These Grilled Chicken Burritos are one of our favorite quick and easy meals. The chicken takes just mere minutes on the grill. And the burrito fillings are totally adaptable so you can use whatever you have on hand. We like to grill the outside of the burrito for an extra layer of crispiness.
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If my husband could eat one food for the rest of his life, it would be burritos!
This man can put them down. For real.
Breakfast burritos, stuffed and loaded wet burritos, taco bell burritos - honestly, it doesn't matter!
He is down for them all.
But this one -- this is one that we both can agree on.
I love it because it's light, filling, and super fresh!
And because we're using mostly fresh ingredients, it's actually kind of healthy-ish.
But if that's not your style, you could totally add rice, queso or whatever your heart desires!
I also have to say though, adapt this recipe however you please, but for the love of our holy burrito god, grill your burrito!
It takes only a minute and the resutls are so dang delicious!!
It's totally a game changer and for that, we are obsessed. So let's get grillin'!
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the Grilled Chicken
- Chicken - I'm using boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders but you could absolutely use chicken thighs or another dark meat. You could also try this recipe with pork, steak, or shrimp - adjusting the cook time as needed.
- Kosher Salt - The best kind for cooking but you could use Himalayan or table salt if that is all you have.
- Garlic Powder - This is better than fresh garlic when grilling because if it's fresh, it'll burn and get bitter.
- Smoked Paprika - I love smoked paprika because it adds a layer of smokey depth and color. If you didn't have any, you could use chili powder.
- Cumin - The most iconic mexican spice in my opinion. If you don't have cumin, you could try a sort of taco seasoning blend.
- Neutral oil - I used vegetable oil but you could use avocado oil, a light olive oil or another neutral oil of choice.
- Fresh Lime Juice - Fresh is best!
For the Burrito
- Burrito Shells - Definitely feel free to use whatever wrapper you have! These would be bomb with taco shells, too!
- Pepper Jack Cheese - I love the added spice and creaminess of pepper jack but you could def use any other type of melting cheese or fresh Mexican cheese. Think of queso freso, cotjia, and more!
- Refried Beans - I'm using a can of Amy's Refried Black Beans for convenience.... and because they're delicious! But you could use any sort of legume your heart desires.
- Avocado - Avocado is optional but we love it in these grilled chicken burritos!
- Pickled Red Onions - You can either follow my pink pickled red onion recipe or you could slice some super thin, add a squeeze of lime juice, a pinch of sugar and salt and let them sit for 15 minutes.
- Tomatoes - You could def swap out the tomatoes for jarred salsa if that's what you've got!
- Cilantro - I know a lot of people hate cilantro so you an def leave it out if it's not your fav!
How to Grilled the Chicken
Making Grilled Chicken Burritos is quick, easy and painless process!
The first thing you'll want to do is to preheat your grill to medium-high.
While that's warming up, grab a small bowl and add your room temp chicken tenders. If the chicken is fresh out of the fridge, it'll have a rubbery texture if you cook it straight away. To avoid this, let it lose its chill first.
Now add salt, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika and some neutral oil.
Toss everything together and set aside.
Once the grill is hot, add chicken tenders and close the grill for 2-3 minutes.
Then open up your grill and turn tenders once the bottom of the chicken pieces are golden with grill marks.
Cook for another 2 minutes and check temperature.
You'll want your thermometer to read 165F degrees when inserted into the middle of the thickest piece.
Remove chicken tenders from the grill and place in a clean bowl.
Finish the chicken by squeezing a half a lime over the top.
Let rest for 5 minutes then cut into bite sized pieces.
How to make Grilled Chicken Burritos
Now that the chicken is ready, let's make the Grilled Chicken Burritos!
Lay out one large tortilla and add a layer (as much as you prefer) of refried beans, pepper jack cheese, chopped grilled chicken, tomatoes, pickled onions, avocado and cilantro.
Fold opposite sides of the burrito inwards then roll it together to seal it all in. Set aside.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add a little bit of oil.
Now add your burrito, seam side down, and cook until golden brown.
Carefully flip the burrito and toast on 1-2 more sides or until the burrito has a nice crispy crust.
Wrap in tinfoil and then slice down the middle when you’re ready to enjoy!
Can I make this on the stovetop?
You can absolutely make this on the stovetop if you don't have a grill!
To do so, simply heat up a pan over medim/medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoon of olive to the pan.
Add the room temp seasoned chicken tenders and cook for a few minutes on each side. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Cut it up into bite size pieces and then continue on with the recipe as written!
What to pair them with
I would definitely pair these grilled chicken burritos with some queso mac and cheese, watermelon with tajin or even epcot's avocado margarita!
If you want more tasty Mexican inspired dishes, try these tostadas de pollo, walking taco casserole, carne asada street tacos or even some steak picado.
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Recipe
Recipe
Grilled Chicken Burrito
Ingredients
For the Grilled Chicken
- 1.5 lb chicken tenders, boneless & skinless room temp
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil
- ½ lime juiced
For the Burritos (use as much of the following as you like)
- 3-4 large Flour Tortillas
- Pepper Jack Cheese shredded
- Refried Beans
- Avocado chopped
- Pickled Red Onions
- Tomatoes chopped
- Cilantro chopped
- neutral oil
Instructions
For the Grilled Chicken
- Preheat grill to medium-high.
- In a small bowl, add room temp chicken tenders, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 2 tablespoon oil. Toss together and set aside.
- Once the grill is hot, add chicken tenders and close the grill for 2-3 minutes. Open the grill and turn tenders once the bottom of the chicken pieces are golden with grill marks. Cook for another 2 minutes and check temp - the thickest pieces should read 165F when inserted with a meat thermometer.
- Remove chicken tenders from the grill and place in a clean bowl. Finish with the juice from ½ a lime. Let rest for 5 minutes then cut into bite sized pieces.
For the Burritos
- Lay out one large tortilla and add a layer (as much as you prefer) of refried beans, pepper jack cheese, chopped grilled chicken, tomatoes, pickled onions, avocado and cilantro.
- Fold opposite sides of the burrito inwards then roll it together to seal it all in. Set aside.
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add a little bit of oil.
- Add the burrito, seam side down, and cook until golden brown. Turn the burrito and toast on 1-2 more sides or until the burrito has a crispy crust.
- Wrap in tinfoil. Slice down the middle when you’re ready to enjoy.
