This post has been compensated by Frick’s Quality Meats; however, all opinions are my own.
Golden-brown and crispy on the outside and filled with turkey, black beans, corn, green chilies, salsa verde, and cheese, these Baked Turkey and Black Bean Chimichangas are the perfect weekday main dish or party finger food. They’re super delicious and guaranteed to please even your pickiest eaters!
I usually crave Asian-inspired meals most often, but lately, I’ve been all about Mexican food. At Mexican restaurants, after the obligatory inhaling of the chips and salsa, I have to order a chimichanga. Something about the crispy tortilla shell stuffed with gooey cheese, beans, and meat makes my heart go pitter-patter.
One of the things that makes chimis so irresistible is, of course, their crispy outside. But as we know, that comes at a price. Because most are fried in oil. Quite honestly, that doesn’t jive with my goal to eat healthier and better. So, I’ve found the best (and cheapest!) solution is to make them at home. That way, I can bake them to golden brown, crispy perfection and scarf them up without the guilt. That’s what I love about these Baked Turkey and Black Bean Chimichangas. They’re much better for you than the fried kind AND they’re super easy to whip up thanks to Frick’s Quality Meats Turkey Drums. Heard of ’em? If not, the tagline alone should make you want to know more: “It’s Frickin’ Good”! They’ve got everything from ham, turkey, sausages, bologna, and smoked meats. Hungry to learn more? You can order products on the Fricks site and follow Frick’s on Instagram and Facebook.
Having tried the turkey drum and ham, I can attest that they are, indeed, frickin’ good. So if you thought these Baked Turkey and Black Bean Chimichangas were made with ground turkey that you have to cook before assembling these beauties, you’d be wrong. Because what makes these so quick is the fact that Frick’s Turkey Drums are PRECOOKED. All you have to do is cut the meat off the bone. It’s that simple! The constantly exhausted mama of three in me is giddy with glee over that alone. For this recipe, I used one of the drums in the package, which was perfect for 10 chimichangas. If you’re having a party or would like to make extra chimichangas for leftovers (which are AMAZING, BTW), you can use both drums and double the recipe.
Let me show you just how easy these Baked Turkey and Black Bean Chimichangas are to make. First, set your oven to 400 degrees. Then trim the turkey meat from the bone.
Cut the meat into small pieces.
In a large bowl, combine your turkey, beans, green chilies, corn, salsa, and seasonings.
Place about 1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) of the mixture onto each tortilla, then top with cheese. You’ll want to place it in the lower half of the tortilla closest to you–not the center!
Now, it’s time to roll them up. Fold the tortilla over the mixture up from the bottom once. Then, fold each of the sides in and roll the remainder up from the bottom. Place the chimichangas, seam side down, onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Brush each with the melted butter and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until crispy and golden-brown (you can turn on your broiler to finish the browning toward the end, if desired).
Garnish with your favorite chimichanga toppings (my favorite is a dollop of guacamole) and enjoy!
- 1 Frick's Turkey Drum
- 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 4-oz can green chilies
- ½ can (or about ½ cup) canned corn (or frozen corn, thawed)
- ¼ cup salsa verde
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 10 8-inch, soft-taco-size flour tortillas
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cut turkey meat from bone, then cut into smaller pieces. Place in a large bowl.
- Add beans, green chilies, corn, salsa, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, and cilantro and stir to combine.
- Place about ⅛ cup filling onto each tortilla. Then, roll up once from bottom, fold in sides, then roll up remaining from bottom. Place seam-side down, onto prepared cookie sheet.
- Brush each chimichanga with melted butter and bake for 25 minutes, or until chimichangas are crispy and golden-brown. Serve with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
