Creamy Braised Chicken Burritos with Pickled Corn Salsa
I hope you don’t mind if I keep this post brief. You see currently sitting in the sun, body tired after an afternoon in the pool with the kids. The wind softens the sun’s heat and moves my hair just enough to tickle my cheeks. The palm branches nearby sound like faint clapping as the breeze whips through their leaves. I’ll take their clapping as an assurance that we’re currently winning at life. It’s nearly beer-thirty and then shortly after that we’ll ignite the grill for our fish tacos. If you now want to punch me in the face I totally get it. But wait, wait, wait, before you go and leave me here alone I am taking a brief pause in our sunny vacation to tell you about burritos; Creamy braised chicken burritos with a punchy pickled corn salsa.
These have quickly become a family favorite for a couple of reasons. For me I love their ease and the ability to cook something once and have the leftovers make up an entirely new meal the next day. (Chicken and Rice bowls!). The kids love it because it is one of those dinners where the table is littered with plates and they are given the freedom to add to their burrito whatever they desire. They are particularly fond of those custom meals and I am too because I hear far less grumbling. And the third reason is always the most important to me – they simply taste delicious. I know as a food writer I am pretty much banned from using that word in abundance but sometimes it is called for and here, I will argue, it is needed.
I like a simple burrito with just the chicken, salsa, and a good bit of spinach or other greens but it’s nice to have rice and beans as an option as well and then, like I said, you are set with tomorrow’s dinner of rice bowls.
Creamy Braised Chicken Burritos with Pickled Corn Salsa
Prep
Cook
Total
Author Ashley Rodriguez
Yield 4-6 Serving
Ingredients
Braised Chicken:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion sliced
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 peppers sliced
2 teaspoons salt
3 chicken breasts, about 3 pounds
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup cream cheese
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Salsa:
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice and zest from 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Instructions
Saute the onions, garlic and peppers in olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add chicken, salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, dill, chives, cream cheese and the zest and juice of 1 lime. Give the whole pot a few stirs then cover and braise in a 400°F oven for 45 – 60 minutes. Peer into the pot and give it a good stir every once in awhile.
Using two forks shred the chicken and let it linger in its sauce.
Make the corn salsa while the chicken braises.
Mix together corn, jalapeño, cilantro, red onion, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lime, cumin seeds and salt. Let this sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Serve the burritos with beans, rice, greens, cilantro and avocado.
Courses Dinner