Green chile and chicken burritos covered with a creamy cheesy sauce are perfect for a casual weeknight dinner or a company meal. These smothered chicken burritos received cheers and two thumbs up all the way around the table when I made them last week. My boys have already asked when we can make them again.
While I tend to take issue with slow-cooker recipes that also involve the stove or oven, I love this one both for the convenience and for the flavor that the slow-cooker gives the chicken.
The stove and oven portion of this recipe takes just a few minutes and it’s well worth the effort. To make it even easier, the chicken can be cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before making the burritos.
Burritos are always in high demand at my house. Like creamy refried beans, layered with spicy ground beef, green chile, and plenty of cheese in these Beef and Bean Burritos. These burritos have been such a hit with my boys!
Slow cookers or crockpots are an appliance of which I have more than one. If you are an avid slow cooker user like I am, you might understand the need for more than one. So, let’s talk about my favorites:
First up is this 6-quart slow cooker that has a locking lid. These crockpots are fantastic for transporting foods. Mine has gone everywhere from church potlucks to barbecues, game nights to Thanksgiving dinner. However, fair warning, these slow cookers run crazy hot. Low is closer to a boil than a simmer, the warm setting actually simmers. So trust me when I say HIGH is high.
My everyday slow cooker is this 8-quart Crockpot. It’s my go-to appliance for cooking large roasts and big batches of chili. Fun fact: did you know that a full 4-quart cooker, actually cooks more slowly than a half-full 8-quart cooker?
For just cooking a few pounds of chicken to shred for enchiladas or other smaller recipes, this 3-quart version is perfect.
Thanksgiving has become a breeze since I have mastered how to hold all of the side dishes using these medium-sized round slow cookers.
If you aren’t a fan of the idea of keeping more than one slow cooker in the house, these CrockPockets are a game-changer when it comes to preparing and holding multiple dishes at the same time. They slide into a standard 6-quart crockpot, dividing it into two sections that are perfect for serving different side dishes or keeping taco fillings warm for parties.
For more great slow cooker dinners, check out this Slow-Cooker Busy Day Potato Soup and these Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches.
Kitchen Tip: I used this skillet and this baking pan to make this recipe.
Slow Cooker Smothered Chicken Burritos
Ingredients
- Chicken filling ingredients:
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Burrito ingredients:
- 6-8 flour tortillas or 12-16 corn tortillas
- 3/4 cup chopped roasted green chile or (1) 10-ounce can
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons light flavored olive oil
- Sauce ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or brown rice flour
- 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover with lid and cook on low for 3-4 hours. When the chicken can be easily pulled apart, shred it and toss it in the juices in the crockpot.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl, add 1 cup of shredded cheese, and the green chile. Stir to combine. Scoop the chicken mixture into the tortillas, about 3/4 cup of filling fits nicely in each flour tortilla. (About 1/3 cup of filling fits easily in the smaller corn tortillas.) Roll them up and place them snugly into a baking pan. Brush with olive oil. Bake 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy.
- While the burritos are in the oven, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, whisking and simmering until thickened.
- Remove from the heat. Add the sour cream and the remaining cheese, whisking until smooth again. Pour the sauce over the crispy burritos. Enjoy!
Notes
Here are some more burrito recipes you might like:
Chipotle Shrimp Burritos with Avocado Crema by Foodie Crush
California Carne Asada Burritos by Carlsbad Cravings
Mojo Chicken Burrito Bowls by Barefeet In The Kitchen
Breakfast Burritos, Campfire Style by Taste and Tell
Chorizo, Potato, and Queso Burritos by Center Cut Cook
Janet Rebman says
I made these tonight. They were excellent! However, I would say that this recipe makes far, far more than 6-8 burritos (I would call them enchiladas because they are covered in sauce). I assembled 4 roughly 8" burritos and had enough filling and sauce leftover to make 10-12 more. I'm fine with that because I like to freeze things like this for a quick and easy dinner later. I just froze the chicken filling and the leftover sauce separately. I will make more with fresh tortillas later, when the time comes. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of adding chopped green chilis to the sauce also. I had a couple ounces leftover to use up from a side dish I made and it was great with the green chilis also. I was spicy but we like that. Thanks for the recipe!
Barbara Hoff says
these burritos looks amazing , love the green chili sauce
Julia says
Looks so delicious and easy to cook! Breakfast ideas for next weekend.
Melanie says
My husband and I loved this! I added 2 cans of diced tomatoes with jalapeños to the chicken in the crockpot… once the chicken was cooked and shredded I added a pouch of frozen corn and a can of black beans (drained and rinsed) and let it all sit in the crockpot on low for a few more hours. I used wheat flour tortillas and drained the chicken mixture before filling them. They weren’t quite browned/crisp after 15 minutes on 350 so I turned the oven up to 375 for 7 more minutes. The sour cream/cheese sauce was delicious!
Gale says
This sounds delicious, however, not sure why it’s called a “slow cooker” recipe. You can simmer the chicken on stove top for less than 30 minutes and continue with recipe and I am sure it would be great. Will try soon. Thanks for the recipe idea.
Mary says
The chicken is great however you want to cook it. I’m a big fan of cooking the meat in the crockpot myself.
Andy says
Made this today, followed the recipe exactly. They turned out excellent, and everyone cleared their plates. Will definitely make again. Thanks
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Andy!
nancy says
YUM!!!!!
James says
The sauce is absolutely amazing. It would go great on all kinds of dishes. My family and I loved this recipe.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you like it, James!