A chimichanga is a deep-fried burrito, commonly filled with meat, beans, cheese, or combinations of these ingredients.
The dish is strongly associated with Tex-Mex and Mexican-American cooking, especially in the southwestern United States. Its defining feature is not a particular filling but the frying of a folded flour tortilla until crisp and golden.
Several restaurants in Arizona have claimed to have invented the chimichanga, and the precise origin remains disputed. Stories often describe a burrito accidentally falling into a fryer, but those accounts are culinary lore rather than a settled historical conclusion.
Chimichangas are often served with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or cheese sauce. They differ from ordinary burritos because the tortilla is fried after wrapping.