Name: Air Fryer Frozen Chimichanga
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 4 Frozen chimichangas; Sour cream (for topping); Salsa (for topping); Chopped cilantro (for topping)

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Use your favorite countertop appliance to make an Air Fryer Chimichanga that is hot, crispy, and ready so much quicker!Learn the exact time and temperature for chimichangas in the air fryer, and all the best tips and tricks for making a simple package of frozen chimichangas into a delicious air fryer meal.

two crispy chimichangas topped with sour cream, salsa, and cilantro. in the background is a cup of salsa and an air fryer.

FROZEN CHIMICHANGA AIR FRYER DIRECTIONS

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If you're looking to find out how to heat frozen chimichangas in your air fryer, you have come to the right place!

Air fried frozen chimichangas are ready in just 15 minutes and perfectly crispy on the outside with a melty gooey center.

You can use these directions to cook an air fryer chimi for one, or feed the whole family by cooking up to 4 chimichurri at a time in your air fryer basket.

If you're like me and always have some frozen Mexican foods in the freezer, you might like to find out how to make Frozen Taquitos in the Air Fryer and Air Fryer Frozen Burritos too!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FROZEN CHIMICHANGA AND A FROZEN BURRITO?

These two items are very similar. In traditional Mexican cuisine, a burrito is a soft flour tortilla stuffed with beans, rice, and meat. A Chimichanga (or chimi) is basically a burrito that has been fried so that the outer tortilla is crispy.

Frozen chimichangas are made so that they are crispy when they're cooked in the oven, while frozen burritos are designed to be heated in a way that keeps them soft.

The air fryer does such an amazing job of making foods crispy, so it's the best choice for cooking up a hot and crisp frozen chimi!

a frozen chimichanga and other ingredients next to an air fryer basket.

INGREDIENTS FOR FROZEN CHIMICHANGA AIR FRYER

Frozen Chimichangas - The most commonly found brand of frozen chimichangas is El Monterey. You might also find these made by Jose Ole, or other regional or store brands. Any of these brands will work with these air fryer chimichangas instructions.

Toppings - While you can enjoy your air fryer chimichangas plain, I prefer them dressed up with sour cream, salsa, and fresh cilantro! I have more topping ideas for you as well.

If you have any questions about making frozen chimichangas in the air fryer, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP!

a collage of four images showing how to cook frozen chimichanga in air fryer

HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER FROZEN CHIMICHANGAS

Remove the chimichangas from their outer packaging, and prepare any toppings you plan to use later.
Place the chimichangas in the air fryer basket. Avoid overlapping them, and leave room around each.
Air fry according to the directions below. Flip the chimichangas over every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking, and cook until they are golden brown and crispy.
Serve with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, fresh salsa, and chopped cilantro.

These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions for frozen chimichangas air fryer, please see the recipe below.

an air fryer chimichanga, cut in half to show the center.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER CHIMICHANGAS

To turn frozen air fryer chimichangas into a meal instead of a handheld snack, all you need to do is serve them with delicious toppings and a healthy side dish!

I love making a bag of air fryer frozen broccoli! It takes just a few minutes, and goes with almost any meal. The frozen broccoli comes out of the air fryer tender and browned, just like magic.

Or try a simple salad, like this Chickpea Salad. It's cool and fresh with tomatoes and cucumbers.

Tortilla Chips with fresh salsa or queso dip are always a good idea when you are enjoying Mexican food!

Instead of plain sour cream, make a flavorful Cilantro Garlic Sauce to top your air fryer Chimichangas!

Looking for a meatless Monday idea? Try making Air Fryer Cauliflower Tacos, or make vegan burritos from scratch. You can always air fry them or pan fry them to turn them into chimichangas!

THE BEST TOPPINGS FOR FROZEN CHIMICHANGAS

Want your air fryer frozen chimichangas to have a little something extra? You can easily make this frozen food into something that you might be served at your favorite Mexican restaurant.

Add the chimichangas to serving plates, and top each with sour cream, pico de gallo, and fresh cilantro leaves.

