Skinny Baked Chimichanga Recipe Takes You to High-Protein Tex-Mex Heaven by Donna John

The weight I lost a couple years ago has sneaked back up on me. Here's an easy Mexican recipe for skinny baked chimichangas made often for dinner at my house when the pounds were falling off. These baked chimichangas are really easy to make and are a healthier Mexican food dinner for any night of the week.

For this skinny baked chimichanga Tex-Mex recipe you'll need ground turkey, onion, garlic, a poblano pepper, chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, a can of tomato sauce, shredded reduced-fat cheese and flour tortillas. Top with baked chimichangas with whatever you like! Some great options are guacamole, sliced avocado, chopped red onion, cilantro, tomato, salsa and light sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Photo credit (all except main): Donna John

Serve this low carb and high-protein baked chimichanga recipe with homemade guacamole and a salad. To add more protein, throw in a side of beans. You'll think twice about going out for Mexican food when you can enjoy this recipe at home! Be sure to read about the health benefits of protein.

Cuisine: Mexican / American / Tex-Mex
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 5 to 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small poblano pepper, chopped (use jalapenos for more spice)
• 5 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 8 ounces (1 can) tomato sauce
• 2/3 - 1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, etc.)
• 8-inch flour tortillas

Optional Toppings

• guacamole
• sliced avocado
• chopped red onion
• fresh cilantro
• chopped tomato
• salsa
• sour cream
• jalapenos

Here’s how to make it:

1. Cook the turkey, onion, poblano, garlic, chili powder, oregano and cumin in a skillet until browned. (You could use ground beef instead of ground turkey.)
   
2. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook about 5 minutes.
   
3. Turn the heat off and add the cheese. Stir until melted. Taste and adjust seasonings.
   
4. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spoon about a 1/2 cup of the filling into the center of each tortilla.
   
5. Fold up burrito style. Spray the tops with nonstick cooking spray.
   
6. Bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven until lightly browned and crisp, about 20 minutes. Top with desired toppings and serve. To heat up leftovers, put them into a hot skillet so the tortilla crisps back up.
   

Photo credit (main): under license from Bigstock

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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