Ground Chicken Burritos are made with tortillas stuffed with spicy ground chicken, red rice, refried beans, corn, salsa, and cheese. These tortillas are then rolled and baked in foil. I have been making burritos for many years for my kids using Greek yogurt, fresh homemade salsa, guacamole, and homecooked refried beans, making this dish so healthy!
Origin:
Whether you choose to believe that the burrito was invented by Juan Mendez in Chihuahua in the 1910s at the back of his little donkey (burrito) or that a vendor in Ciudad Juarez in the 1940s sold soft stuffed tortillas to schoolchildren whom he affectionately called burritos, or that it was invented in the Mexican wheat basket state of Sonora and was named for the bedrolls that adorned donkeys, the burrito is uniquely Mexican. In fact, historians believe that using corn tortillas to wrap foods was a Meso-American practice dating back to 10,000 B.C.
A burrito is essentially a platform dish. The basic concept is to stuff a wheat or maize roll with ariety of fillings and accouterments and serve it warm. While the burrito was introduced formally in the U.S. in Los Angeles in 1923 by Alejandro Borquez, there are as many varieties of burritos as there are ingredients. The supersized version of the burrito and the addition of sour cream came from San Francisco’s Mission district.
My version is the Ground Chicken Burritos that I have made for my kids’ school lunches. Trust me, it is one of those signature dishes that is easy to make, nutritious, portable, and tasty. My burritos are stuffed with Mexican red rice, spicy ground chicken topped with refried red beans, corn, tomato salsa, Greek yogurt, and cheese to make it interesting. I then roll the corn tortillas with these fillings and wrap them in foil and bake them in a tray.
If you are looking for ideas for school lunches or complete meals for children that are both bite-size and healthy, look no further. Ground Chicken Burritos are packed with nutrition if you make the right choice of fillings. Freshness is key. Per my approach to cooking, almost everything that goes into a meal or dish is homemade, thus eliminating preservatives or additives. This recipe is so interesting because you can customize the Ground Chicken Burritos by choosing between sour cream or Greek yogurt, low-fat cheese or whole cheese, smaller portions of homemade guacamole as a dip, freshly made salsa or store-bought ones, and flour tortillas or corn ones. You could lean more towards the healthier options and make this meal a complete and nutritious one for your loved ones.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How are corn tortillas more beneficial than flour ones?
I chose to use corn tortillas as opposed to all-purpose flour tortillas primarily because corn tortillas are whole grains that deliver fiber and magnesium. Corn kernels are whole grains that also tend to be lower in sodium, carbs, fat and therefore calories than flour tortillas. The one other thing about the corn tortilla is portion control. Corn tortillas tend to run smaller, so you can limit the portions.
Can I use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt?
Yes, sour cream is customarily used in Ground Chicken Burritos. However, I chose to add Greek yogurt because it is an excellent source of calcium, potassium, protein, zinc, vitamins B6 and B12, as well as probiotic cultures. The thicker and creamier nature of this yogurt makes it an ideal substitute for sour cream, gaining health benefits without compromising on taste. While one ounce of sour cream contains 54 calories, 6 grams of fat and 1 gram of protein, the equivalent serving of Greek yogurt contains 37 calories, 3 grams of fat and 2 grams of protein.
What is refried beans?
I have used red beans in making the refried beans because they are rich in antioxidants, which help protect your body’s cells and also reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Red beans are a great source of vitamin A, calcium, folate, magnesium, iron, and potassium.
Refried beans are beans that are recooked or refried in a pan with garlic and spices and mashed with a hand blender or a masher. I am a firm believer in the rainbow diet, where eating a variety of colored foods provides a variety of health benefits. This is the reason I chose various colored ingredients for my Ground Chicken Burritos are vibrant as they are colorful.
What variations of the Ground Chicken Burritos could I make?
Other variations are to use chicken breasts, lamb, or tofu for protein, black or white beans, include other types of salsa such as corn, mango or pineapple, or make it with any vegetables of your choice.
If you’ve tried this recipe or have questions, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to share (below) your thoughts, comments or any questions that you might have. And if you like my recipes, you could subscribe to my mailing list for the latest recipes that will be delivered to your inbox. From my pen to your table, Bon Appetit!
Ingredients:
- Ground chicken filling: Ground chicken with peppers- boneless chicken breasts cut into small cubes is another variation.
- Rice: Mexican red rice – brown or white rice can also be used.
- Refried beans: Homemade refried beans with red or pinto beans (see recipe below); feel free to use canned beans.
- Other fillings: Homemade salsa, corn kernels, cilantro, lime juice, Greek yogurt and cheese; you could use corn, mango or pineapple salsa, cilantro and lime are a must while you could opt to use sour cream and any cheese that you prefer.
