5 Restaurant Chains With the Best Chimichangas, According to Diners
The chimichanga isn’t the healthiest Mexican-inspired dish, but it sure is delicious. Firstly, you should know that the deep-fried burrito wasn’t even invented south of the border. The crispy on the outside and filled with ingredients like seasoned meat (chicken, beef), beans, and cheese, typically topped with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, actually originated in the Southwestern U.S. While you might not find it in Mexico, you can order it at a lot of Mexican restaurants in the USA. Here are 5 restaurant chains with the best chimichangas.
Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant
One of the trademark menu items at Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant is the Fajita Chimichanga. It is lightly fried to a crispy perfection and stuffed with blended cheeses and Anaheim chiles, and you can choose between fire-grilled steak or seasoned chicken. They also offer a Green Chile Pork Chimichanga, stuffed with braised pork tenderloin, Anaheim chiles, and blended cheeses, and smothered in their signature green chile sauce. “I’ve had the Fajita Chimichanga (steak) and the Juarez (platter with beef taco, tamale, cheese enchilada, and sour cream chicken enchilada). The chimichanga won hands down. The ‘fajita steak’ was cubed beef, but melted in my mouth. Chilies gave it a good spice and the queso on top was a delicious accompaniment. I really like the Mexican rice here, it is very light, and almost delicate flavored,” a Yelper says.
Chuy’s
Chuy’s is a Tex-Mex chain that operates over 100 locations across the South, Midwest, and East Coast. One of its signature items is the Chuychanga—a crispy fried tortilla stuffed with roasted chicken, cheese, cilantro, and green chiles. Pro tip: Order it smothered in their signature scratch-made Hatch green chile sauce or creamy jalapeño
Chi-Chi’s
Chi-Chi’s, synonymous with 1980s and 90s Mexican-American dining, is in its comeback era, reopening in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The signature item? A Massive deep-fried chimichanga paired with their famous margaritas and deep-fried ice cream. “The chicken chimichanga was my favorite as well. I got it almost every time. That sauce was great,” a Redditor says.
Macayo’s
Macayo’s, a legendary chain in Arizona and Nevada, claims to have invented the chimichanga in 1946 by accidentally dropping a burrito in a deep fryer. The Macayo’s Original Chimichanga (shredded beef, chicken, or carnitas), smothered in zesty Relleno sauce and melted cheese, is the true icon on the menu. They even offer an intense 5-lb Chimi Challenge: finish it in 20 minutes to win free Macayo’s for a year!
Chevy’s Fresh Mex
Chevy’s Fresh Mex’s signature is the Grande Chimichanga. It comes with your choice of Picadillo Beef & cheddar (with red chile sauce) or Salsa Chicken & jack cheese (with tomatillo green sauce), crisped in a flour tortilla, and smothered in creamy chile con queso