Baked Chicken Burritos AKA “skinny chimichangas” are restaurant delicious without all the calories!
These Chicken Burritos are made super easy by stuffing them with the BEST slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken, baking to golden perfection and smothering in most incredible Cheesy Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce. You can make the chicken and sauce ahead of time and then reheat for crazy fast assembly!
Chicken Burritos
Three moths ago, I mentioned in my Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken post that the recipe for these insanely delicious shredded chicken burritos was coming soon – my goodness, how time flies! I got so caught up in holiday recipes that these beauties didn’t get their time in the deserved spotlight – until now. So over 90K Mexican Chicken pins later, I finally bring you Smothered Mexican Chicken Burritos that are ssssooooo worth the wait!
These Chicken Burritos remind me of my Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas with the most luscious sauce except they get nice and crispy on the outside before they get smothered – yassssss! I’ve also made several variations of this smothered burritos with all kinds of mix and match fillings and sauces you can see in my Wet Burritos recipe.
Chicken Burritos Recipe
These chicken burritos are my personal favorite way to devour my Mexican Chicken that is slow cooked with Mexican spices, salsa and green chilies for amazingly flavorful chicken that is just begging to be piled in a tortilla, loaded with cheese and baked until golden crispy deliciousness. And because every burrito, taco, etc., is better with either sour cream or more cheese – or both, these Baked Chicken Burritos get smothered in velvety Cheesy Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce that is oh so lick the pan worthy.
What goes in Chicken Burritos?
- Mexican Chicken: Mexican is made in the crockpot so it it literally dump run – or take a nap – until it emerges juicy, tender and packed with flavor. If you really want Chicken burritos NOW, then you can toss some cooked, shredded chicken in some salsa. I personally haven’t tried this – I’m just brainstorming the fastest way to get these Chicken Burritos into your mouth.
Cheese: I like to use cheddar cheese because the sharp flavor doesn’t get lost and beautifully compliments the Cheesy Green Chili Sour Cream sauce. You are welecome to substitute for what you have on hand though from Mexican Cheese blend, Monterrey to Pepper Jack. - Add-ins: the Mexican Chicken and cheese are must-haves for chicken burritos but you can also add black beans, refried beans, rice and even vegetables such as bell peppers, corn and zucchini.
- Burrito Size Tortillas: You’ll need to wrap all your cheesy goodness in a big burrito size tortilla. I prefer raw/uncooked tortillas found in the refrigerated section like Tortilla Land (I buy mine at Costco). They are thinner so they bake and crisp beautifully! If you use unbaked tortillas, you will still make the recipe as written. Traditional cooked tortillas are also delicious!
How do you make chicken burritos in the oven?
- Make Chicken: Prepare Mexican Chicken according to recipe directions. Drain any excess liquid from chicken. This will ensure your burritos don’t end up soggy.
- Prep Pan: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and add a baking rack on top. The baking rack helps the chicken burritos crisp up on all sides, but if you don’t have a baking rack, then just skip this step and lightly grease your pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Assemble Burritos: Prepare burritos by adding a heaping 1/2 cup filling to each tortilla (uncooked if using raw tortillas), top with desired amount of cheese and roll up burrito style by tucking the ends of the burrito in then rolling up tightly.
- Olive oil: Place burritos on the baking rack seam side DOWN. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. I prefer to brush my burritos with olive oil – I find they get crispier this way. Just take care you brush them lightly.
- Bake: Cook for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Broil to desired crispiness, flip over and broil the other side until golden.
What should I serve with Chicken Burritos?
You can be as simple or as extravagant as your heart desires with these Chicken Burritos. You can create a topping bar and let everyone pile their Chicken Burritos with their favs and serve with a side of rice, beans, chips and a big salad, or I’ve included some more fun and flirty sides below.
TOPPINGS (pick all or some of your favs:
- Avocados/guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Homemade Salsa
- Salsa Verde
- cilantro
SIDES
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice
- Corn Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Lime Butter
- Southwest Salad with Creamy Avocado Salsa Dressing
- Southwest Orzo Salad with Chipotle Honey Lime Vinaigrette
- Fruit Salad with Honey Citrus Dressing
- Pina Colada Fruit Salad
- Grilled Pineapple with Brown Sugar Orange Glaze
- Mexican Street Fries with Salsa Ketchup
- and top it all off with Churros!
