Chicken tortilla rolls
Posted on 11. Jul, 2010 by catherine in Appetizers, Main Dishes
This recipe was born from frequent trips to the local Chicken Crazy (translate that into Espanol). One of my favorite snacks from this place has simply a tortilla, chicken and cheese. And a very delicious dipping sauce that I will one day master making at home.
But my favorite snack runs about $2. Not terribly expensive, but for the money I can do so much more at home. The restaurant version also contains dark chicken meat. I like to have lean meats when I cannot tell the difference. When cooked properly, white meat chicken tastes as delectable as dark meat. With much less saturated fat.
I am putting this recipe out there for two reasons: first, to show you a simple, yummy snack, and second, to help you see that the best recipe ideas can come from our favorite restaurants. Your concoction may not taste exactly the same, but it could possible taste better. You also can control the amount of fat, salt, and sugar, or even the kinds of ingredients (organic, sustainable, antibiotic-free, whatever your goals).
Enjoy! While you’re at it, send me your best recipe for a creamy cilantro dipping sauce. I promise to give you full credit if I post it!
Chicken Tortilla Rolls
makes one dozen
- 3 chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 pounds), cut into bite-sized pieces
- seasoning salt and lime juice
- 6 oz. of cheese, maybe more, maybe less
- 1 dozen tortillas
Directions: marinate the chicken pieces in the appropriate lime juice and seasoning salt. Cook chicken and set aside. If you are short on time, shred a rotisserie chicken from the store and sprinkle a little lime juice on it.
I like to shred the chicken even more so the pieces are more manageable. Now it’s ready to roll!
Sprinkle a thin line of chicken and cheese in the center of each tortilla and roll up.
Heat up griddle pan over medium low heat. In small batches, place the rolls on the pan and press down. I like to live on the edge and use my hand…
…but feel free to use a large spatula, especially after you turn the rolls over.
The goal here is to get a nice crispy edge on the tortilla. We also want to melt the cheese inside, hence the low heat. I have used higher heat before; I still get a crispy edge, but the cheese does not melt completely.
Adjust the proportions for more/less cheese. I have a few people in my house who do not like chicken (the horror!) so you can make this with cheese or chicken only. Have fun experimenting with the cheese! I love this with a cheddar/monterey jack mix, but whatever you have on hand will work great.
Happy eating, you crazy chicken!
El Pollo Loco Lover
Jul 12th, 2010
These wraps taste better than the wraps I usually eat at El Pollo Loco.
I also noticed that these taste even better the second day as the seasonings maranate deeper into the chicken.
Thank you for a delicious alternative to eating out.