If you have ever had a Chevy's chicken chimichanga, you can safely say you have lived.  Making one that tasted like Chevy's was my goal and I'm proud to say it came pretty close.  The only thing I was lacking was their green tomatillo sauce and their salsa, which is, in my mind, the best.  I am going to run a covert operation to find out their recipe for their green sauce and salsa and will pass on the secret to you, if I make it back alive.

Here's what you need:

Flour tortillas (the ones I used were the 9 inch types, which made mini-chimis)

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 3), cut into small strips

Salsa (about one cup)

Queso sauce (I just bought a jar of Tostitos brand nacho cheese dip)

Fresh cilantro (It has to be fresh.  If you have dried cilantro, go ahead and throw it out.  Fresh cilantro is my new best friend.  You can't get anything to taste like Chevy's without it.)

Whatever other Mexican spices you like

Guacamole (optional, but it's oh, so good)

Vegetable oil (or whatever you use to deep fry)

Cooking string and some toothpicks

One fiery Latin music CD (I prefer Arturo Sandoval's Danzon, Track 4 (a Mis Abuelos), on repeat

Here's how it's done:

Spice up the uncooked chicken (I used Mexican chili powder and some Paprika) and cook with a little vegetable oil in a skillet until pink is gone.

Then throw the chicken in a saucepan with the salsa and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is soaked and tender and the stock is thick. (if your salsa doesn't have onions, I would chop some up and throw it in also).  Somewhere near the end, stir in your freshly chopped cilantro.  Don't hold back, the more the merrier.

If you have a fry daddy or equivalent equipment, do whatever you need to do to get it ready to fry.  I had to use more unorthodox methods.  I used a corning ware loaf dish, filled halfway with vegetable oil, and put it in the oven on about 500 degrees F.

Lay your tortillas flat and spoon the salsafied chicken in the middle.  (be careful, you have to close it up, so don't put too much in)  And then one dollop of your queso cheese sauce on top of the salsafied chicken.

Fold it up like a burrito and do whatever it takes to keep it closed with your string and toothpicks

Then carefully place the chimis into the hot oil.  You will know the oil is hot enough by the blinding pain of oil burns that splatter up on your hands, face, and neck.

Leave them in for about 5 minutes or until the tortillas look crispy.

Then remove them from the oil and place them on a plate with some paper towels to drain the oil.

Then, what I did, was spoon a little bedding of extra filling onto the plate and place the chimis on the bedding.  Then, I put one more dollop of hot queso on top of that, followed by your guacamole. (I didn't say it was healthy for the body, just the soul!)

Enjoy with some Cerveza (I like Tecate or Negra Modelo) and turn up the Arturo!