Mark Bittman’s Chicken Black Bean Burritos: Better Than Restaurant Burritos

When we say Mark Bittman’s chicken black bean burritos are better than restaurant burritos, we mean it! Move over Chipotle. We love you but we’re making your burritos at home, now.

Serves: 4 Burritos Time: 30 minutes Cookbook: How to Cook Everything Fast

Ah, chicken black bean burritos. The original all-in-one meal. These portable packages of Mexican goodness are irresistible. However, it can be hard to find a really good burrito, especially when most store-bought ones are frozen, bland, and have an off-putting texture.

Unless you have a reliable Mexican restaurant near you, the best way to go is to make the burritos yourself. They’re not nearly as difficult as they may seem and the payoff is immense. Being a Mexican food aficionado himself, Mark Bittman is here to show us that restaurant-quality burritos are within reach for us all.

Jump Ahead:

• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🌯 Ingredients Needed to Make Mark Bittman’s Chicken Black Bean Burritos
• 🍴 Equipment You’ll Need in the Kitchen
• 🥄 How to Make Mark Bittman’s Chicken Black Bean Burritos
• ♾️ Chicken Black Bean Burrito Variations
• ❓ Mark Bittman’s Chicken Black Bean Burritos Tips, Tricks, and FAQs

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Flaaava!: This chicken black bean burrito is packed with flavor. Like you just went to Chipotle and ordered their chicken burrito with all the fixings packed. We’re telling you, this can’t be beat.

Simple: You can’t get much simpler than a burrito with straightforward ingredients. You can whip these up for dinner in no time and sit down to a bomb dot com meal with family and friends.

Wholesome: This burrito is super wholesome. With ingredients like brown rice, tomatoes, black beans, and chicken, you’re getting a hearty, healthy meal that will keep you going for the rest of your day.

Ingredients Needed to Make Mark Bittman’s Chicken Black Bean Burritos

Get out your shopping list! To make Mark Bittman’s Chicken Black Bean Burritos, you’ll need:

• Long-Grain Rice: Brown rice is best for this recipe, but if you prefer white, that works as well.
• Tomatoes: The riper the better.
• Onion: Red or white onion work best for this recipe.
• Jalapeño or Serrano Chili: Jalapeno peppers provide a slight amount of heat. For more heat, go with serranos or habanero peppers.
• Limes: You’ll sqeeze fresh juice into the salsa. If you don’t have limes on hand, bottled lime juice can work in a pinch.
• Cilantro: You want fresh, not dried, for this recipe.
• Olive Oil: A good olive oil is a must for many recipes.
• Chicken Thighs: You can use other parts of the chicken as well, but thighs lend a richer flavor thanks to the dark meat.
• Black Beans: Black beans are what this burrito is all about. If you don’t have them available, other beans can be substituted including pinto beans.
• Garlic Cloves: Diced garlic goes in the salsa. If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can substitute garlic powder to taste.
• Chili Powder: Chili powder is an excellent flavor bomb when cooking chicken. It won’t make the chicken hot and you may not even realize it’s there.
• Cumin: Cumin is the universal chicken seasoning. You won’t want to leave this out.
• Tortillas: Get large flour tortillas so you’ll have an easier time wrapping the burritos.
• Sour Cream: You can use sour cream or homemade yogurt in this recipe as either works nicely in the burrito.

Equipment You’ll Need In the Kitchen

1-Quart Saucepan

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Mixing Bowls

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12-Inch Skillet

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• Saucepan: This just needs to be large enough for 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water.
• Mixing Bowl: All the salsa ingredients will get mixed together and set aside until you’re ready to make the burritos.
• Skillet: The chicken and beans get cooked together so a 12-inch skillet is perfect size-wise.

How to Make Mark Bittman’s Chicken Black Bean Burritos

These burritos are so good, that you’ll want to put them on your weekly menu rotation. And, if you love Chipotle, we’re happy to tell you that this is one copycat recipe that is just as good as the restaurant.

Cook the rice

In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water, and about a teaspoon of salt. Heat your stove to medium-high and allow the rice to come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and put a cover on the saucepan. The rice should be constantly bubbling. Allow the rice to cook for about 15-20 minutes until the water level drops below the rice and you can see small holes in the rice percolating.

Note: Do not lift the lid off the saucepan while it cooks as the rice needs steam to be trapped inside to properly cook.

Make the salsa

While the rice is cooking, prep the ingredients for the salsa:

• Tomatoes: Core and chop.
• Onion: Peel and chop roughly the same size as the tomatoes.
• Jalapeno: Remove seeds and membrane, then mince fine.
• Cilantro: Chop 1/2 bunch, or the equivalent to 1/2 cup.

Add all ingredients to a medium bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, juice both limes into the salsa, and stir to combine.

Prep and cook the chicken

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. While the skillet heats, chop the chicken thighs into 1/2 inch bite-size pieces. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the chicken then add the chicken to the skillet. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the chicken pieces are completely white with no pink.

In the meantime, peel and finely mince the garlic and drain the beans (if using canned).

Stir the chicken a few times while cooking to prevent it from over-browning.

Check on the rice

The rice is done when you can tip the pan slightly and see no water. If some water remains, allow the rice to cook until completely dry. Fluff the rice with a fork, turn off the heat, and place the cover back onto the pot until ready to serve.

Toast the spices and cook the beans

When the chicken is almost cooked through, add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, beans, and a small pinch of salt and pepper to the pan and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Periodically stir until the chicken is completely done and the beans warmed through. Remove from heat.

Prepare the tortillas

The quickest and easiest way to prep tortillas is to put them into a microwave for roughly 15 seconds until they are warmed and flexible. If no microwave is available, you can place them in a pan on medium-high heat for a minute or two per side.

Build the burritos

Lay each tortilla onto a plate and spoon some rice on as a foundation. Then add the chicken and bean filling to cover the rice. Add some of the homemade salsa and a spoonful of sour cream. Carefully wrap the tortilla into a burrito and serve with a garnish of cilantro on top.

Pro tip: Be sure to serve these delish burritos alongside toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, more cilantro, lime slices, and Rick Bayless’ Mango Guacamole. Looking for a drink to pair these with? Try refreshing ginger lemonade or agua fresca!

Chicken Black Bean Burrito Variations

Don’t limit yourself to only using chicken here! There are many different fillings you can use for the burritos. Here are a few suggestions.

Carne Asada Burritos: Take a pound of skirt steak that is sliced into pieces and use in place of chicken.

Baja Shrimp Burritos: Replace the chicken with a pound of shrimp (peeled and deveined). Instead of tomatoes, substitute 2 cups of corn (fresh or frozen and thawed). Use white beans instead of black, and add the beans right away when first cooking the shrimp.

Mark Bittman’s Chicken Black Bean Burritos Tips, Tricks, and FAQs

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