These Easy BBQ Chicken Burritos are a longtime family favorite. From the first bite, you'll be shocked and delighted by how incredibly delicious they are. There's nothing complicated here — just shredded chicken, store-bought BBQ sauce, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and cheese — but somehow, the combination is absolutely amazing!
These BBQ Chicken Burritos are perfect for the weeknight dinner rotation. They’re easy to assemble and you can make them ahead, keep them in the fridge or freezer, and pop them in the oven just before dinner.
HOW TO MAKE BBQ CHICKEN BURRITOS
Start by cooking the chicken. Or skip this step and use 5 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken, poached chicken or leftover cooked chicken.
- Sear boneless skinless chicken breasts in a little oil, in a hot skillet for about 7 minutes per side, until cooked through.
- Shred the chicken by inserting two forks into the breasts and pulling in opposite directions.
- Mix the shredded chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce. I like using honey teriyaki bbq sauce or something that has a mix of sweet, salty and a little spicy, such as Sweet Baby Ray's.
- Make a quick fresh salsa of chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro.
- Set up a work station with a stack of tortillas and all of your fillings: chicken, salsa, and shredded cheese.
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- Assemble the burritos: Add about a half cup of the shredded chicken to the center of a flour tortilla. Add a heaping tablespoon of the salsa and about 3 tablespoons of shredded cheese.
- Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll the tortilla up and secure it with a toothpick. Place it in the baking dish and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
COOK OR FREEZE
- Freeze: Once you've rolled up all the burritos, you can cook them right away or freeze them, in an airtight container. They freeze really well and can be cooked, from frozen, in the microwave or in the oven. My kids love heating one up in the microwave as an after-school snack.
- Bake: If you want to cook the chicken burritos right away, arrange them in a single layer in the baking pan and pop them into a 400º oven for 12-15 minutes, until they're hot and the cheese is melted.
HOW TO SERVE BBQ CHICKEN BURRITOS
Serve these burritos hot from the oven while the cheese is nice and melty. They're delicious as is, or top them with homemade Salsa Fresca, sliced avocado, sour cream, chopped cilantro, scallions or an extra drizzle of BBQ sauce.
For a heartier meal, serve them with Mexican rice, Cuban black beans, or a simple green salad. Sautéed corn with scallions would also be delicious on the side.
If you make these BBQ Chicken Burritos, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!
PrintRecipe
Easy BBQ Chicken Burritos
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 5-6 1x
Description
These Easy BBQ Chicken Burritos are filled with shredded chicken, BBQ sauce, fresh tomatoes, onion, cilantro and melted cheddar cheese. They're a longtime family favorite and a delicious, easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds) or substitute 5 cups of shredded poached chicken or leftover cooked chicken.
- ¾ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce - something sweet & spicy is best
- 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (About 3 medium tomatoes)
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 medium-sized onion)
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (about half a bunch)
- 12 (9-inch) flour tortillas
- 12 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
Optional Garnishes:
- chopped scallions
- chopped cilantro
- extra BBQ sauce
- Homemade Salsa Fresca
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Instructions
Equipment: A large rectangular baking dish or casserole, toothpicks
Prepare The Chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and cook, undisturbed for 7 minutes on one side. Turn and cook on the other side about 7-8 minutes more (or until chicken is no longer pink when you cut into the thickest part).
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it. (or skip this step and use 5 cups of poached chicken or leftover cooked chicken)
Prepare The Filling:
- In a mixing bowl, toss the shredded chicken with the BBQ sauce and set it aside.
- In another mixing bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, onion and cilantro
- Put the shredded cheese in a small bowl
Assemble the Burritos:
- Place about ½ cup of chicken in the center of a tortilla; next add a heaping tablespoon of the tomato mixture, and then add about 3 tablespoons of shredded cheese.
- To make an envelope for the filling, first fold over the sides, and then roll the burrito up and secure it with a toothpick, and place it in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and fillings. You should have 10-12 burritos depending on how you stuff them.
Bake and Serve:
- Bake the burritos for 10-14 minutes until they're heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Serve warm, topped with cilantro, chopped scallions, extra BBQ sauce and/or Salsa Fresca
Notes
- Nutrition Information: We do our best to provide accurate nutrition values using an online nutrition calculator however our nutrition information should only be used as an approximation.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
[This post was first published on November 6, 2012. It has been updated with clearer instructions in the recipe card and helpful details added to the written post, including serving suggestions; added nutritional information; and a name change. These used to be called "BBQ Chicken Enchiladas" and they are now (more correctly) called BBQ Chicken "burritos."]
Brian
Really enjoyed these burritos which were super easy to make and delicious.
Lisa
I'm so glad you enjoyed!!
kim donlan
One of my girls was stuck on chicken fingers with BBQ sauce. Every day for lunch no matter what. And then, I discovered this recipe. And the world of good food opened up.
Fred
So easy and delicious. Perfect weeknight dinner!
laura@motherwouldknow
A perfect weeknight dinner. This coming election eve, I'll probably be too nervous to eat, but I'll be glad to retreat to the kitchen to make these.
Kristen Chidsey
What a great take on American Mexican fusion. My family would love these
Don Howes
I have to object to these being called enchiladas. real ones are made with corn tortillas and covered with red or green enchilada sauce before baking.
Only commenting to prevent those not familiar with Mexican cooking from misconceptions as to the real thing. I would more closely classify these as Burrito's.
Don
Lisa Goldfinger
Hi Don, I appreciate your correction. I actually mentioned in the recipe post that I was on the fence about whether to call these enchiladas or burritos. My reasoning was that they are a hybrid - not really mexican - more all-American, barbecue-inspired, so I thought I could swing in either direction. But I would have been more accurate to call them burritos. Lisa
Christopher Crooks
We cooked the enchiladas for the family last night....AMAZING! We bought a store bought cooked chicken to make it a little quicker. Huge hit with everyone! Easy, quick and delicious! This dish will be a staple in our house from now on!
Cooking Simple Vegetables
Saved as a favorite, I love your web site!