Can I freeze Chicken Burritos?
Yes! You can freeze the Chicken Burritos but the Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce does not freeze well. To freeze chicken burritos:
- Cool Filling: Let chicken cool otherwise you will end up with soggy tortillas.
- Assemble: Assemble chicken burritos per instructions.
- Bake: Bake chicken burritos according to recipe instructions.
- Cool: Let chicken burritos cool completely.
- Foil: Wrap individual burritos up tightly in foil.
- Freeze: Freeze burritos in a single layer on a baking sheet. This will help them freeze faster and not get squished.
- Store: Add frozen burritos to a large freezer size bag, remove excess air and seal.
- Bake: Remove frozen chicken burrito from foil and place on a baking rack. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until completely warmed through and toasted. Broil to desired crispiness, flip over and broil the other side until golden.
- Microwave: Remove chicken burritos from foil. Microwave for approximately 4 minutes or until warmed through. If you want to crisp up your microwaved burritos, then you can broil in the oven or I suggests pan searing like I do in these Breakfast Burritos (an oldie but goodie).
Looking for Mexican Recipes?
- Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
- Beef Barbacoa
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Chicken Fajitas
- Blackened Tilapia Fish Tacos
- Baja Fish Tacos
- Bean, Bean and Cheese Burritos
- Best Carne Asada
WANT TO TRY THIS CHICKEN BURRITO RECIPE?
PIN IT TO YOUR CHICKEN, MEXICAN or DINNER BOARD TO SAVE FOR LATER!
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©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings | servings |
- 1 Recipe Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
- 6 burrito size tortillas (I prefer raw/undercooked tortillas)*
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- olive oil or nonstick cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth, warmed
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 4 oz. can mild chopped green chilies, or more to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Hot sauce to taste (optional)
- Tomatoes
- Avocados/guacamole
- cilantro
- salsa
- tortilla strips or chips
Ingredients Baked Chicken Burritos
Cheesy Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce
Optional Toppings
| Rate this recipe! |
- Prepare Mexican Chicken according to recipe directions. Drain any excess liquid from chicken.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and add a baking rack on top. Prepare burritos by adding a heaping 1/2 cup filling to each tortilla (uncooked if using raw tortillas), top with desired amount of cheese and roll up burrito style. Place burritos on the baking rack and brush both sides lightly with olive oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Cook for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Broil to desired crispiness, flip over and broil the other side until golden.
- Meanwhile, prepare Sauce by melting butter in olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low then gradually whisk in chicken broth. Add spices and bring to a simmer while stirring until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in green chilies, cheese until melted then sour cream. Add hot sauce to taste (optional).
- To serve, top burritos Cheesy Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce and desired toppings.
*Raw/undercooked tortillas are found in the refrigerated section (I buy mine at Costco). They are thinner so they bake and crisp beautifully!
**Total time does not include Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
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Bethany says
Hi there! I made these tonight and they were loved by everyone in my house but we have loads of leftovers. I saw that the chicken freezer well (yessss for making this in the future!) But how does the sauce freeze?
Thank you for giving us a recipe for our lineup!
Jen says
Hi Bethany, I am so happy these burritos were a full house hit! Unfortunately, the texture of the sauce gets funky when frozen – sorry!
Bethany says
No problem! I figured the sour cream wouldn’t freeze well but a girl can dream… thank you!
Ruth says
Bethany, couldn’t you freeze the sauce separately without the sour cream and add the sour cream when reheating the sauce?
Jennifer | Bake or Break says
Hi, Jen! I had to tell you just how much we adore this recipe. The flavor is amazing! I’m officially in love with that sauce. Definitely a keeper!
Jen says
Thank you so much Jennifer, I love hearing that! I actually just made a skillet chicken recipe with this sauce because I love it so much too. You have exceptional taste 🙂
Jai says
Would love the nutrition facts on these
Jen says
You can calculate nutrition facts at myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
Kim says
We loved these! My husband mentioned he liked the sauce after 3 bites and he never does that!! I will be making these more often!
