Easy Chicken Burrito Recipe
Need a new weeknight dinner? Meet these quick and easy fajita chicken burritos! We’re wrapping up a delicious combination of a fajita-inspired chicken, cheese, rice, and beans for a yummy and filling burrito that the whole family will love. This healthy chicken burrito recipe also comes together in just 15 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
This recipe for chicken burritos with rice is 100% inspired by Chipotle, so you may recognize a few of the components. It’s also made with some smart shortcuts that help this meal come together in about the time it will take you to grab a meal from Chipotle. I’m a big fan of smart kitchen shortcuts, but if there are components that you would rather make from scratch, go the homemade route!
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
What You’ll Love About Chicken Burritos
- Delicious flavors
- Nutritious and balanced meal
- Great source of protein, fiber, and energy
- Easy to make (so many ideas for smart shortcuts)
- Made with just 10 ingredients plus a few spices
- Quick meal that’s ready in 15 minutes
- Ingredients can be found at any grocery store
Ingredients
- Onion – I’ve used red onion as I wanted to base it off of these Chipotle copycat fajita veggies, but you could also use white or yellow onion.
- Pepper – I’ve used green bell peppers, but you can use any bell pepper here. Orange, yellow, or red bell pepper would also work well. You could also use frozen diced peppers for another shortcut or green chiles for a mild spice.
- Oil – You’ll want to use a vegetable oil, you can use canola or avocado oil, whatever your preference is.
- Chicken – We’re using ground chicken for speed. Originally I tested this with chicken breast to be more similar to Chipotle chicken burritos, but the cutting and cooking added too much time. If you prefer chicken breasts or chicken thighs, feel free to use them. Cut them into small, 1″ pieces and cook until cooked through or use drained slow cooker salsa shredded chicken or even rotisserie chicken.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic for best flavor or frozen garlic or even garlic powder for a quick shortcut.
- Spices – Sea salt, oregano, cumin
- Lime – Use fresh lime for best flavor.
- Black beans – Use canned beans for a quick shortcut. Or if you want to amp up the flavor, add my refried beans. You can also use your favorite beans here, pinto beans are another delicious option.
- Rice – I’ve used a pouch of microwavable cooked rice for the sake of time, but you can also use leftover rice or cook your own (once you use a rice cooker you will never look back!). Use white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, Spanish rice (Mexican rice), or even quinoa.
- Cheese – I’ve used shredded sharp cheddar, but use shredded white cheddar if you can find so it’s just like Chipotle! You could also use shredded pepper jack, cheddar cheese, queso asadero or queso Oaxaca, or your favorite shredded cheese. I prefer shredding my own, but because the cheese is being cooked a bit, I’m not as picky.
- Flour Tortillas – Look for large, burrito-sized tortillas or you’ll have issues trying to fit it all in! And if you are using smaller tortillas, add less filling and make two mini burritos!
- Optional additions – Feel free to add in any other favorite burrito ingredients like shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, salsa, hot sauce, avocado, green onions, guacamole, sour cream, fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, jalapeno pepper, diced tomatoes, or pickled red onions.
How to Make Chicken Burritos
This is an overview on how to make chicken burritos, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
FAQs
Can you turn this burrito into a healthy chicken burrito bowl?
Yes, it’s easy to turn these into a chicken burrito bowls, just skip the tortillas. Layer everything over a generous bed of rice and serve with additional fresh ingredients like shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and fresh cilantro for a lighter version that’s just as delicious.
Can you use ground turkey instead of ground chicken?
Absolutely! You can swap out the ground chicken for ground turkey, just be sure to use lean, not fat-free turkey.
Is this chicken burritos recipe spicy?
No, it’s not spicy at all! If you would like to add some heat, you can add some chipotle chili powder to the chicken and pepper mixture or add it at the end with some jalapenos, hot sauce, or spicy salsa.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover components in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
How to reheat
Reheat components separately in a hot skillet or microwave, just until warmed through.
How to prep ahead:
- Make pepper and chicken mixture
- Make rice if making from scratch
What to Serve with Chicken Burritos
These are a satisfying meal on their own, but I like to serve with a side or two – even if it’s just tortilla chips and a quick guacamole. Here are a few ideas:
- Tortilla chips
- Guacamole – Make your favorite guac or keep it really simple with a little citrus (lemon or lime) and flaky sea salt
- Corn salsa
- Elote in a cup (Esquites)
- Frozen corn – Microwave until hot and season with a little butter, salt, and pepper
How to Feed Chicken Burrito Recipe to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in.
this is a great meal to serve family style and let everyone build their own plate. (I do recommend plating food for toddlers so they get exposures to plenty of foods!) You can also serve the meal deconstructed or serve a tiny portion of chicken in a taster bowl with a cheese quesadilla on the side. Serve with some fruit and milk on the side as well and they should have enough to make a meal from, even if it doesn’t look like your burrito.
More 15-Minute Dinner Recipes
If you like these 15-minute chicken burritos, you might also like some of these other easy 15-minute dinner recipes:
- Easy Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
- Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps
- Crispy Black Bean Tacos
- Turkey Pesto Panini
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Fajita Chicken Burrito Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Tex Mex
Description
Fast and easy fajita chicken and rice burrito is a perfect weeknight dinner that’s easily customizable for the whole family.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup diced green pepper
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. oregano
- 1/4 tsp. cumin
- 1 lime
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 pouch of microwavable rice (about 2 cups cooked rice)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 burrito sized tortillas
- optional: shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, avocado, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Dice onion and peppers.
- Heat oil in a large skillet and add diced onion and diced peppers. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add ground chicken and garlic to skillet and season with sea salt, oregano, and cumin. Stir and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare rice according to package instructions and stir in juice fromm half of the lime. Rinse black beans and set aside.
- Assemble burritos. Lay out tortillas on a flat surface and place a sprinkle of cheese on the bottom third of burrito. Top with rice, beans, chicken mixture, and another sprinkle of cheese. Roll burrito up, folding in the sides. Place seam side down and repeat with remaining tortillas and fillings.
- Optional: Cook burritos. Heat fry pan or griddle over medium heat. Cook burritos, seam side down first, for about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cheese is melted.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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