I hope this post will get these Chicken Burritos into your expanding list of No-Thinking-Involved meals.
They're perfect for those nights when you're starving and nothing sounds good -- especially anything that involves lots of work in the kitchen.
I make them all the time and they rely on one of the most dependable sauces in all of Mexican cuisine: Avocado Salsa Verde.
How To Make Chicken Burritos
Avocado Salsa Verde is a killer sauce with a remarkably easy recipe. Make it once and it'll be a part of your kitchen repertoire for life. For realz.
Of course, if you open up the fridge and see a potential headstart then you are lucky.
That's what spurred on this batch -- a Tupperware container of leftover Salsa Verde.
All you need to do is blend an avocado with this and you've got a lip-smacking Avocado Salsa Verde on your hands.
I also added another 1/2 jalapeno to liven it up a little bit.
Here's how it looked after blending it together:
But if your fridge doesn't regularly have leftover Salsa Verde in it (what?!), then here are the easy steps to make it from scratch.
We'll start with the usual suspects for Salsa Verde:
4-5 tomatillos (What's a tomatillo?)
1/2 onion
1 jalapeno (or serrano)
10-12 sprigs cilantro
1 garlic clove
Husk and de-stem the tomatillos, and be sure to give them a good rinse.
You can roast the tomatillos any way you want, but I usually just plop them in a 400F oven until they turn army green in color, approx. 15 minutes.
Add the roasted tomatillos to a blender along with 1/2 onion, the peeled garlic clove, the rinsed cilantro, and only 1/2 of the jalapeno.
Combine well and take a taste for heat, adding the other half of the jalapeno if you want to add more spice.
This will give you 1.5-2 cups of Salsa Verde and a single avocado is all you need to turn that into something otherworldly.
Simply add the flesh of a single avocado and combine well.
You can also salt to taste at this point but when the ingredients are fresh I will sometimes even skip the salt because it already tastes so good to me.
I know I've harped on this sauce before, but it definitely deserves the attention-- it really is delicious so if you're new to it then please consider adding it to your arsenal!
I also happen to have some leftover Mexican rice in the fridge and that's going to make this batch of burritos even easier!
The rice isn't crucial for this recipe though. You'll be getting so much flavor from the Avocado Salsa Verde that you could easily use white rice and still get great burritos.
But of course, if you want to make a batch of Arroz Rojo you can see details on it here.
My seasoning for chicken is constantly evolving, and for this batch I used:
1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
pinch of chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper
I usually saute some onion in oil and then cook the seasoned chicken pieces over medium heat.
But don't sweat the seasoning on the chicken too much because, you guessed it, you've got a killer sauce doing all the heavy lifting in these burritos. (Hint: it's green.)
A single chicken breast is enough for two loaded burritos or three that are medium-sized. I usually make three so that there's a leftover burrito waiting patiently in the fridge for an even easier meal than this one.
You'll need a large, dry skillet to crisp up the burritos. I usually heat up the tortillas for 30 seconds or so before adding ingredients to them -- this will make them easier to roll up.
Each tortilla gets rice, chicken, cheese, and gobs of the Avocado Salsa Verde. You'll have plenty of the Avocado Salsa Verde so feel free to goop it on.
I find it easiest to tuck in the sides of the tortilla before rolling it together, like this:
Then it's just a matter of crisping up your burritos in a dry skillet.
I usually set my stove to medium and that will have the tortilla crisping up and turning golden brown in about 3-4 minutes. Do that for both sides and everything inside will be piping hot when you serve it.
And these confident burritos prefer to be served up unadorned, no additional garnishes needed. Just plop 'em on a plate and chow down!
Once you take a bite you'll know why -- the sauce is doing all the work and you won't need anything else.
Yum!
I usually wrap the leftover burritos, uncooked, in parchment paper and foil. The parchment layer can help prevent sticking when you reheat them -- just plop the wrapped burrito in a 400F oven and 20-30 minutes later another delicious burrito is coming your way.
Okay, let me know if you have any questions about these Chicken Burritos, or more specifically, the Avocado Salsa Verde!! It's such a great sauce to have in your repertoire and it will give you instant access to some No-Thinking-Involved meals.
Buen Provecho.
