Chicken Burrito

Chicken Burrito Recipe for busy people! Meal prep 17 chicken burritos in an hour in Instant Pot or on the stove and freeze for later. Or turn shredded chicken burrito into a low carb Instant Pot chicken burrito bowl.

If you love burritos but don’t feel like rolling, make chicken burrito skillet or Instant Pot chicken and rice.

Chicken Burrito Recipe

Your Instant Pot is meant for making a huge chicken burrito batch. Just like with Instant Pot rice and beans, you do not have to soak the beans and can cook rice, black beans and chicken at same time. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, I have included instructions below how to make burritos on the stovetop.

We are huge fans of chicken quesadillas and chicken tostadas but the problem is they are not the best for meal prep. Unless you freeze them as a freezer meal and then have time to bake from frozen.

This recipe yields 17 large burritos. We freeze them for healthy lunch to reduce deli meat consumption, and for easy healthy weeknight dinners. We pack them on the road. My kids are obsessed with these homemade burritos. And so are their and our friends who tried them. Better than Chipotle’s!

Ingredients to Make Chicken Burrito

• Brown rice: Unfortunately, white rice requires different cooking time and amount of liquid than brown rice when cooked in Instant Pot. But if you are making burritos on a stovetop, you can use white rice. Use the ratio of liquid indicated on the package.
• Black beans: For Instant Pot version, only beans you can use are black beans, black eyed peas, small navy beans or pinto beans. When I make black beans in Instant Pot, they take 12 minutes. All other beans cook much longer.
• Chicken breasts: These can be frozen or fresh. If you have cooked Instant Pot shredded chicken breast, add it to the mixture after.
• Salsa: Use salsa with a spice level you like. To add more healthy fats use salsa guacamole.
• Corn: Frozen or canned.
• Cheese: Use any soft cheese that you can shred. It melts better and is healthier without extra preservatives found in store-bought shredded cheese. This time I added a bit of smoked gouda. It was the bomb dot com!
• Chicken burrito seasoning: Taco seasoning, cumin, garlic powder and salt.
• Veggies: Cilantro, green onion and cabbage instead of lettuce if making for the freezer. For eating right away, you can add any veggies.
• Tortillas: I used 10 inch wide whole wheat tortillas. For best chicken burrito experience, you have to use pliable and soft large tortillas. Do not use corn tortillas. Some gluten free tortillas are soft too.

How to Make Shredded Chicken Burrito Filling

In Instant Pot

• Cook the filling: Add all ingredients including dried black beans (no soaking) to the pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Do Quick Release.
• Chop herbs and veggies: While rice is cooking, chop cilantro, cabbage, green onion and shred cheese. Get salsa and corn ready. Tear 17 foil sheets.
• Mix: Shred chicken and combine all ingredients in Instant Pot.

Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out my most popular collection of 45 healthy Instant Pot recipes.

On a Stovetop

• Cook rice and chicken: The only difference with pressure cooker burritos, is that you cook rice with chicken and spices on the stovetop first. No dried beans.
• Chop herbs and veggies: Just like above mentioned.
• Add canned beans: Shred chicken. Add 2 x 15 oz cans of rinsed and drained low sodium black beans, shredded chicken and remaining ingredients. Mix.

Tips and FAQs

• Veggies variations: Do not use high water content like tomato, avocado and lettuce. They do not freeze well and make chicken and rice burrito soggy. Pan fry ingredients like bell pepper, onion and zucchini before adding to a burrito filling.
• Cutting recipe in half for Instant Pot: Sure, you can do so but keep same cooking time.
• Can I use any other rice besides brown or white? You can use any rice which package indicates cook time of 30 minutes and more. To my knowledge it would be red, black, purple and yellow rice. Wild rice might have to be soaked however wild rice blend from Costco will work.
• Can I omit beans in Instant Pot recipe? Yes. If you use 1.5 cups rice and 1.5 cups water, it should be fine! With stove top version just omit a can of beans.

How to Wrap a Burrito

• Set up wrapping station with 17 torn foil sheets, tortillas, filling, more fillings and cheese.
• Place tortilla on top of foil. Add 3/4 cup of filling below the center and close to the edge near you. Top with a bit of shredded cabbage and cheese.
• Fold up the bottom to almost cover the filling. Then fold up edges.
• Roll up tightly. Roll again in foil.

Tip: Don’t wanna wrap? Turn burrito into an Instant Pot chicken burrito bowl. In a bowl, add filling and top with veggie fixings and cheese that you wrap in a burrito.