- Tortillas: Corn tortillas; feel free to use multigrain or whole wheat tortillas
Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make this dish. Please refer to the recipe card below for the measurements.
How to make the Ground Chicken Burritos:
- How to make the ground chicken filling:
- Prepare the ingredients. Chop the onions and peppers and mince or chop the garlic.
- Sauté the onions in a Dutch oven with olive oil and garlic for a minute.
- Add the ground chicken, spices, and salt and cook for 15 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
- Add the pepper and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat.
2. How to make refried beans:
- Prepare the ingredients. Soak the beans overnight and cook them thoroughly until they are not grainy when you squeeze a bean between your fingers.
- Sauté the cooked beans, garlic and spices with the avocado oil in a pan until the water has evaporated.
- Mash the beans using a hand blender or food processor when cool.
3. How to assemble the Ground Chicken Burritos:
- Prepare the ingredients. Make the tomato salsa.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a tortilla on a board, layer some red rice and then some mashed refried beans in the center.
- Spoon the cooked ground chicken, tomato salsa, corn kernels, and cilantro.
- Spoon a dollop of yogurt, sprinkle grated cheese and squeeze some lime juice on top.
- Bring the two edges on either side over the filling. Place the flap facing you over the sides and roll over by tucking the filling into the flap.
- Place the burritos wrapped in foil in a casserole or baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Cut the Ground Chicken Burritos in half using a sharp knife.
- Serve with guacamole or garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Warm the tortillas before assembling the burritos. You could either microwave them for a few seconds or warm each tortilla in a pan.
- Please ensure that the homemade refried beans is not watery or the Ground Chicken Burritos will be drippy. Cook the cooked beans in their broth until most of the water has evaporated so that the mixture will be moist and smooth but not too dry. If using a blender, cool the beans before pulsing them.
- Do not overstuff the fillings in the Ground Chicken Burritos as it will be difficult to tuck them in and roll.
- For the refried beans, soak the beans overnight and cook (or pressure cook or in the instant pot) them in water until the beans are not grainy in the center. Add salt once the beans are cooked or they will become grainy and tough and you will not get a somewhat smooth and creamy mixture when blended. The refried beans mixture will thicken as it cools. Please feel free to add some water to get your desired thickness, texture or consistency.
Serving suggestions:
Serve the Ground Chicken Burritos with guacamole. I usually spread out all the fillings on the table like a burrito bar for dinner parties, making it easier for my guests to customize their burritos.
Storage:
The ground chicken filling can be frozen for a couple of months. The other ingredients for the burritos must be made fresh and cannot be frozen once they are rolled and baked.
Other ground chicken recipes that you might like:
Ground Chicken Burritos
Equipment
- pan, baking tray
Ingredients
For the ground chicken filling:
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 cup red onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped fine
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ¾ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 1 yellow pepper chopped
For the refried beans:
- 1 cup red bean cooked
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
For the Ground Chicken Burritos:
- tortillas corn or wheat flour
- 2 cups Mexican red rice (or cooked brown rice)
- 2 fresh corn kernels
- ½ cup Mexican cheese blend low fat
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt nonfat
- 1½ cup tomato salsa
Instructions
How to make the ground chicken:
- Prepare the ingredients. Chop the onions and peppers.
- Sauté the garlic and onions in a pan with olive oil for a minute on medium heat.
- Add garlic and the ground chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spices and salt and cook for 15 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
- Toss the peppers in and cook for a minute. Turn off the heat.
How to make refried beans:
- Prepare the ingredients. Presoak and thoroughly cook the red beans until the beans are not grainy.
- Heat a pan with the oil and add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the cooked beans with a cup of the broth and the salt. Cook until the water has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
- Mash or grind with an immersion blender or food processor and keep aside.
How to assemble the Ground Chicken Burritos:
- Prepare the ingredients. Make the tomato salsa and keep aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the tortilla on a board, and scoop some Mexican red rice and refried beans.
- Spoon some ground chicken filling and salsa on top.
- Top with some fresh corn kernels and cilantro and sprinkle some lime juice.
- Put some grated cheese and Greek yogurt on top.
- Bring the two edges over the filling and tuck the filling with the flap facing you. Roll the burrito over and wrap in foil.
- Place the burritos in a casserole or baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Cut the mini chicken burritos in half using a sharp knife.
- Serve with guacamole or garnish with chopped cilantro.
Video
Notes
- If you do not have salsa, chop and onion and tomato and sprinkle on top.
- You could make all the burritos and place them in a baking tray and cover the entire tray with foil instead of individually wrapping them.
Nutrition
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sooo good and healthy for you!!
These burritos taste just like my mother’s, thank you for sharing! I love that your post is inspired by real facts and history.
love these!