Chimichanga vs. Burrito: What's the Difference?

With all the choices at your local Mexican restaurant, deciding between dishes doesn't just come down to craving or flavor, but also knowledge of what the dish is.

While perusing the options for something stuffed and rolled, it's likely you'll come across the chimichanga – famous for its big flavor and fascinating history.

What Is a Chimichanga?

A chimichanga by definition is a flour tortilla filled with rice, beans, cheese, and meat, rolled with closed ends or wrapped into a rectangular shape and fried. Put simply, it's a fried burrito.

Chimichangas are served topped with guacamole, salsa, and other spicy condiments, but regardless of their filling or flavor, the defining characteristic is their crispy shell. This shell is usually achieved by deep frying, but it can also be due to baking or air frying.

How is a Chimichanga Different From a Burrito?

Both burritos and chimichanga are staples of Mexican and Mexican-American cuisine, are very filling, and consist of flour tortillas filled with meat, beans, cheese, and rice. Burritos might also have vegetables, eggs, or condiments like guacamole or salsa, whereas a chimichanga won't be filled with any cold ingredients. Instead, a chimichanga parades them on top or to the side of it.

History of the Chimichanga

Chimichangas are a part of a subset of Mexican cuisine born in the US, called Tex-Mex, and is especially popular in Arizona. The affinity for this stuffed dish in the Grand Canyon State is most likely due to the lore that it was born there.

The accepted story is that sometime around 1922, Tucson-based restaurateur Monica Flin's niece or nephew bumped into her when she was making a snack, causing her to drop the burrito she made into a deep fryer full of boiling oil.

This fumble caused her to start a Spanish curse word beginning with "chi…" but she switched course mid-exclamation, considering the child within earshot. She finished the word with the nonsense "michanga" and created the name for this tasty accident.

In Mexico, chimichangas are also called chivichangas and are mostly consumed in the northern states of Sonora, Chihuahua, and Sinaloa.

Popular Chimichanga Fillings

Chimichangas are usually filled with rice, beans, cheese, and meat. The beans might be black, pinto, or refried, while the protein can range from carne asada and barbacoa to carnitas and shredded chicken. The fillings can also be adjusted for vegetarian or vegan diets.

Get the recipe: Baked Chicken and Rice Chimichangas

Traditionally, they're served with lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.

Like many dishes of many cuisines, there are regional specialties of chimichangas. For example, in Sonora, Mexico, they're made with large, thin flour tortillas and stuffed with shredded beef jerky called machaca.

In Sinaloa and Chihuahua, chimichangas are fashioned with smaller tortillas and filled with shredded pork or picadillo, a ground beef and carrot mixture.

Related:

• Our Favorite Regional Recipes Inspired by Mexican Cuisine
• Chef John's Best Mexican Recipes
• 9 Vegetarian Burritos for Easy Weeknight Dinners