Crisp Chicken Burrito (Taco Time Copycat)
Posted: November 2, 2025
Updated: January 18, 2026
Instinct Level 4 – Advanced Technique: Patience and precision shine here: complex steps, longer time, sharper skills required.
Instinct Level 3 – Intermediate Balance: A little layering, some timing, and a dash of judgment — you’ve got this.
Instinct Level 5 – Expert Challenge: Multi‑stage, high‑skill cooking with nuanced judgment — a true kitchen adventure.
Instinct Level 2 – Easy with Guidance: Simple skills, short prep, clear steps — just follow along and you’re golden.
Instinct Level 1 – Beginner Friendly: You’ll breeze through this: quick, easy, no judgment calls, barely any cleanup.
This recipe is inspired by Taco Time’s crispy chicken burrito with moist, creamy pulled chicken subtly flavored by chiles encased by a crispy tortilla. Taco Time is a modest fast Tex-Mex restaurant that is famous in the Northwest for their crispy burritos which are more actually more like taquitos or flautas, but I stuck with the original name. If you want the full Taco Time experience, these are great with Mexi-Tots. These can be enjoyed as-is or topped with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and other toppings. These burritos can be made with leftover chicken, frozen, or made ahead and reheated – I swear they are more delicious the next day!
servings (1 burrito per serving)
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Dry Brine Time: 1 to 10 hours
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time - Chicken: 15 minutes
Cook Time – Burritos: 10 minutes (shallow fry) or 20 minutes (oven / air fryer)
Total Time (excluding brine time): 55 minutes
Equipment
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Ingredients
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Quantity
Mise en Place / Notes
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Chicken
Item
Quantity
| boneless skinless chicken breasts | 3 |
thighs may also be used |
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| Mexican seasoning | 2 | tablespoons | |
| still (tap) water | 2 | cups | |
| oil | 2 | tablespoons | |
| chicken bouillon powder | 2 | teaspoons |
Burrito
Item
Quantity
| 8-inch flour tortillas | 6 | tortillas | |
| cream cheese | 4 | ounces |
softened |
| chicken broth | ¼ | cup |
reserved from cooking the chicken |
| green enchilada sauce or salsa verdes | 4 | tablespoons | |
| fire-roasted diced green chiles | 1 | 4-ounce can | |
| cheddar cheese (optional) | ½ | cup |
shredded |
| additional kosher salt, pepper, and/or Mexican seasoning | to taste | ||
| vegetable oil | 1 | cup |
for shallow frying (not required if just using oven/air fryer) |
The Process
Morning or the Night Before (optional, but highly recommended)
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1.
To dry brine the chicken, remove the chicken from its packaging and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Liberally sprinkle the salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken, use more salt if needed/desired based on the size of the chicken thighs. Place in the refrigerator uncovered.
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Cook the Chicken
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If dry-brined in advance, remove the chicken from the refrigerator to get to temperature approximately 1 hour prior to cooking. If brining now, remove chicken (1 hour before cooking) and season with the salt and pepper according to the directions above.
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Heat a medium or large skillet (nonstick, cast iron, or stainless steel are fine) on the stove top on medium heat. Once the pan is heated, add approximately 2 tablespoons of oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan).
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Once the oil is shimmering, place the chicken in the pan and leave alone until the bottoms are browned (about 5 minutes). The chicken should not be touching one another, if possible.
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Once the chicken is browned, use tongs to flip and let brown a bit more on the other side for about 3 minutes. Add about 2 cups of water to the pan, enough to cover the chicken about ¾ of the way up (be careful as the water may splash a bit) and sprinkle the water with the chicken broth powder.
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6.
Place a lid on the pan and let the chicken cook in the liquid for about 10 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken is 155°F to 165°F (remember, the chicken will continue to cook once out of the pan and so the lower temperature is ideal to prevent the chicken from drying out). Once the chicken is to temperature, pull out of the pan and put into a large mixing bowl.Reserve the liquid in a separate bowl.
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Prepare - Burritos
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Preheat the oven or air fryer at 425°F, unless you are only shallow frying.
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Drain any excess liquid from the chicken. Shred the chicken by using beaters, two forks, or your hands. The chicken does not have to be shredded all the way since there can still be chunks that will be shredded when stirred with the mix-ins.
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In the bowl with the chicken, add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese (if using), chicken broth, enchilada sauce, chiles, and spices (if using). Mix with beaters or a spatula until the additions are fully incorporated and the chicken is shredded enough to your taste. Taste the mixture and add additional cream cheese, cheddar cheese, broth, sauce, chiles, salt or spices to taste.
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In each tortilla, spread a line of about ½ cup of the chicken mixture along one side of the tortilla about ⅓ of the way in. Roll the burrito to close leaving ends open. Set aside on a plate or sheet pan (seam side down) and repeat the process until the chicken mixture is depleted.
