This is my go-to method for making chicken breast for stuffing into burritos or putting on nachos. It’s cooked in a spiced tomato mixture, then shredded for use!

Shredded Mexican Chicken Burritos

Have you ever wanted to eat something tasty for dinner but felt lazy about actually cooking it?

I’d be shocked if anyone said ‘no’ to this question.

There are plenty of times when I want to cook something challenging or involved, but there are also times when we all want to do something easy.

This is one of those easy dishes, and I often shred this chicken up for things like burritos, quesadillas, or even just to serve with rice.

Make a flavorful braising liquid for the chicken breasts, with chicken broth, fire roasted tomatoes, and Mexican spices:

Tomato Sauce Mixture for Tossing with Chicken in Skillet

Place the chicken breasts in this liquid, cover with a lid, and let them cook for 20-30 minutes. Shred the chicken up, then reduce the braising liquid down. Toss the chicken to coat:

Shredded chicken tossed with tomatoes and mexican spices

Now you can do what you want with the chicken.

I like to put it in a burrito with rice, sour cream, a black bean and corn salsa, tomatoes, and romaine:

Shredded Chicken Burrito with Flour Tortilla, lettuce, and toppings

Roll that baby up by pulling in the sides, tucking in the bottom, and rolling to close:

Folding the Flour Tortilla Over Ingredients and Rolling into a Burrito

Easy and tasty dinner, minimal work required for those lazy “I want to watch TV and sit in my pajamas” kinds of days. Enjoy!

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Mexican Braised Chicken - in Burritos with Black Beans, Corn, and More

Shredded Mexican Braised Chicken Breast

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
This is my go-to method for making chicken breast for stuffing into burritos or putting on nachos. It's cooked in a spiced tomato mixture, then shredded for use!
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Ingredients

  • 2 lbs split chicken breasts skin on, ribs in
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper

Instructions 

  • Heat up a skillet over medium high heat (make sure the pan has a lid). Season the chicken breasts all over with salt and pepper, then place the chicken skin side down directly onto the pan.
  • Cook for 2 minutes on each side, then remove the chicken breasts temporarily to a plate. There should be some brown bits on the bottom of the pan now. Deglaze the pan by adding the chicken broth, scraping up the brown bits from the pan. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, oregano, coriander, and bay leaf.
  • Put the chicken breasts back into the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Put the lid on and simmer the chicken for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked (I cook mine to 160 degrees F).
  • After the chicken has cooked, let it rest for at least 10 minutes before shredding, otherwise all the juices will run out of the chicken. In the meantime, turn the heat to high and reduce the spiced tomato sauce until it reaches the consistency you like (this should be 5-10 minutes). Make sure to stir often so it doesn’t burn. Toss the shredded chicken to coat in this sauce, and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 50g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 147mg, Sodium: 914mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Joanne Ozug