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Last Updated on January 24, 2023 by Lisa Johnson

Homemade Shredded Beef Chimichangas are stuffed with tender, juicy Mexican spiced shredded beef and Queso Fresca (or Monterrey Jack) cheese. The meat is cooked with onions, garlic, chilies, and tomatoes, then topped off with lime juice and cilantro.

Shredded Beef Chimichangas that are better than any Mexican restaurant!! cookingwithcurls.com

Recipe Inspiration

Do you ever go out to dinner and think to yourself “my version tastes better”? That happened to me last week when my mom and I went out to dinner. This is Arizona, I was expecting authentic, mind blowing Mexican food….but that’s not what we got!

I ordered the shredded beef chimichangas, like I always do, and it’s hard to describe what arrived at the table. The menu said “beef tips”, which is usually little chunks of beef, but they were strips the size you would get in fajitas. I asked before hand what type of “sauce” that they serve on their chimichangas. It is varies in different restaurants, but is usually a cheese sauce or salsa verde.

He said it was indeed salsa verde….yeah, not cheese sauce. Imagine my surprise when my chimichanga arrived covered in beef gravy!!! Um, what? The salsa verde was in a bowl on the side. Um, what? Okay, whatever, let’s see how this tastes…..total disappointment!

Shredded beef spilling out of fried tortilla casing topped with shredded lettuce, and salsa next to Spanish rice.

Recipe Ingredients:

My shredded beef chimichangas are stuffed with tender, juicy Mexican shredded beef and Queso Fresca {or Monterrey Jack} cheese. The meat is cooked with onions, garlic, chilies, and tomatoes, then topped off with lime juice and cilantro. Their version was half beef strips and half onion slices. No chilies, no tomatoes, no flavor other than the onions. Um, what?

Shredded beef mixed with tomatoes, onion, and cilantro in a small bowl.

So let me show you how to make proper shredded beef chimichangas, because I apparently feel that I am some kind of expert on the subject, LOL

How to make Shredded Beef Chimichangas

Heat 1-inch of oil to 350 degrees in a large pot or Dutch oven.

Place a tortilla on a work surface. Fill with shredded beef and cheese.

Mexican shredded beef in the center of a flour tortilla.

I used maybe 3/4’s of a cup of beef filling, and a couple of tablespoons of cheese. Next time I will measure.

Fold over the first two sides, then fold over the third side and roll into a burrito shape. Roll tight enough to hold the filling inside, but not tight enough to break the tortilla.

Flour tortilla rolled around shredded beef sitting on a counter top.

Place chimichanga into the hot oil SEAM SIDE down. Fry until golden brown and flip over the the other side.

Beef Chimichangas frying in hot oil inside a large Dutch oven.

You can fry two at a time, just keep an eye on them. Remove from oil and drain on a stack of paper towels.

Top as desired and serve immediately.

Looking down on a plate with Shredded Beef Chimichangas topped with salsa verde, shredded lettuce, and sour cream next to Spanish rice and refried beans.

I was planning on making homemade Salsa Verde, but the store was sold out of tomatillos! This has not been my week, lol So I grabbed a jar of Herdez Salsa Verde because the ingredients listed on the jar, were the same as the recipe…score!

Serving Suggestions

You may also like to top your chimichangas with Queso Blanco Dip/Cheese Sauce, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, shredded lettuce, and sour cream/Greek yogurt.

And of course, no Mexican meal would be complete without Mexican Rice and Refried Beans, and a Frozen Margarita or Classic Margarita.

A frozen blended margarita garnished with a lime wheel in a thick margarita glass.

Sadly, the margaritas at the restaurant tasted like Lemon Pledge!! Not that I go around licking my furniture or anything, but you know that bitter, fake lemon flavor in cheap margarita mixes…No Bueno!!

Tools used to create this recipe

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Recipe Notes & Tips

The stove-top Mexican Shredded Beef takes hours to make but totally worth it! You can also make Mexican Style Shredded Beef in an Instant Pot which is faster.
Prepare the meat ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to make your chimichangas.
Reheat filling in the microwave before wrapping in the tortillas, it won’t have time to heat thoroughly in the oil.
If you only need a couple of chimichangas, the filling is also perfect for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

They did make a really good Flan…but I will still not be going back, lol

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Enjoy!!