Southwest Chicken Burritos

 

There’s always a package of tortillas in our pantry. It makes for a quick and easy meal anytime of the day. Just wrap and roll with any ingredients of your choosing and satisfy the heartiest of appetites. All of our local Mexican restaurants include rice as a tortilla filling. As a matter of fact, that was a big topic of discussion when my son last visited. Here, they call them California Burritos. My son strongly objects to that name. He says true California Burritos don’t have rice in them, they have French fries in them instead. So, needless to say, he was not impressed with our food culture here in North Carolina. I think I’d rather have rice in my burrito. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer my French fries on the side. Maybe my son won’t object as much if I call this a Southwest Burrito. These burritos are filled with spicy rice, diced tomatoes and green chilies, chicken (marinated in a blend of Southwest seasoning, lime juice, cilantro and green onions), red bell peppers, black beans, lots of cheese and a few dollops of sour cream, to give the filling a nice creamy texture. Then, they are toasted in a skillet, to give them a warm, crispy exterior, while the cheese and sour cream melds into one deliciously gooey center.  Normally, I would have included corn in the filling, but I intentionally left it out, as I served this for dinner along with my Tex-Mex Corn Chowder. 

Ingredients for Emeril's Southwest Seasoning

Prepare Southwest Seasoning: In small resealable plastic bag (or air-tight container) combine all ingredients. Shake well to combine.

Ingredients for burrito. Missing from photo - olive oil.

Trim excess fat from chicken. Cut chicken into thin strips, then cut cross-wise into small cubes. Place cubes in large bowl (or large resealable plastic bag). 

Add olive oil, Southwest seasoning, lime juice, cilantro and green onions. 

Marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour; the longer the more flavorful.

Meanwhile, prepare rice according to package directions, using the Ro-tel tomatoes. Remove from heat; place in large bowl and set aside.

Chop red bell pepper.

Pour chicken contents in large skillet. Add chopped red peppers. 

Cook until chicken starts to brown and liquid has burned off. 

Warm black beans, over low heat, in small saucepan.

Add cooked chicken and red bell peppers to prepared rice. Add warmed beans. Stir well to combine.

Sprinkle generous amount of cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Place 4 or 5 dollops (about 1/2 Tablespoon each) of sour cream on top of cheese. 

Arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll stuffed tortillas, burrito style. Spray the rolled tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 burritos, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. 

  
Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining burritos. Serve warm.

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN BURRITOS
Source: Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box Zatarain’s Spanish rice (or omit black beans and substitute Zatarain’s Rice with Red Beans)
• 1 can (10-ounces) Ro-tel diced tomatoes with green chilis
• 2 pounds chicken, boneless, skinless (about 3 breasts)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons Emeril’s Southwest seasoning (recipe follows)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1 can (15-ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 3/4 of a pepper)
• Sour cream
• 2 to 3 cups shredded cheese (Monterey jack, Colby jack, or cheddar)
• 6 to 8 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Emeril’s Southwest Seasoning:

• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 Tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare Southwest Seasoning: In small resealable plastic bag (or air-tight container) combine all
    ingredients. Shake well to combine.
2. Cut chicken into thin strips, then cut cross-wise into small cubes. Place cubes in large bowl (or
    large resealable plastic bag). Add olive oil, Southwest seasoning, lime juice, cilantro and green
    onions. Marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour.
3. Meanwhile, prepare rice according to package directions, using the Ro-tel tomatoes. Remove
    from heat; place in large bowl and set aside.
4. Pour chicken contents in large skillet. Add chopped red peppers. Cook until chicken starts to
    brown and liquid has burned off.
5. Warm black beans in small saucepan.
6. Add cooked chicken and red bell peppers to prepared rice. Add warmed beans. Stir well to
    combine.
7. Sprinkle generous amount of cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Place 4
    or 5 dollops (about 1/2 Tablespoon each) of sour cream on top of cheese. Arrange chicken and
    rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll stuffed tortillas, burrito style. Spray the tortillas all
    over with cooking spray.
8. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 burritos, seam-
    side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to
    a plate and repeat with remaining burritos. Serve warm.