Chicken Rice Burritos

This is a crowd-feeder. Sixty burritos worth of diced chicken stirred into cayenne-spiked rice pilaf, scooped into flour tortillas, and topped with a cool sour cream sauce loaded with green chilies. It’s built for potlucks, parties, and feeding a team.

The sour cream sauce gets made first and chilled so the flavors can meld. Milk thins it to a pourable consistency, and diced green chilies add a mild, slightly smoky heat that won’t overwhelm a crowd. Make it well ahead if you can. An hour in the fridge makes a noticeable difference.

Cayenne pepper cooked right into the rice gives every grain a low, steady warmth that builds as you eat. It’s enough to be interesting without being aggressive.

Keep the chicken-rice mixture at a warm holding temperature until you’re ready to serve. Assembling burritos to order means everyone gets them hot, and the tortillas stay soft instead of getting soggy from sitting.

Chef Tips

• Use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or leftover roasted chicken to save time on a batch this large.
• Warm the flour tortillas before filling. Cold tortillas crack and tear when you try to fold them.
• Keep the filling covered at holding temperature to prevent the rice from drying out on the surface.
• Ladle the sour cream sauce on top rather than inside the burrito. It stays cooler and the texture contrast is better.

Variations

• Scale the recipe down by dividing all ingredients by 4 for a family-sized batch of about 15 burritos.
• Add black beans to the rice filling for more protein and fiber.
• Top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and sliced jalapenos for a loaded version.