[pinit] Let's face it: Taco Bell isn't “real” Mexican food. They do their own thing. But who doesn't want to Live Más? (remember our Gluten Free Taco Bell-Style Chalupas?). These Gluten Free Taco Bell-Style Smothered Burritos are made with the Gluten Free Flour Tortillas from GFOAS Bakes Bread, covered in my favorite Red Enchilada Sauce, and filled with seasoned shredded chicken, amaaaaaazing creamy chipotle sauce, their Latin rice, hearty beans, and covered in cheese sauce and sour cream. You don't seal the burrito, since I'd have a heart attack if you tried to eat this smothered burrito with your hands (knife and fork for a smothered burrito, please!). And that means that you can stuff it with all kinds of amazing Taco Bell-style fillings.
Everything in these burritos (which really are more like their “encheritos” than a burrito, really) is important. You need it all for the full effect. But my absolute favorite part (aside from the best flour tortilla ever in the history of tortillas) is the creamy chipotle sauce. Oh, the sauce. I must remove the seeds from the chipotle in adobo sauce, but honestly? Leave the seeds in if that's how you do things in your house. We're wimps here (all of us except for my husband and son, that is—cliché, but true).
At first glance, with all these ingredients, this may not seem like a weeknight meal. But each and every (simple) part can be made ahead of time—including the flour tortillas. And these days, I always make sure I have some of the red enchilada sauce in my refrigerator. Like, at all times. Even the shredded chicken can be made a couple days in advance. Just let it come to room temperature before you fill your burrito with it. You can even just toss it with some warm red enchilada sauce, and warm it up that way.
Oh, and one more Taco Bell thing before we get down to brass tacks: I'm working on a copycat recipe for Gluten Free Taco Bell-Style Caramel Apple Empanadas. I promise to share it soon!
Gluten Free Taco Bell-Style Smothered Burrito
Ingredients
FOR THE WRAP
1 recipe Gluten Free Flour Tortillas from page 203 of GFOAS Bakes Bread (reprinted here on the blog)
FOR THE SHREDDED CHICKEN
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sugar
FOR THE RED SAUCE
1 recipe Saucy and Smoky Enchilada Sauce
FOR THE CHIPOTLE SAUCE
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
1 chipotle chili in adobo, rinsed and seeds removed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons sugar
FOR THE LATIN RICE
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
2 cups cooked long grain rice (I used brown rice, but Taco Bell uses white rice)
FOR THE BEANS
1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
8 ounces refried beans (I used Amy’s gluten free refried beans)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
FOR SERVING
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup milk
Sour cream
Instructions
Prepare the flour tortillas according to the recipe directions. They can be prepared ahead of time and either wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months, or kept wrapped and at room temperature for up to 8 hours. Set the tortillas aside.
Make the chicken. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the chicken breasts on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or greased aluminum foil. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, tomato paste, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Cover the chicken breasts generously and evenly with the sauce. Place the chicken in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the chicken is opaque throughout (about 15 minutes). Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before shredded it with two forks.
Make the red sauce. While the chicken is baking, make the enchilada sauce according to the recipe directions. Set the sauce aside.
Make the chipotle sauce. Place all of the chipotle sauce ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Set the sauce aside.
Make the Latin rice. In a medium-size bowl, place all of the ingredients except the rice, and whisk to combine well. Add the cooked rice, and mix gently but thoroughly to combine well. Set the rice aside.
Make the beans. Place the black bans, refried beans, sugar and salt in a medium-size bowl, and mix to combine.
Assemble the burritos. For each tortilla, place from one end to another across the center of the tortilla a layer of the beans, followed by a layer of the Latin rice, chipotle sauce, shredded chicken, and a layer of the red sauce. Roll the tortilla with both ends open and place, seam-side down, on a serving plate. Cover generously with the red sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses with the milk over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Drizzle the top of the burrito with the cheese sauce. Drizzle with sour cream, and serve immediately.
Kristy B. says
My favorite thing about the new tortillas is how they bubble in the pan. I want to make excuses to use them all the time because they’re so much fun to make. I used to have such a hard time with gluten free tortillas, because it seemed like every palatable recipe was finicky and delicate and just didn’t quite look like a tortilla after it was cooked. I love that I can pick these up to move them without them breaking, and I love watching them bubble, flipping them and watching them bubble again. It is so exciting.
Mare Masterson says
I used to love Taco Bell, until I moved to Tucson and now know what real Mexican food is! I even have an authentic New Mexican style Mexican restaurant right by my house (which is different than regular Mexican). We also have restaurants that specialize in different regions in Mexico, and one fine dining Mexican restaurant that does not have a printed menu. It is all based on what is at the market that day. We are so lucky here!
However, I will definitely try this recipe because knowing you, Nicole, it is way better than anything Taco Bell serves up!
Nicole Hunn says
Wow, Mare. I’d give up every “fancy” restaurant in New York for a Mexican restaurant that serves what the market bears that day. That sounds amazing!
Mare Masterson says
Yeah…it is my very favorite restaurant in Tucson, period!
Grandma Jeanne says
My family deals with sugar issues. Can I leave it out without reducing flavor?
Nicole Hunn says
There’s really not a lot of sugar in each component, Jeanne, and it does balance out the flavors really well. But feel free to experiment!