Chicken Burritos With Avocado Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast
- 2-3 flour tortillas
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup cheese ( I used Jack)
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped onion (for the chicken)
- olive oil
For the chicken seasoning (optional):
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
- pinch of chipotle powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- olive oil
For the Avocado Salsa Verde:
- 4-5 tomatillos
- 1/2 onion
- 1 jalapeno (or serrano)
- 1 garlic clove
- 10-12 sprigs cilantro
- 1 avocado
Instructions
- If you're making the Avocado Salsa Verde from scratch, start by pulling off the husks of the tomatillos and giving them a good rinse. I usually de-stem them as well. Roast the tomatillos in a 400F oven for 10-20 minutes or until they start to turn army green in color.
- Add the roasted tomatillos to a blender along with 1/2 onion, 1 peeled garlic clove, 10-12 sprigs cilantro (using the upper stems is fine), and 1/2 of the jalapeno pepper. (Be sure to give the cilantro and jalapeno a good rinse.) Pulse blend and taste for heat level. If you want more spice add more of the jalapeno. Add the flesh of a single avocado to the blender and combine well. Salt to taste (I typically do not add much salt).
- Chop a single chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and combine with the seasoning ingredients in a bowl. The exact seasoning isn't crucial for this dish, but I used 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder, a pinch of chipotle powder, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and a dollop of olive oil. Saute 2-3 Tablespoons of chopped onion in a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add the chicken and form a single layer, leaving it until nearly cooked through. Flip and finish cooking the other side. Set aside until needed.
- I usually warm up the tortillas in a large dry skillet for 30 seconds or so before adding ingredients to them. Each tortilla gets rice, cheese, chicken, and plenty of the Avocado Salsa Verde. Roll tight and cook each side of the burrito in the dry skillet for 3-4 minutes per side or until it is crisping up and turning golden brown. (I usually put my stove at medium heat.)
- Serve immediately. Store leftover burritos in the fridge, uncooked, wrapped in parchment paper and foil. To reheat, put the wrapped burrito in a 400F oven for 20-30 minutes.
Notes
Still hungry?!
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Kristin A Mahoney
With the leftover burritos, you say store uncooked then pop in oven to reheat. Do you crisp them in skillet before you store them in parchment paper and roll in foil? Or crisp after you reheat?
Patrick
Hey Kristin! The oven re-heat will slightly crisp up the burrito, so I will usually skip the skillet crisp step when re-heating with the oven. Of course, your oven mileage may vary so feel free to add in a final skillet crisp. Cheers.
Anne
These burritos were fabulous. I made the Mexican rice and the salsa verde the day before, so it was easy to finish them up. I just had to make the chicken, which was GREAT,( used thighs cuz that's what we love), and add the avocado to the salsa. I made the rice with brown rice, adjusting as needed. Browning burritos in a dry skillet is not only genius, but healthier!
I will definitely make again...SOON!!! Thanks for the great recipe.
Patrick
Hey thanks much for your note Anne! Super helpful to hear your adjustments. Cheers.
A_Boleyn
Delicious looking ... better than buying it at one of those 'chains'. 🙂
Shane
Dude, you weren’t kidding. That salsa is my new addiction. I wanna put it on EVERYTHING.
Patrick
Ha I know what you mean Shane, so glad it's a hit for you! Cheers.
Patty Breslin
I came across your site because my 17 year old son decided he wanted to learn how to make hot sauce(he considers himself an officianado). Score! I love the repertoire of great sounding, relatively simple and pretty healthy food! I’m sticking up today on dried chili’s, tomatillos, onions eat al to have a salsa and hot sauce making fiesta this weekend. I’ve only got him home for another 8 months or so, so I’m taking full advantage of some son time. Narrowing the choices is tough though. Thanks, this will be my new go to for mex!
Patrick
Thanks Patty, I hope you find some keeper recipes on the site! Feel free to get in touch with any questions along the way.
Jeff the Chef
So much info here. First of all, I don't think I've ever had avocado salsa verde before, and I love avocado - so I'm up for that. But also, your burrito-rolling method is something else I've never tried - and I've rolled a lot of tortillas. Your method seems to right, I'll have to try it. And then, for some reason, I've never thought to crisp up the tortilla after the burrito's been rolled. Three great ideas in one post!
Patrick
Hey Jeff! Yeah that Avocado Salsa Verde is a total keeper so give it a try some time -- it's super easy and you can build meals around it!
And crisping up the burrito is a gamechanger -- not only will it melt the cheese and bring everything to a uniform temp, but it gives the burrito a texture that is so much more pleasant to eat. Cheers.
Esther
Just made this recipe; 2 thumbs up!👍👍 I served with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes on the side. Very filling (and fulfilling) meal!
Patrick
Thanks Esther, so glad the burritos were a hit!