This Baked Chipotle Chicken Burritos recipe is smoky and bursting with flavor. They are easy to assemble ahead of time and covered with chipotle sauce and melty cheese, just like at your favorite Mexican restaurant!
chopped fresh cilantro and red onionfor serving (optional)
Instructions
Marinate the chicken in the chopped chipotle peppers (3), adobo sauce (2 tablespoons), garlic powder (1 teaspoon), kosher salt (1 teaspoon), black pepper (1/4 teaspoon), olive oil (2 tablespoons), and lime juice in a large plastic bag or container, for at least two hours or as long as two days in the fridge.
In a heavy skillet (such as cast iron), cook the chicken on medium-high heat for 3 minutes on each side, or until seared on each side and fully cooked on the inside.
Remove chicken from skillet and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes, then shred with two forks into small pieces.
Meanwhile, deglaze skillet with the chicken stock (1 cup), scraping up the peppers and brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for a few minutes, allowing the liquid to reduce by about 25%.
Transfer liquid and all the peppers and bits from the bottom of the pan to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (or transfer to a measuring cup or small bowl and do the same thing with an immersion blender).
Assemble each burrito as follows: layer rice, cheese, and chicken, and a little bit of the pureed sauce. Roll each by folding over one side, tucking over the edges, and finishing rolling. Make sure you leave some cheese and sauce for topping the burritos after assembling.
Lay each burrito seam size down in an oven safe pan or baking dish.
Top each burrito with remaining sauce and cheese.
Broil in oven for 4-8 minutes, depending on how hot your broiler is, until cheese is bubbly and browned (keep an eye on it!).
Remove from oven and serve topped with fresh cilantro and onions, if desired.
Notes
I made four PACKED burritos for this recipe, and had a little leftover rice and chicken (which I promptly ate right off the cutting board) :-) You can certainly stretch this recipe to make 6 burritos.
Assemble any extra assembled burritos (without the sauce and cheese on top) for an easy microwave lunch for later!
Make ahead- assemble the burritos in your baking dish up to three days before baking for an easy weeknight dinner- just pop in a 425 degree oven until cheese is browned and melted (don't broil if you make ahead, since the inside will still be cold).
The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.