These fried chicken burritos are stuffed with tender, seasoned, shredded chicken and bold, creamy poblano cream sauce. Then, they’re pan-fried until beautifully golden and crispy. They’re a delicious mashup of burritos and enchiladas that are easy to make and hard to stop eating.
Burritos are a classic Mexican dish, and I’ve loved them since I first had them as a kid. I don’t want to age myself, so I’ll just say I’ve been in love with them for a long time. I love classic burritos, but as a cook, I also love getting creative with them. Over the years, I’ve added variations like my fried rib eye breakfast burritos, chipotle ranch grilled chicken burritos, and even a fried Italian sausage scramble with a fun twist of Italian sausage in place of ground beef. The secret is that frying the tortilla makes any burrito the best ever!
Now I’ve added another variation that I’m excited to share with all of you. My fried chicken burritos are meaty, spicy, creamy, and pan-fried until they’re golden and crispy. Oh, and did I mention they’re so easy to make? Even roasting the peppers is simple.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: This recipe has tons of deep, complex flavor, but the ingredients are anything but. You’ll find them all at any grocery store.
- Easy to Make: The chicken, roasted poblanos, sauce, and frying are all so easy that even beginners can do it.
- An Absolute Ton of Flavor: This recipe combines seasoned, shredded chicken, a creamy roasted poblano sauce, and a pan-fried exterior for an explosion of flavor in every bite.
- Versatile: These are a fun Taco Tuesday dinner or an addition to any potluck.
Ingredients
Chicken Filling Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Sliced chicken breasts are pan-fried until golden on both sides for a deep flavor and perfect texture.
- Seasonings: A blend of Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes gives the chicken a spicy kick and bold flavor.
- Onions and Jalapenos: Onions and jalapenos add a classic savory and vegetal flavor profile with a kick of heat.
- Ranch Beans: Ranch beans add texture and a savory, smoky, lightly spicy flavor.
Poblano Sauce
- Roasted Poblanos: Roasted poblanos and jalapenos have a deeper, mellower flavor with a bit of sweetness.
- Onions: Onions add a sweet, aromatic note with a hint of bite.
- Sauce: Green enchilada sauce and heavy cream create a sauce that’s full of flavor and has the perfect consistency.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Red pepper flakes add even more heat.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements.
Flavor Variations
- Meat: This recipe works with shredded beef or pork, ground beef, a mix of ground beef and pork, or chorizo.
- Mild: Cut the Cajun seasoning by half and omit the jalapenos and red pepper flakes for a mild version.
- Tortillas: You can use flour or corn tortillas for this recipe. You can also use low-carb tortillas.
- Deep-Fried: For extra crispy shells, deep-fry the burritos.
Instructions
Chicken
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Then, rub them with oil and season them on all sides.
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, sear the chicken breasts in oil and butter until browned on both sides and cooked through.
- Transfer the chicken to a bowl and shred while warm.
Poblano Sauce
- Using tongs, roast the poblanos and jalapenos over a medium flame until charred and blistered.
- Steam the peppers in a resealable baggie or in a bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap. Set aside.
- Cook the onions and jalapenos in a little butter until tender.
- When the peppers have steamed, peel them, cut off the stems, remove the seeds, and place them in a Vitamix or blender.
- Add the onions, jalapenos, enchilada sauce, heavy cream, and red pepper flakes to the blender and blend until creamy.
Burritos
- Heat the beans in a saucepan.
- Add a cup of the poblano sauce to the bowl with the shredded chicken mixture and mix.
- Heat each tortilla in a pan until warm. Then, place it on a plate.
- Add a layer of cheese, then a couple of spoonfuls of the chicken and ranch beans, some sauce, and more cheese.
- Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then fold the end closest to you over the chicken mixture and tuck in the edges to create a burrito.
- Repeat until all the burritos have been made, setting them aside as you go.
- In a frying pan, fry the burritos on medium heat until golden on both sides, transferring to a paper towel as you go to absorb any excess oil.
- Enjoy with your favorite toppings.
Assembling the shredded chicken burritos
Step 1: Add shredded cheese to the heated flour tortilla.
Step 2: Add a couple tablespoons of shredded chicken.
Step 3: Spoon a little poblano sauce over the chicken.
Step 4: Add a spoonful of ranch beans over the sauce.
Step 5: Now add more shredded cheese and roll up.
Step 6: Roll up into a burrito by folding the sides in first, then fold the end closest to you over the chicken mixture and tuck in the edges to create a burrito.