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Shallow Frying
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In the same skillet used to cook the chicken, pour in enough vegetable oil to fill ½ to 1 inch up the pan and heat to 325°F. Once the temperature is reached, use tongs or a spatula to carefully place the burrito in the pan seam-side down in the oil - you should immediately hear sizzling when the burrito touches the oil (it's okay to remove the burrito and wait, if necessary). Add additional burritos ensuring that the burritos are not touching. Frying in batches is okay.
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12.
Once the seam sides are browned, roll or flip the burritos and brown on all sides.
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13.
Remove from the pan and place on a rack or paper towel lined plate to drain oil.
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Air Frying / Oven Method
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14.
Spray each burrito on all sides with nonstick cooking spray or oil. Place each burrito on the sheet pan or rack seam-side down and cook in the air fryer or oven until browned (about 20 minutes). Remove from the oven/air fryer and let cool.
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Hybrid Method
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15.
In the same skillet used to cook the chicken, pour in enough vegetable oil to fill ½ to 1 inch up the pan and heat to 325°F. Once the temperature is reached, use tongs or a spatula to carefully place the burrito in the pan seam-side down in the oil. Add additional burritos ensuring that the burritos are not touching. Frying in batches is okay.
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16.
Once the seam sides are browned, roll or flip the burritos and brown on all sides. Place on air fryer rack or rack on a sheet pan. Heat in the air fryer or oven for 10 minutes until the filling is warmed through. Remove from oven.
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Serve
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17.
Allow burritos to cool. Can be eaten alone with your hands. Alternatively, serve on a plate with toppings such as guacamole, cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, salsa, more enchilada sauce, jalapeños, olives, onions, hot sauce, green chile sauce, cilantro lime crema, the list is endless…
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Notes
Additional Tips
If you are having trouble with the burritos staying closed - mix equal parts all-purpose flour and water to make a paste and brush onto the inside edges to "glue" the edges to the burrito.
If the tortillas are prone to ripping while rolling, heating tortillas for 10 to 15 seconds will increase the pliability (you can do this in the microwave, the oven, or a pan).
To help ensure crispiness, lightly brush or spray oil on the tortilla (use the oiled side on the outside) before rolling. Alternatively, you could also fry the tortilla on each side for 10 to 15 seconds in the hot oil before rolling then allow to cool slightly.
FAQs
Cost
6 servings
| Ingredient | Per Serving | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| chicken (breasts) | $ | 0.99 | $ | 5.97 | |
| Mexican seasoning | 0.14 | 0.82 | |||
| oil | 0.05 | 0.30 | |||
| chicken bouillon | 0.03 | 0.16 | |||
| tortillas | 0.25 | 1.50 | |||
| cream cheese | 0.40 | 2.40 | |||
| broth (chicken) | 0.02 | 0.13 | |||
| green enchilada sauce | 0.10 | 0.60 | |||
| diced green chiles (canned) | 0.08 | 0.50 | |||
| cheese (cheddar) | 0.04 | 0.25 | |||
| oil | 0.02 | 0.15 | |||
| Total | $ | 2.13 | $ | 12.78 |
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Nutrition Facts
serving size: servings (1 burrito per serving)
| calories | 361 |
% daily value*
| total fat | 19.8 g | 25% |
| saturated fat | 6.7 g | 33% |
| trans fat | 0.4 g | 0% |
| polyunsaturated fat | 2.0 g | 0% |
| monounsaturated fat | 5.2 g | 0% |
| cholesterol | 59.9 mg | 20% |
| sodium | 1085.7 mg | 47% |
| total carbohydrates | 29.0 g | 11% |
| dietary fiber | 2.3 g | 8% |
| sugars | 0.0 g | 0% |
| protein | 19.6 g | 39% |
micronutrients
| vitamin a | 471.3 mcg | 52% |
| vitamin c | 8.5 mg | 9% |
| calcium | 115.2 mg | 9% |
| iron | 2.6 mg | 15% |
| vitamin d | 4.9 mcg | 25% |
| magnesium | 39.9 mg | 10% |
| potassium | 310.2 mg | 7% |
| zinc | 1.1 mg | 10% |
| phosphorus | 220.2 mg | 18% |
| thiamin (b1) | 0.3 mg | 21% |
| riboflavin (b2) | 0.2 mg | 17% |
| niacin (b3) | 6.1 mg | 38% |
| vitamin b6 | 0.5 mg | 32% |
| folic acid (b9) | 55.0 mcg | 14% |
| vitamin b12 | 0.2 mcg | 10% |
| vitamin e | 2.3 mg | 15% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet; your needs may differ.
Nutrition information is estimated using USDA databases and may vary based on ingredient brands and preparation methods.
The 2,000-calorie reference is used as a general guide. Individual calorie needs typically range from 1,600-2,400 calories per day for adult women and 2,000-3,000 calories per day for adult men, depending on age, activity level, and other factors.
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