A deep-fried burro: a flour tortilla wrapped around shredded beef or chicken and beans, fried until golden and blistered, then smothered with cheese, salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
Arizona claims the chimichanga as its own, with Tucson's El Charro and Phoenix family kitchens both telling tales of a burro that slipped into the deep fryer mid-century. Whoever dropped the first one, the dish became an Arizona-Mexican signature, distinct from Tex-Mex, and spread across Valley Mexican rooms through the late 20th century. The canonical version is crisp outside, juicy inside, and buried under toppings.
