This Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito is a Taco Bell copycat that is crazy easy to make at home. Loaded with flavorful chipotle ranch, juicy tomatoes, and smoky grilled chicken you may never hit that Tbell drive through again!
Growing up in California, we had Mexican food weekly. Also growing up in California means we spent a lot of time driving between sports games, grocery store trips, and just the general massive size of the state. With all this driving, we frequented drive-throughs and Taco Bell was a favorite.
They had and still have this Chipotle Ranch Burrito on their menu that was my go-to and still is! Hence, where this recipe came from. Our recipe has the same toasty grilled flavor, spicy chipotle sauce, and creamy avocado taste as the original. I even made the comment that our house smelled like Tbell after making it! So if you too want your house to smell like Taco Bell, I highly encourage you to make this delicious Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitutes unless otherwise noted.
Grilled Chicken: The grilled chicken is key for this burrito! You can do this on the actual grill or use a griddle on the stovetop. We prefer to use tenderloins when cooking.
Substitutions: If you don’t feel like grilling chicken, you can use any plain chicken. This can be leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, boiled, oven-baked, or pan-fried chicken. You can also use 2 chicken breasts in place of chicken tenderloins or leave the chicken out for a fiesta veggie burrito.
Burrito Size Tortillas: This recipe makes two full-size burritos with large tortillas. We prefer to use flour tortillas because they bend better and are true to the original version.
Substitutions: You can use any size tortilla. You can also use grain-free or corn. For an easy gluten-free take, swap out the tortillas for Mexican rice or white rice to make chicken burrito bowls.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes add a wonderfully bright burst of flavor to these rich burritos.
Substitutions: Any kind of tomatoes will work. We always have cherry tomatoes on hand so we typically use those. You can also use salsa if you do not have tomatoes.
Flamethrower Sauce (Chipotle Ranch): We use our fan-favorite Flamethrower sauce for this burrito. This creamy chipotle sauce is a combination of chipotle peppers, ranch seasoning, and Greek yogurt for a burst of flavor.
Substitutions: If you don’t want to make your own spicy flamethrower sauce, then store-bought chipotle mayo or chipotle ranch is a good substitute.
Avocado: Of course, we need some creaminess to cut through the spice of the chipotle sauce!
Substitutions: Feel free to use frozen avocados or any avocado sauce.
Shredded Lettuce: For crunch!
Substitutions: You can use any kind of leafy lettuce. This can be butter lettuce, romaine, or iceberg lettuce.
Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar cheese is awesome for this cheesy chipotle chicken burrito because you can use less cheese and get more cheese flavor.
Substitutions: Pepper jack cheese, white cheddar, Colby jack cheese, or a Mexican blend of cheddar will work in place of the cheddar.
Fiesta Strips: These are typically put on salads as a crunchy topping but they're just tortilla chip strips. They are great for adding crunch to these chipotle ranch burritos!
Substitutions: Crushed tortilla chips will work in place of Fiesta Strips.
Add-Ins and Toppings: If you want to amp up this burrito, try adding black beans, a squeeze of lime juice, or some brown rice. For toppings, try using fresh cilantro, pico de gallo, or reduced-fat sour cream.
Recipe Testing Notes
Throughout our testing of this Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito, we learned some key things that worked and didn't work. Here are the key takeaways!
Use cheese to seal your burrito: We love to toast or grill these burritos after assembly for extra flavor but it can be hard to keep it together. To seal the burrito, sprinkle a small amount of cheese under the warm flour tortilla seam and toast or grill seam side down first. As the cheese melts, it will act as glue for the tortillas.
Use leftover chicken: If you are in a rush, utilize leftover, frozen, or rotisserie chicken. This can be chicken leftovers from a salad, frozen chicken tenders, or frozen grilled chicken.
How to Make this - Step by Step
Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom for the full recipe card for this mushroom quiche recipe.
Step one: Prep
Make the flamethrower sauce by using this recipe. Grill and chop the chicken as needed or chop leftover chicken.
Step two: Mix the Filling
Mix everything in a large bowl and make sure it's all covered in sauce.
Step three: Heat and Fill
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat or turn the grill on while you assemble the burrito. Add half of the filling to each tortilla and gently fold in two opposite sides and roll the burrito closed. Keep it seam-side down until ready to toast.
Step four: Toast
Place a small amount of cheese under the seams and place the burritos seam-side down on the pan or on the grill. You shouldn't need any non-stick spray or olive oil for this. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Watch How to Make This - Step by Step
Joy Tip!
Chop everything small! When making burritos or wraps ensure you're cutting all the ingredients small enough to be bite-sized. This should be no larger than ½” x ½”.
Common Questions
Well, because it has chipotle in it! Chipotle’s smoky flavor is enhanced by grilling the chicken and toasting this burrito. All these components together make for an amazingly tasty burrito!
Yes! Both the flour tortilla and tortilla strips have gluten in them. However, if you use a gluten-free tortilla (or rice) and corn tortilla chips, this burrito will be gluten-free!
Want to Save It For Later? Here's How!
If you want to make this burrito for meal prep or have leftovers, here are some tricks to keep it fresh all week.
Fridge: If you are planning to have leftovers, I recommend leaving the sauce out of the burrito until ready to eat. This will keep the tortilla from getting soggy. If you have already made the burrito, simply wrap it in foil and then store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheating: You can eat these cold or reheat them in the microwave for one minute.
Fun Fact
Chipotles don't grow on trees or bushes, they're not even a type of pepper! Chipotles are smoked and overripe red jalapenos. The overripe, shriveled jalapeños are picked to be smoked into chipotles. It takes about 10 jalapeños to make one pound of chipotle powder. (Source)
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Did you try this and love it? Leave us a review, we would love to hear from you!
Recipe
Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken grilled & diced - approximately 4 tenderloins or 2 breasts*
- 2 each burrito tortillas
- ⅓ cup tomatoes diced
- 4 tablespoon flamethrower sauce or chipotle ranch**
- ½ each avocado diced, approximately ⅓ of a cup diced
- ⅔ cup shredded lettuce
- ⅓ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup fiesta strips or tortilla chips crushed
Instructions
- Grill chicken as desired, dice and set aside. You can also use leftover or rotisserie chicken - whatever is easiest for you! Make the flamethrower sauce using the linked recipe. Dice all other ingredients while the chicken cooks.
- Add everything except the tortillas to a large bowl and mix well, ensuring everything is coated in the sauce.
- Heat a pan over medium heat with a little oil. Place half of the mixture in each tortilla. Fold opposite sides in and roll the tortilla around the filling tightly. It’s helpful to keep them seam side down to keep them from unrolling.
- When the pan is hot, place a little bit of cheese in the inside of the tortilla seam. Then gently transfer to the hot pan, seam side down. This will keep the burrito from falling apart. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown on each side. You can also gently press the top of the burrito to flatten it, making it easier to eat.
Ben says
This beats tbells.