Don’t you hate it when the filling of your Chicken Burrito falls out and you end up with a chaotic mess on your hands? This one won’t! Juicy, cheesy, flavour loaded chicken burrito filling keeps everything together as you munch your way through.
Eat some now, freeze some for later – you can even reheat from frozen!
Chicken Burritos
One of my biggest gripes about Burritos (other than how ridiculously gigantic they can be, far wider than any normal human mouth) is that by the time you get halfway through, you’ve got burrito explosion on your hands.
Rolling technique comes into play – the firmer it’s rolled, the better it holds together. The filling you choose also has an effect – Shredded Beef and Shredded Chicken holds together pretty well.
But chopped chicken more often than not comes tumbling out a few bites in. As for the last few bites – forget about it. It’s just one big diabolical mess (albeit a delicious one).
Which is why I make my chicken burrito filling using refried beans which not only holds everything together, it makes the filling juicy and adds extra flavour!
What you need for Chicken Burritos
Here’s what you need. PLUS TORTILLAS! How did I forget the single most important ingredient for this recipe?? 🤦🏻♀️
Refried beans are the secret ingredient that fills it out and holds everything together
I’ve used seasoned Mexican Red Rice here which is my favourite to stuff into burritos. But feel free to use plain white rice – the Chicken Burrito Filling has so much flavour you won’t feel deprived!
How to make Chicken Burritos
And here’s how I make it:
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Sear chicken seasoned with a homemade Burrito spice mix, then chop it up;
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Make burrito filling – sautéed onion, capsicum/bell peppers, refried beans, and add the chicken. The filling should be juicy and wet, but not watery – otherwise it will make the burrito soggy;
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Pile filling, corn, rice, coriander/cilantro and cheese on a tortilla, then roll up tightly;
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Bake or panfry to melt the cheese and warm it all up!
Few things in life rival the sense of smug satisfaction when you’ve got a stash of burritos in the freezer…. and you can reheat from frozen!
How to freeze burritos
Burritos are PERFECT for freezing, making them the ideal standby homemade convenience meal! To freeze, just wrap in paper then foil, place in an airtight container or ziplock bags then freeze.
To reheat:
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thaw then oven for 15 minutes; OR
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reheat from frozen for 40 minutes.
Dunking Sauce for Burrito
You’ll find the filling for these Chicken Burritos is juicier than most, thanks to the refried beans. So you don’t even need a sauce.
However, I am never one to say no to a sauce for dunking or drizzling or dolloping or smearing, so here are some suggestions:
Sauce for burritos
The Avocado Sauce is pictured in the photo above. But the Queso is secretly my favourite. Seriously, imagine a burrito dunked in a warm Cheesy Mexican Dip?? – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Chicken Burrito
Ingredients
- 5 tortillas , flour (approx 20cm/8" wide)
Burrito Seasoning:
- 1 tsp each onion powder, dried oregano, salt
- 2 tsp each dried cumin powder, paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, adjust to taste)
Chicken Filling:
- 600g / 1.2 lb chicken breast , sliced in half horizontally (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 1/2 onion , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 red capsicum/bell pepper , diced
- 400g/14oz refried beans , canned (Note 2)
- 1/4 cup water
Rice - CHOOSE one:
- 2.5 cups white rice , plain (cooked, Note 3)
- 2.5 cups Mexican Red Rice (the best for Burritos!)
Other Stuffings:
- 400g/14oz canned corn , drained (or 280g/9oz frozen thawed)
- 1.5 cups (150g) cheese , shredded (Mexican blend, cheddar, tasty, Montery Jack)
- 1/4 cup coriander/cilantro , finely chopped
Sauce for dunking - choose:
- Avocado sauce
- Sour cream
- Salsa (restaurant style, smooth)
Instructions
- Burrito Seasoning - Mix Seasoning ingredients. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil over chicken, mix to coat. Sprinkle with Seasoning, toss to coat.
- Cook chicken - Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add chicken, cook 2 minutes. Turn and cook 1.5 minutes. Remove, rest 2 minutes then chop.
- Saute onion - In the same skillet, add onion and garlic, cook 1 minute. Add capsicum, cook 2 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Finish Filling - Add refried beans, diced chicken and water. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until reduces slightly. Should be thick and juicy, not watery and not dry/stodgy! Let cool 5 minutes - will thicken.
Assemble burritos:
- Gently warm tortillas in microwave (makes them pliable), lay on work surface.
- Place rice on lower third, top with Chicken Filling, corn, cheese then sprinkle with coriander. Fold up, burrito style.
- Toasting: Either pan fry over medium high heat (no oil) for 2 minutes each side to make tortilla crispy and melt cheese a bit OR wrap tightly in foil and bake in oven 10 minutes at 180°C/350°F.
