What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Pork Tenderloin Chimichanga! If you want to step up your game from an ordinary burrito, but really prefer the flavor of crispy fried foods, there are healthier ways to accomplish it without a deep fryer. Anyone who owns an air fryer will attest to that. I haven’t purchased this countertop convection yet, although my new kitchen does have the option on the built-in wall unit. The one time I tested it produced a charred burn mark on the wooden cutting board afterwards. The jury is still out if I’ll make another attempt at it. These chimichangas are baked in the oven and deliver golden brown crunchy results. Tried-and-True techniques go a long way in my book.
PORK TENDERLOIN CHIMICHANGA
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups pork tenderloin, cooked and shredded
2/3 cup medium picante sauce, prepared
1/3 cup green onions
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
8 flour tortillas
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup Mexican blend cheeses, shredded
Lettuce, tomatoes, onions
Ranch dressing, prepared
Fresh lime wedges, for garnish
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a large skillet, combine shredded pork tenderloin, picante sauce, green onion, ground cumin, dried oregano, and sea salt. Simmer 5 minutes to heat through and allow most of the liquid to evaporate. Remove from heat. Brush both sides of a flour tortilla with melted butter. Spoon 1/3 cup meat mixture into the center; top with 2 tablespoons Mexican blend cheese. Fold 2 sides over filling; fold ends down. Place seam side down in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake 15 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Serve lettuce fixings drizzled with ranch dressing. Garnish with lime wedges.
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Glad this is an oven recipe. I don’t have an air fryer and don’t plan to get one.
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If my new oven didn’t have the option, I wouldn’t have one either. 😜
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I love that you baked these Gail!
I got an air fryer on the recommendation of several friends and used it a few times. I realized it did exactly what my convection oven did, but was much smaller and had to do things in batches, so I rarely use it.
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Thank youuu. It’s funny, the only thing I ever hear people talking about making in their air fryer are frozen French Fries and Chicken Wings. Not that there’s anything wrong with that……we seldom eat them. 🤣
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Nor us, but I did want to try a few things. They just weren’t any better than my oven, and I could only do a limited amount at one time, so things got cold. Well, great marketing.
If you know anyone who want one, barely used!
I guess that if you don’t have a convection oven, it would probably be great.
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Back in my day, we really enjoyed the “Fry Daddy” mini fryer for homemade French fries. Remember those? 🤣
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I’d forgotten about those! My mom had one. It replaced here little saucepan with the wire basket in it, and she never looked back!
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Totally addictive. 🤣🤣🤣
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Looks awesome, Gail!
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They freeze well so we can have them again. 😍
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Your plated dish looks delicious ~ a healthy choice easy to prepare, too. 😊
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Thanks. You really made my day! Blessings. 🍃🍓
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I have a chicken recipe but welcome your version with pork. “Cinco de Mayo” ? 🙂
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Sounds like a plan! Olé. 🎊
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I will shimmy over to these chimi and say gimme!
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Like it, Love it, Gotta have it. 😍🍃👏
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