How to Freeze and Reheat Burritos

• If frozen, always thaw burrito overnight in the fridge.
• Bake at 450 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. It takes a while for baked chicken burritos to get warmed through and cheese to melt. I was surprised as well.
• That’s why I like to broil chicken burritos for 10-15 minutes.
• You can also warm burritos up in a microwave without tin foil. Keep your eye on it as ovens vary. I would start with 2 minutes.

Check out my full list of 20 freezer meals. I’m obsessed!

More Mexican Recipes

• Turkey chili
• Veggie quesadillas
• Sweet potato skillet recipe
• Ground chicken tacos
• Chipotle barbacoa
• Mexican chicken and rice

Chicken Burrito

Chicken Burrito Recipe for busy people! Meal prep 17 chicken burritos in an hour in Instant Pot or on the stove and freeze for later. Or turn shredded chicken burrito into a low carb Instant Pot chicken burrito bowl.

4.97 from 60 votes

Servings 17 burritos

Calories 374

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Add to Cook in Instant Pot:

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups brown rice rinsed & drained
• ▢ 1 cup dried black beans rinsed & drained (skip if cooking on the stove)
• ▢ 2-3 large chicken breasts boneless & skinless
• ▢ 2 tbsp taco seasoning low sodium
• ▢ 1 tbsp cumin
• ▢ 1 tbsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 3 cups water or low sodium broth

Add After:

• ▢ 2 x 15 oz cans of low sodium black beans rinsed and drained (only for stovetop)
• ▢ 1 cup salsa
• ▢ 2 cups corn frozen or cooked
• ▢ 1 bunch cilantro chopped
• ▢ 1 bunch green onion chopped
• ▢ 12 oz any soft cheese shredded
• ▢ 2 cups green or red cabbage thinly shredded
• ▢ 17 large whole wheat tortillas

Instructions 

Instant Pot

• In Instant Pot, add brown rice, black beans, chicken breasts, taco seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, salt and broth or water. No need to stir.
• Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cooking on High for 20 minutes. In the meanwhile, chop cilantro and onion; shred cabbage and cheese.
• After Instant Pot has finished cooking, do Quick Release by turning the valve to Venting. If beans look a bit dry on top, it’s OK. They will soak up more liquid as you stir.
• Shred chicken using 2 forks right in the pressure cooker. Then add salsa, corn, cilantro and green onion. Stir. Your chicken and rice burrito filling is ready.

Stovetop

• The only difference is that you will have to use 2 x 15 oz cans of low sodium black beans, rinsed & drained.
• In a large pot, add brown rice, chicken breasts, taco seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, salt and broth or water (everything but black beans). Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 45 minutes or until water is absorbed.
• Shred chicken right in the pot. Add canned black beans, salsa, corn, cilantro and green onion. Stir. Your chicken and rice burrito filling is ready.

How to Wrap Burrito

• Tear 17 sheets of aluminum foil for wrapping the burrito.
• Place tortilla on top of foil. Add 3/4 cup of filling below the center and near to the edge closer to you. Top with some shredded cabbage and cheese.
• Fold up the bottom to almost cover the filling. Then fold up the edges. Roll up tightly and then roll again in foil. Picture tutorial above will help.

How to Reheat Burrito

• If frozen, thaw first overnight in the fridge.
• Bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes. It takes a while for burritos to get warmed through and cheese to melt. I was surprised as well.
• That’s why I like to broil for 10-15 minutes.
• You can also warm burritos up in a microwave without tin foil. Keep your eye on it as ovens vary. I would start with 2 minutes.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate burritos for up to 2-3 days.
• Freeze: Up to 3 months. Reheat as per instructions in recipe card.
• Veggies variations: Do not use high water content like tomato, avocado and lettuce. They do not freeze well and make chicken and rice burrito soggy. Pan fry ingredients like bell pepper, onion and zucchini before adding to a burrito filling.
• Cutting recipe in half for Instant Pot: Sure, you can do so but keep same cooking time.
• Can I use any other rice besides brown or white? You can use any rice which package indicates cook time of 30 minutes and more. To my knowledge it would be red, black, purple and yellow rice. Wild rice might have to be soaked however wild rice blend from Costco will work.
• Can I omit beans in Instant Pot recipe? Yes. If you use 1.5 cups rice and 1.5 cups water, it should be fine! With stove top version just omit a can of beans.

Nutrition

Serving: 1burrito | Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 692mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Olena Osipov

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