Step 7: Add two burritos at a time to the hot oil.
Step 8: Fry on both sides until golden.
Tips
- To ensure your chicken is fully cooked, use a meat thermometer to check it for doneness. It’s ready at 165 degrees.
- Don’t crowd the pan while frying the burritos. You want the pan to stay hot.
- Always wash your hands and never touch your face when handling hot peppers.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The sauce is made with heavy cream, so freezing is not recommended.
To reheat the burritos, microwave them at 1-minute intervals until heated through.
Pairing Suggestions
Serve these fried chicken burritos with your favorite toppings like sour cream, salsa, extra cheese, diced avocado, cilantro, or more poblano sauce.
Of course, classic sides like Spanish rice, nachos, and guac with tortilla chips are also great additions to the dinner menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Poblano peppers are mild, not hot. They have about half the heat of a jalapeno pepper.
No. In fact, roasting peppers actually makes them milder. The roasting process concentrates their natural sugars while simultaneously cooking off some of their capsaicin, the compound responsible for their heat.
Chicken breasts are done when their internal temperature registers 165 degrees with a meat thermometer.
To properly use a meat thermometer, insert the probe into the center of the thickest part of the meat, avoiding touching any bone.
Try These Fried Chicken Burritos
These fried chicken burritos are filled to capacity with shredded seasoned chicken, zesty ranch beans, a rich, creamy poblano cream sauce that’s just spicy enough, and tons of texture. They’re as easy as they are delicious, which is a huge bonus, making them a must-have in your recipe rotation. Give them a try, and you’ll be a believer.
More Delicious Burrito Recipes You’ll Enjoy
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Fried Chicken Burritos
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken Mixture
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, diced
- 15 ounce ranch style beans
- 10 large flour tortillas, burrito size
- 1-2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 cups Colby jack cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 10 flour tortillas burrito size
Poblano Cream Sauce
- 2 roasted poblanos, seeds removed, peeled
- 1 roasted jalapenos, seeds removed
- ½ cup onions, diced
- 8 ounce green enchilada sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Shredded Chicken Burritos
- In a large frying pan, add butter and 1 tablespoon of oil and heat over medium heat.
- With the remaining oil, rub on the chicken prior to adding the seasonings.
- Sprinkle the seasonings on both sides of the chicken and add a few pieces to the frying pan.
- Cook until browned on both sides, about 3-4 minutes, or longer depending on the size of the breast.
- Once the chicken is cooked, place in a bowl and shred.
- Add onions and jalapenos to the frying pan. Add a tablespoon of butter if needed.
- Cook over medium heat until the onions and peppers are tender, and add to a bowl with shredded chicken.
Poblano Cream Sauce
- Wash and dry the peppers.
- Using tongs, roast the poblano over a medium flame until the skin is charred and blistered.
- Place in a sealable baggie or place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let steam for 10 minutes, then remove the skin of both peppers.
- Cut the stems off of the peppers, remove seeds, and place into a vitamix or blender.
- Add diced onions, enchilada sauce, heavy cream, and red pepper flakes into the vitamix and blend until creamy.
Frying the Burritos
- Heat beans in a saucepan until hot. Use a slotted spoon to add beans to the burritos.
- Take one cup of poblano sauce and add it to the shredded chicken mixture.
- Heat each tortilla on a pan or over the open flame until heated.
- Place the tortilla on a clean surface or a plate and add a layer of cheese.
- Next, add a couple spoonfuls of chicken mixture and ranch beans.
- Add a tablespoon of poblano sauce over the chicken mixture followed by more cheese.
- Roll the tortilla up by folding in the sides first then take the end closest to you and fold over the chicken mixture.
- Tuck in the edges if needed, and roll into a burrito.
- Set aside until all the tortillas are filled.
- In a frying pan or skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
- Place two burritos into the hot oil and cook until golden on both sides.
- Remove with tongs and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Serve with your favorite toppings like, sour cream, salsa, more cheese, diced avocado, cilantro, and more poblano sauce.
Notes
- To ensure your chicken is fully cooked, use a meat thermometer to check it for doneness. It’s ready at 165 degrees.
- Don’t crowd the pan while frying the burritos. You want the pan to stay hot.
- Always wash your hands and never touch your face when handling hot peppers.
Nutrition
This sounds wonderful, but I am puzzled by the recipe. The directions talk about cheese but the ingredients list doesn’t say anything about it. What kind, how much ??
Hi Elaine,
Thanks for letting me know about that. The ingredients have been updated.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we do! :)