These baked pork and green chili chimichangas are so good they’ll knock your socks off.  You won’t miss that they aren’t fried, and you can make them in advance and in bulk.  Heck, you can even make them dinner sized using a larger tortilla or appetizer sized like I did.

You can even freeze them if you make a large batch and simply re-heat and eat like those cute little frozen burritos & chimis you find at the supermarket.

This recipe came about as I was thinking up an easy appetizer to bring to Joel’s family reunion that would hold up, re-heat well and be made in a miniature, two-bite form.  Also because I was craving green chile soup…and cheese (what’s new?) and had a batch of pre-shredded crock pot pork shoulder in my freezer.

Start by chopping up your onions and garlic.

Throw some vegetable oil in a large pot and start to cook down the onions.  Let them sweat it out until they are translucent, but not caramelized.  About 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook out the raw flavor ~ about another 2 minutes.

Next, add your shredded pork.

And cumin, salt and pepper and stir gently to combine.  I usually like to add spices into the onion/garlic/oil mixture because I find that they release their flavors better in oil, but today I really want to amp up the cumin flavor throughout the pork.

Alternatively, you could use cubed pork shoulder ~ if you go this route, brown the pork pieces in a little vegetable oil for about 10-12 minutes and remove to a plate before cooking down your onions and garlic.  This is really a pork green chile stew recipe that I didn’t water down so I could use as a filling instead of a full blown stew.

Sprinkle with cornstarch and cook for another 5 minutes to warm the pork through.

Add green chiles (yes, I used this whole bag because I like to go overboard from time to time).

And diced tomatoes

And simmer for 30-45 minutes to allow the green chiles to really flavor the meat.  At this point, you could add chicken broth/water to make a stew to eat alone or top burritos with…but that’s a recipe for another day.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the solids to a large bowl.  You don’t need all of the liquid in the wraps.

Add shredded cheese and stir to combine.

I’m using a store bought, pre-shredded, Mexican 4-cheese mixture.

Warm your tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute.

I use a tortilla warmer to keep them warm as I roll in batches.

And my all-time favorite brand of flour tortillas is Guerrero (because Joel’s Aunt Kathy got me hooked!) ~ use these if you can!

Depending on the size of your tortilla, drop an appropriately sized spoonful of mixture into the center of the warmed tortilla.

Add extra cheese if you want to…you know you want to…

Roll it up like a burrito, starting with the bottom flap.

Pull in the sides.

And roll to the opposite edge.

Line these up on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, seam side down.

Hit ’em with a spritz of non-stick cooking spray.

And bake for 12-15 minutes on 450° or until lightly browned.  You can add extra brown to the tops by broiling on high for another 2-3 minutes.

Try to let them cool a bit before biting into one.  Or just burn your tongue a bit by disregarding earlier warning and scarfing 1 down fresh out of the oven. Not that I did that…

5.0 from 7 reviews

Pork & Green Chile Chimichangas

 

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Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

90 mins

Total Time

1 hour 40 mins

 

This is an "outside-in" green chile stew rolled up inside a flour tortilla with cheese, then baked to resemble a chimichanga. A portable bowl of green chile stew, really!

: Appetizer, Entree

Serves: 40 mini / 20 large

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
• Shredded pork, about 4 lbs pre-cooked weight
• 1 tablespoons corn starch
• 2-4 teaspoons cumin, to taste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, fresh cracked is best
• 16-20 oz Green Chiles, fire roasted and diced
• 14 oz diced tomatoes (1 can)
• 40 small Flour tortillas or 20 large
• 32 oz Shredded cheese (cheddar or a 4-cheese Mexican blend)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Heat a large pot over med-high heat and add vegetable oil. Once oil is hot (should shimmer and barely smoke), add chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Add cumin, salt and pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add shredded pork and corn starch and heat through, cooking about another 5 minutes.
6. Add green chiles and diced tomatoes with their juices and stir to combine.
7. Cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes to let the flavors combine.
8. Using a slotted spoon, remove the solids from the soup into a large bowl ~ you don't need this for the filling, it was just to simmer the flavors together.
9. Add shredded cheese and stir to combine.
10. Warm tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds-1minute.
11. Lay out tortillas and add a spoonful (or more) to the center of the tortilla; add a little extra cheese if you'd like.
12. Roll the bottom half of the tortilla over the filling, tuck in the sides and finish rolling, like a burrito, to the opposite side of the tortilla.
13. Place the chimichanga seam side down on the parchment lined baking sheet and spray with PAM, or other non-stick cooking spray.
14. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. If your oven isn't browning the tops enough, broil on high for the final 2 minutes.
15. Let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

You can make mini versions for lunch/appetizers or go BIG and make this a full-on dinner. The size of your tortilla will be your guide.

2.2.8