Burrito
601kcal40.1g protein22.5g fat60.2g carbs~$1.69/ serving*Estimates computed from the ingredient list; cost uses average US supermarket prices. Not a substitute for packaging measurements or your receipt.
Contains dairy · sometimes contains gluten — check the label
Restrictions
ContainsdairyIt is in an ingredient you cannot leave out.
Sometimes contains — check the labelgluten (chili (powder), guacamole, tortillas)Some brands have it, some do not. The recipe cannot tell, so this is the one you check yourself.
Diets
No porkNo alcohol
Worked out from the ingredient list. It knows nothing about brands, shared equipment or cross contamination, and it is not a certification — if you have an allergy, you still have to read the label.
Ingredients
Servings:
| 2 unit |  flour tortillas (12-inch) |
| 1 lb |  chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) |
| 2 tsp |  chili powder |
| 1 tsp |  cumin (ground) |
| ½ tsp |  paprika (smoked) |
| ½ tsp |  oregano (dried) |
| 2 clove |  garlic (minced) |
| 1 unit |  lime (juice) |
| 1 tbsp | vegetable oil |
| 1 ¼ tsp | salt |
| ½ cup |  long-grain rice (rinsed) |
| 1 cup | water |
| 3 tbsp |  cilantro (chopped) |
| 1 cup |  pinto beans (cooked, drained) |
| ¾ cup |  cheddar (grated) |
| ½ cup |  salsa |
| 3 tbsp |  sour cream |
Optional
Not counted above. The dish works without them.
| ½ cup | guacamole |
| 2 tbsp |  jalapenos (pickled, sliced) |
| ¼ cup |  onion (finely diced) |
| ½ cup |  lettuce (shredded) |
| 1 tbsp |  hot sauce |
Steps
- Marinate20 minroom temperaturechicken thighs + chili powder + cumin + smoked paprika + oregano + garlic + lime juice + oil + 0.75 tsp salt — stop at 30 minutes, because past that the lime acid cures the outer few millimetres of thigh chalky-white and it goes grainy in the pan
- Simmer18 minlid on, lowest heatrice + water + 0.5 tsp salt until the water is gone, then fold in half the cilantro off-heat and spread the rice on a plate to cool to warm — rice packed in at boiling temperature steams the inside of the tortilla and turns it to paste before you can eat it
- Sear8 minhigh, dry heavy panmarinated thighs, undisturbed until the spice crust is dark, then flip — the sugar in the chili powder is what browns, so it colours faster than plain chicken and wants a shorter second side
- Rest5 minoff heatseared chicken, then slice across the grain — carving it hot dumps the juices, and any free liquid inside a burrito ends up in the seam
- Mash5 minmedium, small panbeans warmed with a pinch of salt, crushing about a third of them so the starch binds the rest into a paste; whole beans in their own liquid slide apart and blow out the bottom of the roll
- Cook2 mindry pan or comal, medium-hightortillas one at a time, 20–30 seconds a side, until they steam and go floppy — cold tortilla gluten is stiff and splits along the fold line no matter how gently you roll
- Top4 minwarm tortilla, flattortilla + rice + mashed beans + sliced chicken + cheese while the fillings are still hot so the cheese melts and glues the core together, then salsa + sour cream + optionals on top of the dry layers, never against the tortilla; leave a clear 2-inch border all around
- Fold2 minfold the two short sides in over the filling, then roll from the near edge, pulling back against the filling with each turn so the log is tight — a loose burrito has air pockets and unravels in the hand
- Sear3 minmedium, dry pan, seam-side down firstrolled burritos, pressing lightly, until each face is spotted brown; the dry heat drives off the surface moisture and sets the seam into a seal, which is the difference between a burrito and a plate of filling