Chicken Burrito

About This Recipe

There's a moment in every burrito's life when it either holds together or falls apart, and it happens in the wrap. Too much filling and it splits at the first bite. Too little rice and the whole thing goes soggy. Underseason the chicken and you might as well be eating a wet napkin. Burritos are more architecture than recipe, and once you understand the architecture, you can put almost anything inside.

My go-to is chicken, rice, black beans, cheese, and whatever fresh things I have — lettuce, tomato, a squeeze of lime. What makes it good isn't any single ingredient, it's the ratio and the wrap. Wide tortilla, warmed briefly on a hot pan so it's pliable. Filling stacked in a tight rectangle in the lower third. Fold the sides in first, then roll forward, tucking as you go. The final seam-down toast on a hot dry pan seals everything.

I make these when I want dinner to feel like more than just "food on a plate." You eat them with your hands, they're generous, and no one asks for seconds because the first one is already enough. My favorite kind of weeknight meal.

Ingredients

🔄 Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook 1 cup of long-grain white rice with 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt, juice of 1 lime, and a handful of chopped cilantro stirred in at the end.

2. 2

   Cook the chicken: season 1 lb of boneless thighs with 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1.5 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high; cook 5-6 minutes per side until done. Rest 5 minutes, then shred with two forks.

3. 3

   Warm 1 can of black beans in a pot with ½ teaspoon cumin and a pinch of salt. Don't drain them all the way — some liquid keeps them from drying out.

4. 4

   Make a quick salsa or pico de gallo: dice 2 tomatoes, ½ red onion, 1 jalapeño (seeded), a handful of cilantro. Toss with lime juice and salt.

5. 5

   Warm 4 large flour tortillas (10-12 inch burrito size) in a dry skillet 20 seconds per side, or wrap in foil and heat in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes. Cold tortillas crack when rolled.

6. 6

   Build each burrito: in the lower-center of the tortilla, layer rice (½ cup), beans (¼ cup), chicken (¼ cup), shredded cheese (¼ cup), pico (2 tablespoons), guacamole (2 tablespoons), sour cream (1 tablespoon). Fold sides in first, then roll tightly from the bottom. Optional: toast the rolled burrito in a dry pan 30 seconds per side to crisp the exterior. Serve immediately.