Freezer chicken burritos
Spiced chicken, rice, black beans, salsa and melty cheese rolled into eight burritos you can freeze and microwave for lunch any day.
- 60 min total
- 40 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 8
- About $1.78 a serving
- 510 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 8 servings.
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1½ lb chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup salsa
- 8 flour tortillas, large burrito size
- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese
From your pantry
- 1½ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Each serving has about 510 calories, 35 g protein, 52 g carbs and 17 g fat, and costs about $1.78 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
- No black beans? Pinto beans or kidney beans work.
- No salsa? Pico de gallo works.
- No flour tortillas? Whole wheat tortillas work.
- No Mexican blend cheese? Shredded cheddar or cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Bring the rice, 1½ cups of water and ½ teaspoon salt in a on high.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Cover, turn the heat to low and cook 15 minutes, then take it off the heat and leave the lid on.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Meanwhile, the chicken with the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and the rest of the salt.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Heat the oil in a large over medium-high and cook the chicken 7 to 8 minutes, now and then, until and 165°F.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 7 min 30 sec
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
in the beans and salsa and let it bubble 3 minutes, until the sauce clings. Stir in the rice and spread it out to cool for 15 minutes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Medium heatTimer: 18 min
Dolly’s tip: Cool filling is the key to good freezer burritos. Hot filling steams the tortilla and it turns gummy.Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds under a damp paper towel so they are soft enough to roll.
Spoon filling down the middle of each tortilla and top with cheese. Fold in the sides, then roll up tightly from the bottom.
Wrap each burrito in foil or plastic wrap, then freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months.
Dolly’s tip: To eat, unwrap, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave 2 to 3 minutes, turning halfway, until hot in the middle. Pack one frozen and microwave it the same way at lunch.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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