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Chicken and Bacon Homemade Chimichangas
Bacon: it is something that almost everyone loves (except for those who avoid it for religious or dietary reasons, that is). Many people say that bacon makes everything better - others would go so far as to say that a world without bacon is a world which they simply would not want to live in. Whether you are a bacon fan or a bacon fanatic, one thing is true and that is that adding bacon to a chicken chimichanga gives you a dish which is hard to beat.
As you have probably gathered by now, this is basically a chicken chimichanga recipe with one very special secret ingredient: bacon. Think of it as a south of the border style, deep fried club sandwich, and you will be on the right track.
Bacon (or tocino in Spanish) actually is relatively popular as an ingredient in Mexican cuisine especially at breakfast, though it does not often show up in burritos; or for that matter, chimichangas. However, you can change all that by making this surprisingly easy and delicious bacon chimichangas recipe.
Bacon Chimichangas
Ingredients -
6 cups skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
8 large (burrito size) flour tortillas
½ pound bacon (thick cut is best)
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 jalapenos, diced (adjust quantity to taste)
1 small can green chili, chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, minced
16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Salsa (your choice)
2 tsp each cumin and oregano
Shredded lettuce
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Oil for sautéing and deep frying
Lime wedges, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, pickled jalapenos or other garnishes of your choice
Preparation:
Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp, drain on paper towels and crumble.
In another pan, sauté the onion, green chili and jalapeno until tender, stirring regularly. Add the chicken, bacon and spices until heated through, remove from heat, add tomatoes and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Now is a good time to heat your oil in a large pan for deep frying.
While you wait, fill the tortillas with the chicken mixture and top with cheese, reserving some for later and salsa before folding up into burritos.
Fry in oil deep enough to ensure that the chimichangas are completely covered, approximately three to five minutes or until browned. Serve hot over shredded lettuce with salsa, guacamole, and any other garnishes you like.
(Serves 4)
Photo Description:
If you love bacon (and after all, who does not?) then you are sure to love this bacon chimichangas recipe. This one does take a little bit of prep time and work in the kitchen, but the end result, you will have to agree once you make it for yourself, is well worth it. Of course, feel free to substitute traditional pork bacon with turkey or beef bacon or even vegetarian mock bacon, if desired. You can also make this recipe slightly healthier by baking the chimichangas instead of deep frying them, but that is all up to you. It is not as if you will eat this chimichanga recipe every night (at least, it is probably not a good idea as far as your health is concerned), though you may be tempted to do so pretty often.
