The spicy shredded chipotle chicken in these burritos has become a staple in our house. We often make a huge batch in the beginning of the week and use it in all sorts of dishes. It’s great in tacos, over rice, or even with eggs for breakfast.
However, these burritos are probably my favorite way to use the chicken. Once you make the fillings, this is a great dish to bring to work and reheat. Best of all, it’s much healthier than going out to a chain burrito restaurant for lunch. Many of those burritos are well over 1,000 calories and I won’t even mention the amount of sodium.
To make the BBQ chipotle chicken, chicken breasts are slow cooked with beans and a puréed chipotle pepper mixture. Instead of adding the beans in the beginning, I waited until the chicken was almost done cooking. This ensures that the beans don’t overcook and become mushy. Honestly though, black beans and pinto beans can usually stand up to the heat, so it’s not a big risk to add them in the beginning.
I served the chicken mixture with Spanish rice, shredded cheese, and sliced avocado – all wrapped up in a fluffy tortilla. Since the chipotle peppers can be quite spicy, I made sure to add a few spoonfuls of guacamole and sour cream to cool off the tastebuds.
I have yet to master the art of rolling up the perfect burrito. I always end up overstuffing them and resort to using a knife and fork.
It doesn’t matter how they look, as long as they still taste great!
(and these burritos sure do!)
Slow Cooker Bbq Chipotle Chicken Burritos
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- 6 to 8 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus 1 tbsp of sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Burritos:
- 8 flour tortillas, burrito-sized
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 3 cups Spanish rice
- 2 cups Mexican Blend cheese, shredded
Serve with:
- guacamole
- tomatoes, chopped
- red onion, diced
- sour cream
Instructions
- Add the onion, tomato paste, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, garlic, orange juice, light brown sugar, soy sauce, and molasses to a blender. Blend until smooth, then pour the mixture into a slow cooker.
- Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the meat can be easily shredded with a fork. About 1 hour before the chicken is done cooking, add the black and pinto beans (you may add these at the beginning, but you risk the chance that the beans become a little mushy).
- Once the chicken breasts are cooked though, remove them from the crock pot and shred with a stand mixer or two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot and let it cook for an additional 20 minutes to soak up the sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.
To Assemble the Burritos:
- Add a few spoonfuls of the rice, chicken mixture, cheese, and avocado slices to each tortilla. Roll the tortillas up tightly and serve immediately with guacamole, tomatoes, onions, and sour cream.
