Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not embrace it, and treat yourself to a breakfast chimichanga smothered in red chile.
This chimichanga is hearty, high in protein, and exploding with lots and lots of flavor! When you cut into the crunchy, lightly pan fried tortilla you’ll find the ultimate breakfast ingredient – eggs – wrapped with spicy Mexican chorizo or spicy black beans or both, whichever you prefer. To enjoy a multitude of goodness, use each bite to scoop up some red chile with a little bit of the toppings. Now that’s a breakfast! If this doesn’t become a standard for your household, I don’t know what will.
Oh, and did I mention that it’s really easy to make?
Breakfast Chimichanga Smothered in Red Chile
A hearty and spicy breakfast that will keep you going for several hours. It does require that you have some red chile sauce on hand.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients and substitutions.
- 2 – 10 – 12″ Flour Tortillas*
- 2 eggs
- 2 ounces Mexican chorizo* OR 1/2 cup Black beans*
- 1 Tbsp. milk or cream
- 2 – 3 dashes Red chile powder*
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 cup Red Chile Sauce* – heated
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 1/4 cup black olives, diced
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Whisk together the eggs, milk, and red chile powder.
Heat a skillet over medium low heat.
If using chorizo – Crumble the chorizo into a hot skillet and cook through. Add the eggs to the skillet and cook, stirring in the chorizo, until the eggs are set. Remove from the heat.
If using black beans – Rinse and set aside to drain. Add the eggs to the hot skillet and cook for about a minute or two. Add the bean and incorporate into the eggs. Cook until eggs are done.
Place half of the egg mixture down the center of a flour tortilla leaving at least 1 inch on each end.
Fold* the short ends over the ends of the egg mixture. Pull one of the side flaps over the egg mixture, gently tuck it in and finishing rolling into a chimichanga. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the second tortilla.
In a skillet large enough for both chimichangas, heat 1 Tbsp. of oil. When hot, place the chimichangas in the skillet, toothpick side down. Cook for about 1 minute or until tortillas are toasted brown. Turn and cook for 1 minute on each side until brown.
Remove from the skillet and transfer to serving plates. Pour hot red chile sauce over each chimichanga and top with cheese, onion, and black olive.
Flour Tortilla – If the tortillas aren’t soft and easily pliable, heat briefly on a hot griddle to soften. This keeps the tortilla from breaking when you fold it.
Recipe for Mexican Chorizo
Recipe for Cooking up a Pot of Black Beans just in case you want to make your own.
Types of Red Chile Powder
Recipes for Red Chile Sauce from Pods and Red Chile Sauce from Powder
Substitutions for red chile sauce – If you don’t have any red chile, you can substitute with your favorite salsa, green chile, or enchilada sauce.
Ingredient ratios –
- 1 egg to 1 ounce of chorizo
- 1 egg to 1/4 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup red chile / chimichanga
For a pictorial on how to wrap into chimichangas, check out An Inspired Cook’s post on chimichanga.
Another fabulous chimichanga that I make pretty regularly during fresh chile season (because I can’t get enough of it) is this Chile Relleno Chimichanga by An Inspired Cook. It’s very addicting.
If you like to smother your food in red chile as much as we do, be sure check out this collection of recipes. You’ll find recipes from enchiladas to tamales, beans to potatoes. You’ll also find two red chile sauce recipes – One made from chile pods and one from chile powder.
I could use a spicier breakfast to better jump start my day, MJ! My husband would love this even more so for dinner. You have access to so many different chilies where you live to create your amazing recipes!
Thanks so much Roz! Bobby and I usually do start our day with a spicy breakfast. It does make a good jump start to the day.
Hi MJ, I haven’t eaten breakfast yet and this is making my tummy rumble! Looks fabulous. Thank you. 🙂
Hey Hyeon! Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment! Glad these eggs made you hungry. 🙂
This is 100% something for me!
I thought you would enjoy this. 🙂
If this is what is served during breakfast, I will skip lunch and dinner then have 3 breakfast instead
I’m with you there Raymund! Thanks!
While I’m not much of a breakfast eater, this sounds like a delicious start to the day.
Thanks Karen! Happy New Year!
Dear MJ, first of all sorry for coming so late. I had hard time coming back to organised “normal” life after my holidays… The older I am the more I think I have to move to a sunnier part of the world because I no longer stand winters.
I hope you have spent wonderful Christmas (if you were at home, it was delicious, this is the only thing I’m sure about!). Chimichanga sounds and looks like the perfect weekend breakfast (I usually get hungry quite late during the week, so my breakfasts are ridiculously tiny and frugal). I love everything about it and even the name sounds like so much fun!
Happy New Year, dear friend!!!
You and me both! This has been a very busy fall for us with company plus I was sick for a month which really set me back. We went to the south for Christmas thinking it would be warmer, but it was much colder than if we had stayed home. Go figure! 🙂 Now we are back home, enjoying the 60F weather for a few more days, because I’m with you. I don’t like the cold winter anymore.
That’s funny that you should mention the name of these as being funny. Bobby thinks so as well and just loves it when I make them, not just for the excellent meal they provide, but so he can say “chimichanga” a lot. 🙂 They are really quite scrumptious and we love the cruchiness. Hope you get to try them.
Oh, I’m sorry to hear you were sick for a month… I hope you feel better now!
I thought I was among the rare people who got felt so bad about the winter season…
I do better much better now. Thanks! Winter is my most troublesome season, healthwise. I actually become a hermit because I can no longer tolerate cold. When and if we do out to eat, we go to lunch. Once the sun sets, the temperature can drop 20 degrees so out come the blankets.:)
This is a truly awesome breakfast idea, MJ. Can’t wait to give it a try. What kind of onion do you use?
