Chicken & Bean Burritos
Submitted by statwoman
Chicken and bean burritos with spiced poached chicken shredded into smooth pureed pinto beans, rolled in flour tortillas with cheese and sour cream, then baked crisp. A lighter, hearty burrito with all the taco toppings.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsThese Mexican burritos are built on a smart, lighter filling: spiced poached chicken folded into smooth pureed pinto beans. No frying, plenty of protein and fiber, and flavor that goes all the way through.
Two techniques do the work. First, the chicken breasts poach gently in a stock seasoned with cumin, chili powder, bay and a little heat, so the meat soaks up flavor as it cooks and stays moist enough to shred. Save that broth, it doubles as a way to loosen the filling.
Second, the pinto beans get pureed until smooth, turning them into a creamy, refried-style binder that holds the chicken together inside the tortilla without any added fat.
Fresh red onion, jalapeno and cilantro stirred in keep it bright and lively. Roll the burritos up, then either bake them until brown and crisp or microwave for a softer wrap, and pile on lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa and sour cream.
Kitchen Tips
- Save the spiced poaching broth. A splash loosens the filling so it stays moist and rolls without falling apart.
- Puree the beans until completely smooth so they bind the filling. Add salsa or broth a spoonful at a time if it’s too thick.
- Bake the rolled burritos seam-side down, or pin them with a toothpick, so they stay closed and crisp up evenly.
Variations
- Swap in black beans, or use leftover rotisserie chicken to skip the poaching step.
- Add cooked rice or corn to the filling to stretch it further.
- Make them spicier with extra jalapeno, hot salsa, or a pinch more chili powder.
Ingredients
Directions
Place chicken, onion, bay leaves, spices in a pot and cover with chicken stock.
Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is done.
Remove the chicken, let cool and shred.
Strain the broth and save.
Drain, rinse and drain the pinto beans.
Place the pinto beans in a food processor and process until smooth, adding a couple of tablespoons of either salsa or chicken broth or sour cream if too thick.
In a bowl, combine the chicken and beans, again adding salsa or the chicken stock until the filling mixture is moist enough to stick together.
Add the chopped red onion, the jalepeno pepper, the chopped cilantro and mix.
Take a large flour tortilla and spread with a little bit of the fat free sour cream and some grated cheese.
Add a couple of tablespoons of the filling on one end and fold the sides over and then roll up.
You can use a toothpick to keep it rolled up or place it end side down to keep it from unrolling.
Either bake in a hot oven until brown and crunchy or microwave until hot.
Serve toped with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, fatfree sour cream, grated cheese, salsa and jalepenos.
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