- Dunk in sauce(s) of choice or douse with hot sauce of choice, and devour! Suggestions: Avocado Sauce, Guacamole, sour cream, Restaurant Style Salsa, Queso, Nacho Cheese Dip.
- Freezer friendly! Note 4 for directions.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Burrito Fever
I love a good burrito….so handy to have a stash in the freezer!
Life of Dozer
Food Porn for Dogs.
Jennifer S. says
Can you reheat these is the microwave from thawed or frozen? If so, how long should I do?
Lily says
Personally, I reheated mine in the oven to get that nice crunchyness that it had when initially cooked, and it was delicious! I just checked it by eye until it was a nice golden brown colour 🙂
Nagi says
Hi Jennifer, you sure can, either use a defrost setting or thaw and then heat – I’d put it in for a minute or so and check it. N x
Stela says
Another amazing recipe! It was so easy to make, but crazy delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes with us! xoxo
AISHA MALIK says
How long will the chicken filling last in the fridge without putting it in the tortillas?
Branndi says
I say about three days max.
Jennifer A Summers says
No more than 4 days
Karen H. says
During lockdown I found this recipe. My husband and I loved it, we mix salsa with it. I gave the recipe to my son also.
Jeff Brown says
Wow! Just loved this! I’m on low carb so had to modify a bit but, what a great idea blending it all together and the dipping sauce is perfect with this. I also added a bit of salsa to my blend.
Nagi says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Jeff! N x
Jeff Brown says
Forgot to hit the stars!!
Brenda Castellano says
Another hit for my family, it was delicious!
Anne McCaffrey says
Cooking this for the second time today, as I had a midnight snack craving for them last night, and none in the freezer! I too will soon be smug with my freezer stash!
Nagi says
Oh I love this Anne!! N x
Sophie says
This is the third recipe of yours we’ve made this week and each one has gotten better every time! The burritos were a HUGE hit and we can not fault a single thing about any of your recipes. Thank you!
Sarah says
Made 3 for my family to eat for lunch. They were delicious. We ended up with SEVEN to freeze! What I thought would be gone in a heartbeat turned in to a very successful meal-prep for the work week!
Stella says
These were a big hit with my family, even though I sneaked spinach into the filling mix (take THAT, kids!). I was tempted to skip roasting the burritos in the interest of time, but I’m so glad I didn’t – the tortillas stayed crispy instead of getting gummy. Thanks for another great one, Nagi!
Tadeáš Rabina says
Hi Nagi, if there are no refried beans in my city can I use beans in tomato sauce?
Nagi says
Hi Tadeas, substitutes are listed in the recipe notes 🙂 N x
Zia says
Hi Nagi ,
My family has appreciated my culinary skills during lockdown a lot more now that everyone eats home .
I can only say that it’s all thanks to your amazing collection that comes out “spot on “ each time .
Thank you for elevating my status from a “decent chef “ to an “excellent “ one ( according to my boys )
Xxxxx
Bobby S. M. says
Hi Nagi, During stay home at this time, its good to try your recipe “chicken borito” recently heading to groceries to get those ingridients. Thanks for your detailed recipe.
Lucy says
Chicken Burritos were Amazing! We made them for daughters lockdown birthday meal and she loved them. Will use this recipe forever more, thank you x
Nagi says
That’s awesome to hear Lucy, thanks so much! N x
Ana says
This recipe was a huge hit in our home. The house smelled like a Mexican restaurant. Definitely a keeper and a crowd pleaser! Thank you and your recipes have been a lifesaver for me during these times of quarantine!
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Ana, thanks so much!! N x
Tracey says
I would normally avoid anything with refried beans, but after watching the video, decided to give them a go. ** THEY ARE THE BEST **. Thanks Nagi :). I made eight using large wraps.
Nagi says
Wahoo!!! Thanks for letting me know Tracey! N x
Huang says
I can’t find refried beans where I live. Any subs?
Nagi says
Just added directions to make your own into the recipe notes! Quick ‘n easy using canned beans 🙂 N x
Kathleen Sexton says
Made your lovely Tuna bake last night, burritos tonight and fish tacos tomorrow night! what’s in store for next week Nagi?!! Made the burritos with my 10 year old and she loved the process! Delicious! Thank you for all the images and videos as well they demystify the whole process!!
Caroline Littleboy says
Tried these for the first time and the family loved them…. Although I was a bit stressed assembling the wraps and serving them hot. Any tips for preparing ahead?
Many thanks
Caroline
Nagi says
Hi Caroline, I’m so glad they were a hit! I love making a big batch of these and wrapping individually in foil – this way you can definitely make them ahead of time 🙂 N x
Ruth says
Another terrific recipe Nagi and this made 8 large burritos. I substituted refried beans with a tin of kidney beans which I drained and mashed up. Using your mexican rice recipe also, this makes for a delicious meal. Thanks again!
Nagi says
Sounds perfect Ruth, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x