Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Burritos

b u r r i t o s f o r p r e s i d e n t.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Burritos / Bev Cooks

When you go out for Mexican, what do you normally order? Tacos? Burritos? Chimichangas? (Sure, Neil. No problem. We’ll end the season with the pachenga.”- NTM) Fajitas? Taco salad? A huge vat of cheese dip and call it good?

This may be surprising to the naked ear, but I usually order a burrito. Weird, right? With my unabashed obsession with tacos?

But!

This is why. And math is involved, so get ready. (and excited)

Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Burritos / Bev Cooks

When you buy a package of large tortillas from the store, they come in a count of, what, eight? Well, usually I only need two or three. Maybe four. But when you buy taco-sized torts from the store, they come in a count of, what, eight million? Well, obviously I’m going to need all eight million. Breakfast tacos, lunch wraps, taco nights, yadda yadda YADDA.

It’s more of a rare occasion to go balls out with a full-on burrito bar. Which is a severe tragedy in itself, but also the bare truth of my life.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Burritos / Bev Cooks

So you see, I like to take advantage of ordering a burrito in an actual restaurant, because I know I won’t have six or seven huge honkin’ tortillas leftover for me to eat. I can’t run the risk of forgetting about the mammoth torts in the back of the fridge, getting smashed over time under a pile of whatever, morphing into that unrecognizable crepe of sticky bready goo of regret.

You know exactly what I’m talking about. “What is THIS THING?”

It’s those dang tortillas you forgot about.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Burritos / Bev Cooks

But theeen, on the other hand, because I like to be complicated, when I actually make burritos at home, I remember the excitement that stirs within. “We’re having burritos tonight!” is fun to say. It’s quite a joyful thing to yelp about.

You know what, I’ve just now, right this second, decided that I’m going to be better about making at-home burrito bars. I HEREBY DECLARE that I am going to work extra hard at not forgetting about those lonely tortillas in the back of the fridge. From here on out, I pledge my allegiance to ALL the forgotten tortillas of America that have been shoved aside to live a pathetic, moldy joke of an existence. ARE YOU WITH ME? Let’s DO this!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Burritos / Bev Cooks

You can start today. With these. 

Hi, these burritos are out of this world. It’s all slow cooker, with a ridic mix of chicken breasts and thighs, pinto beans (which are quickly becoming my favorite bean. is that gross?), basic spices and veggies. But the secret ingredient- a can of hot red enchilada sauce! I am telling YOU, it will transform that filling.

After you fill the burrs (<–not sorry), sprinkle some cheese on top and give them a blast under the broiler. This life decision should not be left untouched.

And for the homemade pico, it’s really whatever you want! I included a skeleton recipe in the instructions for ya.

Are you ready to take this new step with me?

Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Burritos / Bev Cooks

That’s right you are.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Burritos:

What it took for 4-6 burritos:

* 1.25 lb chicken thighs
* 14 oz chicken breasts
* 1 (10 oz) can hot enchilada sauce
* 1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 small white onion, diced
* 2 tsp chili powder
* 2 tsp cumin
* 1 tsp ground coriander
* pinch of salt and pepper
* 4 large tortillas
* 2 -3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* homemade pico, for topping (basically chopped tomatoes, diced red onion, a minced jalapeno pepper, some minced garlic, lots of cilantro, a bit of lime juice and a little salt. bam.)
* lime wedges, for serving

In a slow cooker, combine the chicken, enchilada sauce, beans, garlic, onion and spices. Cook on medium for 4-6 hours. Using forks, lightly shred the chicken right in the slow cooker. Let it sit for a few minutes so the chicken can absorb all the heavenly heaven-ness around it.

Using tongs, place a mound of chicken filling inside each tortilla. Sprinkle a little (or a lot) of the cheese on top of the chicken mix. Fold in the sides and roll up each burrito, placing them seam-side down on a baking sheet. Top with grated cheese and stick them under the broiler for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is browning and bubbly.

Top with fresh pico and serve with lime wedges! TO.DIE.FOR.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Burritos / Bev Cooks

I’m going in.

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38 Responses to Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Burritos