Thanks Agness! I use a sweet onion like a Vidallia or a red onion, but if you are onion lover like me, you could use just about any onion you want. 🙂
Oh I love Mexican and this would be perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner, i am not going to be picky about the time! Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thanks so much Katerina! Hope you and your family are having a wonderful holiday.
I have never heard of a chimichanga but it looks sooo good, I am sure I would love it. My kids too, perhaps with less chili for them. 🙂 I love the way they are packed, they look so inviting!
Thanks Adina! Yes you can definitely make them kid friendly with the amount of chile. Easy breezy.
Great idea for breakfast! And since I haven’t had breakfast yet, now I’m REALLY hungry thanks to you. 🙂 I wanted to let you know that for the 2nd time I served Pork Adovada to guests this past weekend, and using your recipe for the red sauce using chile powder. Such a great recipe and once again everyone was raving. Have a fabulous Holiday MJ.
Thanks you so much Lea Ann!!!! I have yet to make adovada this year. It’s looks like it might be our New Years eve dinner. 🙂
This is my kind of breakfast, hearty and packed with flavors. Yum!
You’ve got that right! 🙂 Thanks!
What an outstanding and hearty breakfast!!
Thanks Amy!
I really shouldn’t be reading blogs right before breakfast!! This looks so tasty 🙂
Thanks Cathleen! It does make one hungry doesn’t it? 🙂
Yes, please. And for lunch and dinner as well!
You got it! Thanks!
The boys were certainly love this! Great recipe to have on hand with everyone going to be home during the holiday season
Thanks Bobbi! They are an easy meal to throw together and great when you have a larger group. Just use a bigger skillet. 🙂 Happy Holidays!
This looks spectacular MJ – explosive is the perfect word. Love what you’ve done here and I feel that this would be the kind of breakfast that would hold me over til dinner time. I appreciate options like this not only for the glorious taste (with every bite indeed) but also when I’m on the road and know that lunch will not be as readily accessible (we sometimes refer to the hearty ones like this as ‘farmers breakfasts’ in our home and they are among our favorites). Speaking of, if my men ever got hold of this post, I’d be done! “When are you making the chile chimichanga for us!!” ps: that last photo now….
Thanks so much Kelly! It is the breakfast that holds you over. For me, it’s more of a brunch. I make Bobby’s extra big so it holds him over as well. 🙂 He loves them and these have replaced the breakfast burrito.
Wow my son would LOVE this. I’ll have to surprise him with this. Sounds so tasty.
Thanks Vicki! I hope he is taste buds are pleasantly surprised. 🙂
The easy caught my attention and the red chile sealed the deal! I agree this would be a fantastic way to begin the day.
Thanks Deb! Easy AND delicious! How can anyone refuse that? 🙂
What a good idea, turning the common breakfast burrito into something much more interesting. Did you use some of your leftover red beans from last week? hehe Sometimes when we’ve had a big lunch we have something light like a breakfast burrito for dinner. This would be a good change. I look forward to trying it. I’ll probably put green chilis on top instead of red sauce. I have some great roasted green chilis in the freezer!
Thanks Nadalyn!! No, I didn’t use leftover red beans. I had a small serving of black beans in the freezer so they ended up in a couple of these. Yep…nothing wrong with having these for dinner. I remember all of the Sunday night breakfast dinners that Mom used to make. 🙂 Oh the green chile on top would be “almost” as good as red, but then I really love red chile. XOXO
Did I mention I am coming over for breakfast … like tomorrow 😀
Come on over Evelyne!!! 🙂 Thanks!
I absolutely love your breakfast chimi! You had my attention at first sight! I rarely make a red chile smothered breakfast since my hubby prefers green but I am inspired! Thank you for the shout out to An Inspired Cook, you are a sweet friend!
Thank YOU Jan! I love your method of the pan fried chimichanga and as you can see, I stole it for these breakfast chimichangas. 🙂 I’m sure these would be great with green chile sauce. In fact a few weeks ago, I smothered it in a green chile tomatilla sauce. It was so good!
Your red chile sauce is awesome, MJ, it would be good on just about anything! This would be a fantastic breakfast around here — YUM!
Thanks so much Judy! My challenge with my red chile is enough of it in the house. 🙂 Thanks Judy!!
This is fantastic for any meal, MJ.
You’ve got that right Angie. Thanks!
What a nice change from a burrito and love that this chimi is not deep fried! Winner!
Thanks Abbe! Yes, the pan fry method is much healthier and love the result better than deep fried.
Oh MJ! Your posts always have me missing New Mexico! I love breakfast burritos… we really prefer savory over sweet breakfasts. This looks so yummy and satisfying. A great way to start the day. Merry Christmas!
Thanks Tamara! I too love these breakfasts. Aside from being just downright good, they keep me going until supper. And a Merry Christmas to you as well!
I’m a sucker for anything smothered in red chile sauce. This looks great — just loaded with flavor. I’ve never had a breakfast chimichanga — high time I tried one, don’t you think? 🙂
Isn’t that the truth? Who does’t love red chile? And YES, you do need to try a breakfast chimichanga. Bobby won’t let me make breakfast burritos because that’s always the standard breakfast when he has a film shoot, so he’s kind of burnt out with them, but he loves these chimichanga. I guess the light pan fried changes it just enough. 🙂 Thanks John!
Looks delicious.
Thanks A_B!
I want to subscribe to your website to get your recipes. They look so good.
Thanks Diana! I have added you to the mailing list. You should have received a confirmation email.