- Course: Main Course
- Skill Level: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Favorited: 6 Times
This recipe comes from Karen Barker, pastry chef and coproprietor with her husband, Ben, of the award-winning Magnolia Grill in Durham, North Carolina. Although these burritos are worthy of a spot on the Magnolia Grill menu, this is actually a meal Karen often cooks at home for her son.
Good-old barbecue sauce is the secret ingredient in Karen’s ingenious recipe for a Tex-Mex–meets–North Carolina burrito. Your favorite brand of barbecue sauce will do, or try our own Fred’s Red. If you like spicy food, add a minced jalapeño in Step 3. And feel free to garnish the burritos with sour cream, if desired. These burritos are true to form for a pastry chef— slightly sweet.
Ingredients
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, fresh or frozen (see Notes)
- 1 small onion (for about ½ cup chopped)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 clove fresh garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, or 1 cup homemade, defrosted if frozen
- 1/3 cup Fred’s Red Barbecue Sauce or purchased barbecue sauce
- ½ cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese, or more to taste
- 4 large (10- to 12-inch) flour tortillas
- About ¼ cup regular or low-fat sour cream (optional)
Directions
1. If the chicken is frozen, run it under hot water so you can remove the packaging. Place the chicken on a microwave-safe plate and microwave, uncovered, on high power for 3 minutes to partially defrost.
2. Meanwhile, peel and dice the onion and set it aside.
3. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating, cut the chicken (fresh or partially defrosted) into bite-size pieces, adding them to the pan as you cut. When all of the chicken has been added, cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and onion to the skillet. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 minutes more.
5. Meanwhile, rinse and drain the beans.
6. When the chicken is cooked through, add the beans and barbecue sauce to the skillet and stir well to coat the chicken with the sauce. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the mixture and continue to cook, without stirring, until the cheese melts, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, stack the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate and microwave until warm, following the package directions, 3 to 5 minutes.
8. To serve, spoon some of the chicken mixture onto the center of each tortilla and add a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Tuck in one end and roll up the tortillas burrito-style.
You can use 2 cups Perfect Poached Chicken, Poached Chicken Thighs, or Great Grilled Chicken Breasts, defrosted if frozen. Add in Step 6. Or use 2 cups Chunky Seasoned Chicken, defrosted if frozen. Omit the onion, oil, and garlic. Begin the recipe at Step 5, adding the Chunky Seasoned Chicken with the beans and barbecue sauce in Step 6; cook until heated through.
© 2005 Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross
Note from Cookstr's Editors
Nutritional information does not include optional sour cream, Homemade Black Beans or Fred’s Red Barbecue Sauce. For nutritional information on Homemade Black Beans or Fred’s Red Barbecue Sauce, please follow the links above.




