Chicken asada burritos

No rice or beans! Uses a marinade, creamy avocado crema for moisture and cheese. Use chicken thighs which stay much more tender than breast meat. You can lose the cilantro if you happen to have the soap gene.

Don't forget the flour tortillas, home made or store-bought.

Yield

4 large burritos.

Ingredients

1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp orange juice (secret to tender, authentic asada flavor)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
 
Avocado crema (for moisture)
1 ripe avocado
½ cup sour cream (or Mexican crema)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
1 tbsp lime juice
¼ tsp garlic powder
— salt to taste

Preparation

  1. Marinate the chicken
    1. Whisk the lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl.
    2. Poke the chicken thighs a few times with a fork to help the marinade penetrate.
    3. Coat the chicken thoroughly in the mixture.
    4. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
    2.  
  2. Blend the avocado crema
    1. Place all crema ingredients into a blender or food processor.
    2. Blend until completely smooth and creamy; set aside in refrigerator.
    3.  
  3. Cook the chicken (tender)
    1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Do not use high heat to avoid crispy edges.
    2. Add the chicken thighs and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes per side.
    3. Check that the internal temperature reaches 165°.
    4. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes to lock in the juices.
    5. Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
    4.  
  4. Assemble and warm
    1. Warm the flour tortillas in a dry skillet for 15 seconds per side to make them pliable.
    2. Lay a tortilla flat and spread a generous spoonful of avocado crema down the center.
    3. Add a handful of shredded cheese.
    4. Pile on the tender diced chicken.
    5. Fold in the sides and roll tightly from the bottom up (see tips below).

Tricks

Make fresh tortillas or warm store-bought ones for 15 seconds in microwave to avoid cracking and ripping them.

To roll filling in the tortilla, ...

  1. orient it in "diamond shape"
  2. position ingredients just below the center line in a neat log
  3. leave 2" empty on left, right and bottom
  4. fold sides inward over the filling
  5. use thumbs to grab the bottom corner and flip it up and over the filling holding sides with index fingers
  6. pull the burrito back toward you using fingers to gather and tuck the part covering the filling tightly underneath the filling
  7. keep the tension tight and roll forward to finish; slightly wet the remaining surface of the tortilla that's about to touch itself
  8. press to seal

To melt the cheese inside without ruining the tortilla (drying it out or browning it), having assembled the burrito...

  1. wrap tightly in aluminum foil
  2. place into a skillet over very low head covered with a lid
  3. rest for 2 or 3 minutes per side
  4. do multiple burritos at a time
  5. the foil traps moisture and steams the tortilla soft while melting the cheese
  6. or wrap in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave 30-45 seconds