Slow Cooker Smothered Chicken Burritos

While I tend to take issue with slow-cooker recipes that also involve the stove or oven, I love this one both for the convenience and for the flavor that the slow-cooker gives the chicken. The stove and oven portion of this recipe take just a few minutes and it's well worth the effort. To make it even easier, the chicken can be cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before making the burritos.

COOK'S NOTE: Nothing beats freshly shredded cheese in this recipe. You'll need about 16-ounces of pepper jack cheese and it will only take a few minutes to grate it. Chicken breasts will also work for this recipe. Frozen chicken works fine, just add a couple hours to the cooking time for the chicken.

Slow Cooker Smothered Chicken Burritos
Yield: 6 servings

Chicken filling ingredients:
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Burrito ingredients:
6-8 flour tortillas, or 12-16 corn tortillas
3/4 cup chopped roasted green chile, or (1) 10-ounce can
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
2-3 tablespoons light flavored olive oil

Sauce ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose or brown rice flour
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover with lid and cook on low for 3-4 hours. When the chicken can be easily pulled apart, shred it and toss it in the juices in the crockpot.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl, add 1 cup of shredded cheese, and the green chile. Stir to combine. Scoop the chicken mixture into the tortillas, about 3/4 cup of filling fits nicely in each flour tortilla. (About 1/3 cup of filling fits easily in the smaller corn tortillas.) Roll them up and place them snugly into a baking pan. Brush with olive oil. Bake 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy.

While the burritos are in the oven, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, whisking and simmering until thickened.

Remove from the heat. Add the sour cream and the remaining cheese, whisking until smooth again. Pour the sauce over the crispy burritos. Enjoy!