Jen says
Awesome Kim! So happy it was a winner! I’m currently testing a Chipotle Skillet Chicken with that sauce – I think your husband will love it too!
Ang says
What would be the best way to prep this in order for my husband to take to work for him and his coworkers later in the night? You think assemble everything up until putting the sauce on? Or would the tortillas get too soggy with the chicken mixture hanging out inside you think?
Jen says
Hi there! I think if you make sure there is not excess moisture in the chicken and broil the burritos well enough, I don’t think they’ll get too soggy – they won’t stay crispy – but I don’t think they’ll get soggy. I would definitely keep the sauce separate. Hope this helps!
Lisa Minghenelli says
I just found your blog through Pinterest and I am so happy I did! I just made these burritos last night for dinner and my family loved them! The chicken was so flavorful made in the slow cooker and the green child sauce was incredible! My family told me the burritos were better than our local Mexican restaurant!
Jen says
Welcome to my blog Lisa! I am thrilled your husband thought these were better than your local restaurant – that is awesome! I hope you continue to find more favorites here!
Lucy says
Hi Jen
I have been looking for a Mexican Burrito recipe for a while and found your site and what amazing recipes you have and your story is so uplifting – good for you!
I had a slow cooker but smashed the bowl so no longer have one. Is there any other way of cooking the chicken burrito sauce out of a slow cooker?
Also what is broil? This isnt an expression that we use in the UK. I checked it out on the internet and it said Grill – is that right? Also I have never seen raw tortillas here (I feel like the UK are very behind in the ‘Mexican Cooking’ arena compared to the US), can I use normal tortillas?
Any advice would be welcome as I am eager to cook this recipe.
Thanks
Jen says
Hi Lucy, thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! Broil is a high heat oven setting of 550 degrees F and implies putting the food on the top or second to top oven shelf so its close the flame. You are definitely welcome to use cooked tortillas. I’m not sure I understand your question about the sauce – as it sounds like you smashed the slow cooker but were wondering about how to cook the sauce in the slow cooker?
Vicki says
This books awesome, and I want to try it, but I can’t find the green chili sauce recipe. Did I miss a link?
Jen says
Hi Vicki! The Cheesy Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce is just the name of the sauce – all the ingredients are listed below it. Enjoy!
Megan says
This looks absolutely incredible, making it for dinner tonight! Just a couple questions. For the actual slow cooker chicken, will a full recipe fit into my 4qt crockpot? Or should I half the recipe? Also is it imperative to include the liquid smoke? I wasn’t actually able to find it at my grocery store.
Jen says
Hi Megan, I would suggest halving the recipe to be safe. You can definitely leave out the liquid smoke- it adds a nice smokey element but the chicken will still be delicious without it. Enjoy!
Megan says
Wow Jen, these were fantastic. I ended up making the full recipe and it fit in my 4qt crock pot beautifully! Probably the only thing I would change is the cooking time on my chicken, 4 hours on high was a tad long for me as I found the chicken was a little dry. No complaints from my guests, I’m just always my harshest critic. I took your suggestion and added the excess liquid into the rice and cooked it that way. I searched high and allow for uncooked tortillas but couldn’t find them anywhere, but the regular tortillas worked great. Our burritos were filled with chicken, Mexican rice, and black or refried beans! Topped with the incredible sauce, avocado, hot sauce, more cheese and crushed tortilla chips! Not kidding when they said it was better than their $15 burrito they normally buy! I think this will be a staple in our household for many years. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes soon!
Jen says
Hi Megan, thanks for your awesome comment and I’m so glad you were able to fit all the chicken in your crockpot! Your burritos sound absolutely delicious – I love the addition of rice and beans – and of course all your toppings, especially the crushed chips – amazing – you know how to do it right! I hope you have fun trying more of my recipes, I hope you find many new favorites!
Brittany says
Love love this chicken and the burritos! It’s a new favorite in our house! We used this amazing chicken for our nacho bar at my sons birthday party and everyone wanted the recipe! So good! I also keep forgetting to get it out in time to put in the crockpot, so I just dump it all in my big cast iron stock pot! Turns out just as good!