Or, choose your favorite taco toppings! Guacamole, diced avocado, salsa, Mexican crema, taco or enchilada sauce, and diced tomatoes are all great additions to air fryer chimichangas.

four crispy chimichangas in an air fryer basket

HOW LONG TO COOK CHIMICHANGAS IN THE AIR FRYER?

It takes between 12 and 14 minutes at a high temperature to properly cook chimichangas in the air fryer.

If you fill the air fryer basket with 3 or 4 chimis, it will take longer.

If you're only cooking one chimichanga in the air fryer, it goes a bit quicker.

Since all air fryers cook a bit differently, be sure to check on your food as it cooks!

What Temperature Do you Cook Frozen Chimichangas in Air Fryer?

After testing air fryer chimichangas at a variety of times and temperatures, I settled on cooking them at 400°F/200°C.

This temperature heats the chimichangas all the way through, gets them golden brown and crispy, and does it quickly!

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN CHIMICHANGAS ARE DONE?

Once you've air fried the chimichangas for 12 or more minutes, they should be hot and melty inside and golden brown on the outside.

If you want to be certain that the inside is hot and properly cooked, use a kitchen thermometer to ensure that the temperature is at least 161°F.

CAN I COOK A FROZEN BURRITO THE SAME WAY?

Follow my Air Fryer Frozen Burrito instructions to get all of the details, but yes, the air fryer method for frozen burritos is very similar to this one for frozen chimichangas.

two crispy chimichangas topped with sour cream, salsa, and cilantro.

MORE EASY FROZEN FOODS TO COOK IN THE AIR FRYER

Air Fryer Frozen Okra is a southern style favorite! Make it crispy and delicious in the air fryer, and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Pick up a bag of Trader Joe's Orange Chicken and learn how to cook this fan-favorite frozen meal the easy way - in the air fryer!

There are so many more instructions for air fryer frozen foods here!

Check out how we make Frozen Pot Pie, Fish Sticks, Frozen Chicken Nuggets, and more.

two photos of air fryer chimichangas. Text says "quick and easy air fryer chimichangas" Ready in 5 minutes

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5 from 2 votes

Air Fryer Frozen Chimichanga

Use your favorite countertop appliance to make an Air Fryer Chimichanga that is hot, crispy, and ready so much quicker than in the oven!

Cook Time15

Total Time15

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: air fryer frozen chimichanga, frozen chimichanga air fryer

Servings: servings

Calories: 184kcal

Cindy - Air Fryer Eats

Equipment

Air fryer

Ingredients

4 Frozen chimichangas
Sour cream for topping
Salsa for topping
Chopped cilantro for topping

Instructions

Remove the frozen chimichangas from their packaging.
Place the chimichangas in the air fryer basket.
Air fry at 400F for 12-15 minutes, carefully flipping every 5 minutes, until golden and crispy.
Serve with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, salsa and cilantro.

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Notes

For accurate nutritional values, please see the packaging for your frozen chimichangas.
Do not thaw the chimichangas. Cook them straight from frozen.
You don't need to add any oil to frozen chimichangas to get them crispy, as they're made with oil on them already.
Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may be able to fit more or less than 4 chimichangas. Make sure they are all in a single layer and do not overcrowd the basket.
You can eat the chimichangas as is or top them with your favorite toppings. I love to top mine with sour cream, salsa, and cilantro. Avocados or guacamole are also great on top, too!
Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the "Air Fry" function.
Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes airfrying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.

Have oven recipes that you’d like to convert to an air fryer recipe? Use our Air Fryer Calculator to help you estimate cooking times and temps! Calculator here: https://airfryereats.com/air-fryer-conversion-air-fryer-calculator/

Nutrition

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Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.

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Comments

Karen Hopkins

January 10, 2023 at 8:28 pm

I was just gifted an air fryer for Christmas, so am slowly learning about this "new" way of cooking! I love chimichangas, so am really happy to have found a way to make them in my new toy.
My oven is a little on the ancient side and takes so long to heat up, so the air fryer method is so much better and energy efficient (for me personally, anyway!).
Thank you!

- MandyProctor
  
  January 11, 2023 at 11:19 am
  
  Yes! I agree - my oven takes around 10 minutes to get to the desired temperature, so add cooking time on top of that and it can be a pain! Enjoy! 🙂