Baked Chicken Chimichangas

Can we talk about the fact that it snowed 2 inches today and hasn’t stopped? Throughout the day I kept looking out the window and could hardly believe the snow was still going. This is going to be a loooong winter.

Anyways, Q and I love a good Mexican meal and since there aren’t amazing Mexican restaurants up here, we are usual making them ourselves. Our usual deconstructed taco bowl is our go-to, but we thought we would do something a little different a few weeks ago and try these Baked Chicken Chimichangas instead. The recipe is basically a baked burrito, except the filling is melt-in-your-mouth good. Since you are combining chicken broth, a chipotle chile and lots of spices, you get a chicken/beans/rice mixture that is a spicy, flavorful filling.

The recipe may seem like a lot for a weeknight meal, but it came together pretty quickly once I had everything prepped and was well worth the effort. We had enough filling for 3 burritos and put one in the fridge for lunch the next day (was just as great the next day).

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (found in the Mexican food aisle)
1/4 cup long-grain white rice
Salt and pepper
1 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup canned pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon water
2-3 10-inch flour tortillas (we had enough filling for 3)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silpat (or leave blank, do not put aluminum foil) and set aside.
Whisk broth and chipotle together in small liquid measuring cup. Combine 1/2 cup chipotle broth, uncooked rice, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Cover and microwave until liquid is completely absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1/2 cup chipotle broth, par-cooked rice and beans and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and nestle chicken into pot. Cover and cook until rice is tender and chicken registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer rice and bean mixture to medium bowl and stir in chicken, cheese, and cilantro.
Whisk flour and water together in a small bowl and set aside. Stack tortillas on a plate and microwave covered until pliable, about 30 seconds. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, place a third to half of the chicken mixture in the center of the warm tortilla. Brush the edges of the tortilla with the flour paste. Wrap top and bottom of tortilla tightly over filling. Brush ends of tortilla with additional paste and fold into center, pressing firmly to seal. Repeat with second tortilla.
Place wrapped tortillas onto the Silpat-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Flip the oven to the broiler and broil for 1 minute. Remove from oven and let sit for 3 minutes before serving.
Serve with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.

Adapted from Cooking for Two 2012 (America’s Test Kitchen)