Jen says
Yay for a new favorite, thanks Brittany! And what a fun idea for a nacho bar -mmmmmm! Happy belated birthday to your son!
Jonathan Hock says
These burritos are amazing! I’ve been making them every other week for the past few months. But I have trouble with the sauce everytime. I just can’t get it to thicken up. I’m basically making cheese soup and it makes the burritos soggy. Any tips??
Jen says
Thank you Jonathan, I am so happy you love them! As far as the sauce goes, try increasing the flour to 4 tablespoons and after you add the spices make sure your heat is high enough – I say simmer but if that isn’t working for you – bring it to a boil- stirring often. Hope that helps!
Kevin Hayden says
I have always found that corn starch is a never fail thickener. In fact I prefer it over flour as it blends more easily, doen’t get pasty, and gives a smoother sauce/gravy. Just put about 2 Tbs. in about 1/2C water and stir it together. It never really mixes with the water like flour, so it will settle out if it sits. Just add a little at a time while stirring (has to boil) until desired thickness is achieved. Takes 3-3 minutes to go off. If that amount doesn’t work, just mix a little more. Winning!
Sharlene says
I’m making this tonight. So far the chicken is awesome. Just getting to the assembly stage. I thought rather than use chicken broth in the sauce I’m going to use the reserved broth for making the sauce. And maybe eliminate the chili’s (my daughter loves Mexican but hates spicy and I did use the chipotle in the chicken so I think this will help balance ) . I’ve a gluten allergy so I’m using rice tortilla as the only corn ones (I can find) are tiny (4-5 inch). It’s pretty hard (for me) to find large gluten free tortillas of any kind
Jen says
Hi Sharlene, I’m so happy you love the chicken and that is a great idea to use the reserved broth instead! I’m also happy you can easily make them gluten free! winning!
julie says
Our new favorite recipe….way better than any restaurant!
Jen says
YAY! Thank you Julie!
Cheryl says
These were amazing! My husbands favorite dish when we eat out is Chicken Burritos. In fact it’s a safe bet in our family when we go to a Mexican restaurant this is what he will order. He took one bite of these and said, “the person created who this recipe should have a restaurant, I never knew chicken could have so much flavor, these are the best I’ve ever had.”and he proceeded to have them every night for dinner until the chicken was gone!
Jen says
yay! Thank you so much Cherl for taking the time to tell me how much you both loved these burritos, especially your husband! That comment made my day! I hope you find other recipes here you love just as much!
Megan says
Hi! I do not have sour cream for the sauce. Can i use plain Greek yogurt as a substitute? Or should I just omit completely?
Jen says
Hi Megan, you can taste it and see if you like it without it. I think the Greek yogurt is a personal preference. I personally find it a little tart but you can try it!
Carrie says
Amazing !!! They are relish!
Carrie says
Delish
Jen says
Thank you so much Carrie!!!
Jon R says
No matter what I do to make a sauce like this or a gravy it never ever gets thick!!! What do I do wrong? I use a metal pot. A metal whisk. And I wiskbnon stop the whole time like crazy. It never really boils unless I stop whisking. Am I suppsted to not whisk until it boils or something? Help!
Jen says
Hi Jon, I’m sorry you’re having problems getting the sauce to thicken. Next time, I would increase the heat so it is a strong simmer/boil. There is no way it can’t thicken if the heat is high enough and it is simmered/boiled long enough. You can also add 4 tablespoons flour instead of 3 and that will definitely help it thicken more quickly. I hope that helps!
Debbie R. says
Absolutely loved these burritos! Shared with my neighbor, was a huge hit. Thanks
Jen says
You are so welcome! I’m so happy they’re a fav!
Kimberly Ivarie says
I just made these tonight, we had an excellent dining experience, thank you! I used the sauce that I cooked the chicken in, I understood I was supposed to discard that, I used it to make a Mexican rice dish. I sauteed 3 garlic cloves with half an onion and a bouillon Cube, added one cup of rice and 1 Cup of the reserved sauce with one and a half cups of water. It was excellent! Thank you!
Jen says
I’m so happy you loved the chicken burritos! Your rices sounds excellent as well!