Tasty Green Chile Chicken Burritos

These covered green chile chicken wraps turn basic tortillas into a hearty, café-style dish that combines crunchy outsides with a smooth green chile topping. You'll love how the juicy chicken, gooey cheese, and mild green peppers come together for a taste that's flavorful without too much kick.

I came up with this after trying to copy my favorite meal from a neighborhood Mexican spot that shut down. Through trial and error, my family now asks for these wraps more than the original ones we used to travel miles to enjoy.

Ingredients

• Cooked chicken: Forms your protein base — grab a store-bought rotisserie bird for easy tasty meat
• Salsa: Gives quick flavor and wetness — pick one with tomato bits for better bite
• Ground cumin: Adds that dirt-like warmth found in true Mexican cooking
• Dried oregano: Offers plant-like flavors that work great with the peppers
• Cheddar cheese: Makes everything gooey — stronger types taste better than mild ones
• Green onions: Add crisp freshness against the rich sauce
• Flour tortillas: Hold everything together — get the big burrito size for enough filling room
• Butter: Starts your sauce thickener — go for unsalted to watch your salt levels
• All purpose flour: Makes sauce thick without bumps — shake through a strainer first
• Garlic: Gives deep smell — real cloves work better than stuff from jars
• Chicken broth: Creates tasty liquid base — less salt kinds let you season how you want
• Green chiles: Make the key flavor without too much fire
• Sour cream: Makes sauce rich and smooth — full fat works best so sauce stays together

Step-by-Step Instructions

Fix the inside stuff:

Mix your pulled chicken with salsa, seasonings, cheese and green onions until everything's combined well. It should feel damp but not soaked so your tortillas don't get soggy before cooking. Let it sit about 5 minutes while getting your tortillas ready so flavors can mix together.

Roll your wraps:

Put about half cup filling slightly off-center on each tortilla. Fold sides in first, then roll from bottom, tucking edges as you go to make a tight package. Put each wrap with the seam facing down on your baking sheet. A tight roll keeps stuff from leaking during cooking.

Make them crunchy:

Lightly brush oil all over the top surface of each rolled wrap. This trick makes that golden crunch outside that tastes so good with the creamy sauce later. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes until edges turn brown and tortillas get firm.

Start your green chile sauce:

Fully melt butter in a pot before adding flour. Keep stirring to make a light yellow mix, cooking for 3 minutes to get rid of raw flour taste. Throw in garlic when your mix is ready and cook just till it smells good without browning which can make it taste bitter.

Complete your sauce:

Slowly pour in chicken broth while stirring all the time to avoid lumps. Add spices and let the mix bubble gently until it gets thick enough to coat a spoon. Take it off the heat completely before mixing in green chiles, cheese and sour cream so they don't get weird and separate.

Final touch and serve:

Pour plenty of your finished sauce over the baked wraps and sprinkle more cheese on top. Broil just until cheese bubbles and starts getting spotty brown, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Let them cool for 2 minutes before eating so sauce can set up a bit.

The green chile sauce really makes this dish special. I found out how amazing it is when playing around with New Mexican cooking during a trip to Santa Fe. The gentle heat and smooth texture create just the right balance that even my kid who can't handle spicy food loves. We now always keep canned green chiles around just for this meal.

Make Ahead Options

These wraps work great for planning ahead when life gets crazy. You can mix up all the chicken filling up to three days early and keep it covered in your fridge. For even more time-saving, roll up the wraps completely, put them on parchment paper, and freeze them solid before moving to a freezer bag. When you're ready to eat, just add 10-15 minutes to cooking time if they're still frozen. The sauce tastes best made right before eating, but will keep in the fridge for up to two days if needed.

Customization Ideas

This flexible dish welcomes many changes while keeping its main charm. For no-meat eaters, swap the chicken with a mix of black beans and roasted veggies like zucchini, peppers, and corn. Folks who love heat can throw diced jalapeños into both the filling and sauce. For a morning version, use scrambled eggs and breakfast sausage instead of chicken but keep that wonderful green chile sauce the same. You can also use whole wheat tortillas instead of regular ones for extra nutrition.

Serving Suggestions

While these wraps taste great alone, adding a few sides turns this into something special. Mexican rice pairs perfectly with its tomato-touched flavor. A basic salad with mixed greens, avocado, and lime dressing adds freshness against the rich wraps. For a true restaurant feel, serve with small dishes of extra sour cream, guacamole, and fresh salsa. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro and squeeze lime over everything just before bringing to the table.

With these covered green chile chicken wraps, you can bring fancy restaurant flavors to your table without breaking a sweat.

Recipe Q&A

→ Can I make these burritos ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can get the burritos and sauce ready up to 2 days early. Keep the wrapped burritos in your fridge and just warm up the sauce when you're ready. Bake the burritos fresh and then pour the warm sauce on top when it's time to eat.

→ What can I use instead of green chiles?

If canned green chiles aren't available, try roasted poblanos for a mild kick or chopped jalapeños if you want more heat. Just add more or less depending on how spicy you like your food. A store-bought green salsa works too if you're in a rush instead of making sauce from scratch.

→ How hot are these burritos?

With mild green chiles, these burritos are kid-friendly with just a tiny bit of warmth. The heat mostly comes from the salsa you pick for the filling and the chiles in your sauce. Want them spicier? Go for hot green chiles or throw a chopped jalapeño into your sauce.

→ Can I freeze these burritos?

They freeze great! Make your burritos but skip the baking step. Wrap each one in foil or plastic, then put them all in a freezer bag. They'll last up to 3 months frozen. Make fresh sauce when you're ready to eat them. Cook frozen burritos at 400°F for about 30-35 minutes before adding your sauce on top.

→ What goes well with these burritos?

Mexican rice works really well, just like the recipe mentions. Other good sides are black beans, refried beans, a simple green salad with some lime dressing, corn salad, or chips and guacamole. Some fresh lime wedges and extra sour cream on the side make everything taste even better.

→ Can I use corn tortillas for this?

Flour tortillas work best for burritos since they're easier to fold and don't break. But if you need a gluten-free option, you can switch to corn tortillas. You'll end up making enchiladas instead though - quickly fry the corn tortillas in a bit of oil to make them soft, dip in sauce, add filling, roll them up, and put in a baking dish before covering with the rest of your sauce and cheese.