Baked Chicken Burritos

These baked chicken burritos are cheesy and full of chicken, and can rival any burrito at a chain restaurant. With a saucy filling made from cream cheese, chicken broth, spices, beans, chicken, and tomatoes with green chiles, this Tex-Mex inspired recipe is hearty and flavorful. It’s also a dinner recipe that can feed a crowd, as it makes enough to serve 12 and fill two baking dishes. Make it for a potluck or stash one dish in the freezer as a gift to your future busy self.

Ingredients for Baked Chicken Burritos

• Butter: Using butter to saute the onion and green pepper adds richness to the cheesy sauce.
• Onion and green pepper: Sauteed onion and green pepper add freshness to the burrito filling, against the canned chili and tomatoes. Green peppers have a distinct grassy taste, so if you’re not a fan of green pepper recipes, try a milder red, yellow or orange bell pepper instead.
• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is the best type of flour to use for a perfectly thickened sauce. When whisked into the melted butter, it toasts and makes a roux, which turns the broth into a creamy sauce.
• Chicken broth: Chicken broth adds even more savory flavor to the burrito filling and keeps the chicken moist. We found these to be the best chicken broth brands, each with a deep, not too salty taste.
• Diced tomatoes with green chiles: There’s no need to drain the liquid from these spicy canned tomatoes, as this liquid helps flavor the burrito filling.
• Seasonings: Cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and salt flavor the filling with a little earthiness and heat. You can also add some chopped fresh jalapeno for a more fiery filling, if you like. Since chili powder is a spice blend, ingredients vary between brands. The best chili powder brands have a balanced taste with minimal or no salt.
• Canned chili with beans: Canned chili with beans adds more flavor and heft to the filling. Including beans is an easy way to add more protein to your meals.
• Cream cheese: The cream cheese melts into the burrito filling, making a delicious, cheesy, tangy sauce to blanket the chicken. The dairy in the cream cheese also helps tame the heat of some of the spicier ingredients.
• Cooked chicken: Cubed cooked chicken will fold easily into the tortillas and create bite-sized pieces, but you can also use shredded chicken if that’s all you have. This is a great leftover chicken recipe that turns a previous meal into something totally different.
• Flour tortillas: Warm the tortillas briefly in a dry skillet or the microwave to make them more pliable and easier to roll up.
• Shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese: This two-cheese-in-one combination is a great melting cheese that’s a little tangy yet very creamy. Consider grating the cheese yourself for the best texture.
• Salsa (optional): You can serve these baked chicken burritos with a bit of salsa on top, if you like. Try a homemade salsa recipe or just crack open a jar of your favorite store-bought variety.

Directions

Step 1:  Make the chicken burrito filling

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and pepper; cook and stir until they’re tender.

Stir in the flour until it’s blended, then gradually stir in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cook and stir it for two minutes.

Reduce the heat, then stir in the tomatoes, seasonings and, if desired, jalapeno pepper. Cook for five minutes.

Add the chili and cream cheese, stirring until the cream cheese is melted. Stir in the cooked chicken.

Step 2: Fill and roll the burritos

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the filling across the center of each tortilla; sprinkle each with 1/4 cup of Colby-Monterey Jack cheese. Fold the bottom and sides over the filling, and roll up each burrito. Place them in two greased 13×9-inch baking dishes.

Step 3: Bake the burritos

Bake, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until the burritos are heated through. If desired, serve them with salsa and other toppings.

Recipe Variations

• Add garlic: Mince a few garlic cloves and saute them with the peppers and onions for another savory flavor in the filling.
• Change the cheese: Use a shredded Mexican-style cheese blend, which often includes cheddar cheese and a Mexican cheese called asadero, along with the Monterey Jack.
• Use turkey instead: Leftover cooked turkey is just as tasty as chicken in a baked burrito! Shred or cube the turkey as you would the chicken.

How to Store Baked Chicken Burritos

Store the baked chicken burritos in the refrigerator for three to four days. You can tightly wrap the dish they baked in or transfer the burritos to airtight food storage containers.

Can you make baked chicken burritos ahead of time?

You can make baked chicken burritos ahead of time in a few different ways. If you have room in your refrigerator, you can fully assemble both baking dishes with rolled burritos, cover and refrigerate for up to four days before baking. You can also just make the chicken filling and then gently warm it and fill the burritos the day you plan to bake and eat them.

For longer storage, wrap the unbaked dish tightly and freeze the casserole for two to three months. Although there is dairy in the filling, cream cheese is stable and less likely to separate, unlike other dairy products, such as sour cream or yogurt. Thaw the baking dish in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed in the recipe.

Baked Chicken Burrito Tips

How can I lower the sodium in baked chicken burritos?

To lower the sodium in baked chicken burritos, look for low-sodium or unsalted chicken broth and canned tomatoes at the store. You can also compare the sodium content of different brands of canned chili with beans and flour tortillas, choosing the options that fit your needs. Lastly, use chicken you cooked yourself rather than a rotisserie chicken, so you have a better idea of how much salt was used to season it.

Could I use ground chicken instead?

You can use ground chicken (or any ground meat) in baked chicken burritos by adjusting the cooking method slightly. For the best-tasting meat, you’ll want to saute it rather than just adding it to the simmering sauce. You can brown the chicken in a bit of oil or butter in a Dutch oven until just cooked through, then transfer it to a bowl and use the same pot to start the recipe, or brown the chicken in a separate skillet. Either way, stir the cooked meat into the sauce just to warm it through before assembling the burritos.

How can I make these into Buffalo chicken burritos?

To give the burritos a Buffalo-wing flair, replace the green peppers with chopped celery, skip the cumin and replace some of the broth with Buffalo wing sauce. The more sauce you use, the tangier and spicier the burritos will be. Serve ranch dressing on the side instead of salsa.

Watch How to Make Chicken Burritos

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