Chicken Burritos - Healthified...

Chicken Burritos has been a favorite of hubs and mine for years.   I got the original recipe (below)  from my mother-in-law more than a decade ago, and it may be that the recipe she gave me is floating around out there on the internet, but I've never looked it up, and I've kind of healthified the original, so I'm giving you both recipes below.  

While I have given measurements, I am not a stickler for them.  I suggest using them the first time, and erring on the side of more sour cream (or yogurt) and cheese.  I almost always add more cheese to a recipe.  You also may want more chili pepper. I usually add more, but sometimes Hubs and I suffer for it later - we are not super spicey food eaters.   

While the first recipe calls for a rotisserie chicken, you can substitute any cuts of chicken (fresh cooked or leftover) to make approximately 4-5 cups of shredded chicken.  I've made this so often over the years, I go by taste and texture - I've learned it's best if the chicken mixture is too moist, rather than too dry.  

There is no rice in these burritos.  Never was, never will be - unless you want to put it in, in which case, you're on your own.  Anyway, here goes:

 

This is one burrito cut in half

Chicken Burritos Original recipe:

1 rotisserie chicken

1 10-oz can tomatoes with chili peppers (or you may prefer jalapenos)

1/2 cup sour cream (use whatever amount gives a very moist mixture)

1 Tbs Chili Powder

1 tsp salt

1 16-oz can refried beans

8 8-inch flour tortillas

1/2 - 1 lb Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded (depending on your love of cheese).  

Pull meat into thin shreds.  In bowl, stir together shredded chicken, tomatoes (with peppers and all juices), sour cream, chili powder and salt until well mixed.  If the mixture seems a bit dry, add more sour cream.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Spread 1/8 of refried beans evenly on one side of the tortilla.  Spoon 1/8 of chicken mixture atop the refried beans.  Reserve 1-2 cups (depending on how much cheese you started with) of shredded cheese to melt on top of burritos later. With remaining cheese, sprinkle 1/8 of what is left over chicken and beans.  Roll up tortilla and place burritos seam-side down in a greased (I use butter) 12"x 8" baking dish.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake 30 minutes or until burritos are heated through.  The chicken mixture will start to bubble out from both ends of the burritos.  Remove foil and sprinkle burritos with reserved shredded cheese, back in the oven (uncovered) for 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Serve with chopped lettuce and tomatoes, or any side salad.  Makes 4 generous servings.

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Healthified Chicken Burritos

2 or 3 med-large chicken breasts - cooked and shredded

1  10-oz can tomatoes with peppers

1/2 cup Greek yogurt 

1 Tbs. chili powder (add chili powder to taste)

1 tsp. salt

1 16-oz can fat-free refried beans (or vegetarian refried beans)

1 8-inch whole grain, keto friendly tortillas

1/2 - 1 lb Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded (depending on your love of cheese).

Pull meat into thin shreds.  In bowl, stir together shredded chicken, tomatoes (with peppers and all juices), sour cream, chili powder and salt until well mixed.  If the mixture seems a bit dry, add more sour cream.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Spread 1/8 of refried beans evenly on one side of the tortilla.  Spoon 1/8 of chicken mixture atop the refried beans.  Reserve 1-2 cups (depending on how much cheese you started with) of shredded cheese to melt on top of burritos later. With remaining cheese, sprinkle 1/8 of what is left over chicken and beans.  Roll up tortilla and place burritos seam-side down in a greased (I use butter) 12"x 8" baking dish.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake 30 minutes or until burritos are heated through.  The chicken mixture will start to bubble out from both ends of the burritos.  Remove foil and sprinkle burritos with reserved shredded cheese, back in the oven (uncovered) for 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Serve with chopped lettuce and tomatoes, or any side salad.  Makes 4 generous servings.

That's it!  This recipe is so easy that once I'd made it a few times I no longer look at the measurements.   I might double-check the recipe for the ingredients, but once they are gathered, I just create a mixture that looks nicely moist, and spread whatever amount of refried beans on the tortilla that looks good (I often have to open a second can of beans). 

When our boys were home, I often made a larger (even double) batch - depending on how many tortillas I have.  Now that it's just hubs and I for most meals, I always have more than we can eat in one meal.  I just freeze any extras prior to baking and thaw later.  Once thawed, bake as described above.  

We have found, if the inner mixture is moist enough, these also make tasty leftovers - cover with foil until they are bubbly, then sprinkle with a bit of extra cheese. I often re-heat in the toaster oven (on the bake setting).  Leftovers on these are a bit hit and miss, though, I must admit.  These are best eaten the first time they are baked.  If you know you're making more than you'll eat at one meal, just bake what you think you'll eat, saving the rest in the freezer (or even fridge, if you plan to cook them within a day or two).

If you try them, I hope you enjoy!