of chimi from the Nahuatl chimal and changa, a word in popular use. Beyond the dispute over parentage, the dish became established in the desert cuisine shared between Sonora and Arizona during the second half of the 20th century, and was popularised nationally in the United States through chains such as Chi-Chis and Macayos.

Characteristic ingredients

The chimichanga starts with a large wheat-flour tortilla, characteristic of northern Mexico due to the Sonoran wheat tradition, where wheat has been cultivated since the 17th century by Jesuit missions. The traditional filling combines shredded beef or chicken stewed with onion, chilli and spices in the machaca or asada style, together with refried beans, Mexican rice and grated yellow or Chihuahua cheese. It is rolled up, sealing the ends so the filling does not escape during frying, and submerged in vegetable oil or lard at 180°C until the tortilla is golden and bubbling. Variants include fillings of carnitas, dry machaca, picadillo or, in modern versions, prawns, seafood or vegetables. Classic accompaniments are guacamole, soured cream, grated cheese, tomato or ranchera sauce and shredded lettuce. Some premium versions are topped with melted cheese sauce or filled with bayo beans instead of refried beans. In Tex-Mex kitchens they are usually accompanied by charro beans and Mexican rice.

Cultural significance

The chimichanga is a symbol of Mexican-American or Tex-Mex cuisine and a matter of regional pride in Sonora and Arizona. In 2011, the state of Arizona officially considered declaring it the state food, although the proposal did not prosper. The rivalry over its parentage between El Charro and Macayo's in Tucson is a tourist attraction that draws thousands of diners every year. In Sonora, where the wheat-flour tortilla is a staple food, the chimichanga represents the versatility and abundance of desert cooking, alongside machaca, burros percherones and carne asada tacos. Sonoran cuisine was included in the inventory of traditional Mexican cuisines that supported the UNESCO Traditional Mexican Cuisine dossier in 2010. Beyond Mexico, chimichangas were popularised at chains such as Chi-Chis, Macayo's and Don Pablo's, and appear on school and military menus in the United States. Comically, the Marvel character Deadpool made the word chimichanga famous among comic and film fans.

Related recipes

Now that you know what it is, try cooking it at home with our step-by-step recipes:

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a burrito and a chimichanga?: A burrito is served fresh, unfried, with the tortilla soft and rolled around the filling. The chimichanga is exactly the same burrito but submerged in hot oil until golden and crisp. You could say every chimichanga starts as a burrito, but not every burrito ends up as a chimichanga.
What does a chimichanga taste like?: The outer layer of fried wheat-flour tortilla is crisp, golden and slightly oily, with a toasted-bread flavour. Inside, the filling is hot and juicy, with salty, spiced shredded meat, creamy beans and melted cheese. The cold sauces and soured cream that cover it balance the heat and the fat.
How is a chimichanga served?: It is placed on a large plate, generally bathed in hot tomato or ranchera sauce, covered with guacamole, soured cream, grated cheese and lettuce. It is accompanied by Mexican rice and refried or charro beans. It is eaten with knife and fork because of its size and because it is too hot and crisp to pick up by hand.
Where does the chimichanga come from?: Its origin is disputed between Sonora, Mexico, where frying leftover burritos was a documented custom, and Tucson, Arizona, where the Flin family of the El Charro restaurant claims its accidental invention around 1922. Today the dish is considered shared heritage of the Sonoran-Arizonan desert cuisine, and forms part of the Mexican-American tradition.