  1. Brian | A Thought For Food August 20, 2015 at 6:59 am #
    Watching me inhale tacos is a sight no one should see... And burritos are even more of a scene. But who cares if I make a mess? They're freakin delicious and nothing's going to stop me from stuffing my face!
  2. Nicole August 20, 2015 at 7:32 am #
    Nobody puts burritos in the corner. Yum!
  3. Deborah August 20, 2015 at 9:44 am #
    So.... I accidentally bought a bag of large tortillas with like 20 in there. I had no idea how I was going to use them all up. Problem solved. Well, at least for 4 of them. ;)
  4. Terri August 20, 2015 at 10:18 am #
    Fish tacos diehard over here. Burritos....? "I pledge to dust off the slow cooker, and do it!" (right hand raised)
  5. Heather Christo August 20, 2015 at 10:21 am #
    OMG Bev, these look SO good! my family would be thrilled to come home to this- I'm going to tag it for school year dinners.
  6. Gerry @ foodness gracious August 20, 2015 at 10:23 am #
    you hit the nail on the head! I always have this issue :( Thanks for fighting for the lonely burritos of this world..
  7. Tif August 20, 2015 at 11:29 am #
    A little precision, please, Baby. Some tortillas count, and some tortillas don't...
  8. Julie August 20, 2015 at 11:41 am #
    Yum-O, loving this and your easy stuffed pepper recipe! Keep em' coming.
  9. Robin August 20, 2015 at 12:05 pm #
    Could you use dry beans instead of canned? If so how would alter the recipe?
    • Bev Weidner August 20, 2015 at 12:44 pm #
      Hey, Robin! You know, for this recipe in particular, since I'm not adding a ton of liquid to the pot (like stock or water), I'd probably stick to canned beans. Usually if you soak any dried beans overnight, they cook beautifully in a slow cooker covered in liquid, for 6-8 hours. But I'd be afraid with this recipe that I don't have enough liquid to reaaaaally soften them. But tell you what, if you try it, let me know how it turns out!
  10. Leslie August 20, 2015 at 12:25 pm #
    Dirty Danciiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnggg! Maybe you could carry a watermelon over to your counter for a nice side dish for these burritos.
  11. Jelena August 20, 2015 at 1:35 pm #
    I absolutely love this recipe, I would love to make it, but have one question: I live in Europe and we don't use slow cookers here. Is there an alternative? Could I use a pressure cooker instead? Concerning the extra tortillas, my solution is to freeze them. I don't know if that's a sacrilege of some sort as apparently no one else does it, but they are just fine afterwards and I have solved my leftover tortilla problem. As a matter of fact, now I always buy the 20 pcs package and that way we can have impromptu burrito night whenever we want!
    • Bev Weidner August 20, 2015 at 2:12 pm #
      Hey, Jelena! You know, I'm not so sure about a pressure cooker. I've actually never cooked with one, and I'm not entirely positive what would happen. BUT! I think you could make this exact recipe in a large pot or dutch oven over low heat. Make it on the weekend, so you can nurse it every hour or so, making sure nothing is over bubbling or sticking. I'd try that route! Let me know how it turns out for ya. :) (FREEZING. Hello, you're brilliant.)
  12. Erica August 20, 2015 at 4:55 pm #
    I only recently discovered the perfect solution to the burrito tortilla dilemma. Freezer breakfast burritos. Shove them full of scrambled eggs and whatever random bits of goodness are in the fridge (spinach, peppers, beans, sausage, potatoes, whatever). Roll 'em up and freeze individually to grab and take to work, or to bust out on Saturday when the kiddos are demanding pancakes yet again. I will be trying this recipe. And then making four more breakfast burritos for my stash.
  13. Steph August 20, 2015 at 9:28 pm #
    What is cheese dip? I live in Southern California so I guess Mexican food is different there. Also, what are leftover tortillas? Hahaha hello breakfast burritos, quesadillas, chips, wraps, or just heated with butter. I really need to pull out my slow cooker and try this.
    • Bev Weidner August 21, 2015 at 5:43 am #
      Ha! Cheese dip = queso. Do you call it queso in SoCal? Orrrr, do you call it Rotel? (just kidding. I think.) Heated with BUTTER- I'm so all over that.
      • Steph August 21, 2015 at 9:23 am #
        Oh they serve that in restaurants? It just comes in jars by the chip section here. They serve salsa or guacamole here. The funniest was Mexican food in England. Lots of donkeys and sombreros on packages.
  14. Kevin @ Closet Cooking August 21, 2015 at 7:10 pm #
    Those are some tasty looking burritos!
  15. Chelsea August 23, 2015 at 11:39 am #
    I want to try these so badly this week! I love slow cooker meals to make my evenings easier during the work week. Only thing I struggle with is that I work long days so my slow cooker has to be on for quite a while. I'm going to attempt these these week, but cook on low for around 8 hours and hope they don't get too dried out because they sound good delicious not to try!!
  16. Madeleine August 23, 2015 at 7:11 pm #
    Dirrrrty dancing.. saw it live on stage this past weekend! These burritos look amazing!
  17. KRISTA August 23, 2015 at 10:49 pm #
    Made these burritos for dinner tonight and they were DELICIOUS! I made them with a smaller flour tortilla, which works just fine. My husband ate 4 of them. He said, "now there's a recipe you can make again & again!"
  18. Kelly August 26, 2015 at 10:21 am #
    Trying these TODAY!
    • Kelly August 26, 2015 at 6:31 pm #
      And they were SO GOOD!
  19. Erin August 28, 2015 at 3:25 pm #
    Hey Bev! If my slow cooker only has low and high settings (no medium), which would you recommend for these, and how long?
    • Bev Weidner August 28, 2015 at 3:29 pm #
      Hey! I'd say high for about 4 hours. Maybe a little less! But if you're gone all day, then low on 8. Bam.
  20. Laura Baldwin September 3, 2015 at 6:26 am #
    Well ok ... this is one of the tastiest things that I`ve ever eat :) Thak you so much about this recipe.
  21. Ally February 29, 2016 at 2:52 pm #
    Do you think these would freeze okay??
    • Bev Weidner March 2, 2016 at 8:12 am #
      Definitely!! Let me know how they turn out. :)
  22. JuneMK June 28, 2016 at 3:39 pm #
    Craving Mexican so I'm going to try these tonight. Didn't have pinto so using black beans and just chicken breasts. Can't wait to taste! We use our tortillas for "fake" pizza. Just heat on the stove for a bit on both sides, spread pizza sauce and heat a little longer and you got yourself some "fake" pizza. :)
  23. Katie Dillon January 19, 2019 at 10:16 am #
    The pachenga hahaha omg so good! ? beyond your amazing references that always hit home with me, your recipes are always right up my alley! My cousin/bff and I live across the country from each other and share a weekly meals Pinterest board to share recipes we’ve tried and that are delish... she pinned this one and before I even clicked on it I said, is this a Bev recipe?! Our board should be called Bevcooks recipes haha thanks for being awesome in so many ways!! Making these on Sunday ??

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

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  5. Three Tasty Recipes for Chicken Burritos (Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker) - Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker - October 2, 2018 […] Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Burritos  from Bev Cooks is a great way to use all those tortillas hiding in the back of your fridge. It also uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and I bet everyone in the family will love chicken and pinto bean burritos for dinner. […]

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