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Chicken meal prep burritos are a game-changer for anyone who wants to simplify their weeknight dinners without sacrificing flavor or nutrition. These are packed with 40 grams of protein per serving, and you can reheat them directly from frozen!
Meal prep doesn’t have to be boring or complicated. These veggie-loaded, high protein burritos are the perfect solution for busy people and families looking to eat healthy, save money, and stay on track with their goals. Full of flavor, protein, and nutritious ingredients, these burritos can be made in bulk and stored for quick, delicious meals all week (or month) long.
I’m a condiment girl through and through! When I was coming up with this recipe, I wanted to make the burritos even more flavorful with a dipping sauce. Guacamole, sour cream, and queso are all great options, but I recommend taking a couple minutes to whip up a protein-packed cottage cheese-based crema with fresh cilantro and lime! If you’re a sauce-lover like me, you’re going to want to make extra because it’s great as a salad dressing or as a dip for raw veggies, pretzels, or crackers.
Why This Recipe Works
This healthy chicken burrito recipe is designed with simplicity and versatility in mind, making it a favorite for meal preppers. Here’s why it stands out:
- Balanced Nutrition: Each burrito is packed with protein, fiber, and healthy carbs to keep you full and energized.
- Customizable Ingredients: You can easily swap out or add ingredients to suit your dietary needs or flavor preferences.
- Time-Saving: By prepping a batch of burritos in advance, you save time during busy weekdays without sacrificing a wholesome meal.
- Freezer-Friendly: These burritos freeze beautifully, allowing you to stockpile meals for weeks ahead.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Chicken Burritos Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil – We cook down the veggies in a little olive oil.
- White onion – Adds savory flavor and aroma.
- Red bell pepper – Use any color of bell pepper you like.
- Garlic – Adds a pungent flavor that mellows as it cooks.
- Baby spinach – To get in some greens! You can swap out the baby spinach for any leafy greens you like. Note that sturdier greens (such as kale) will need to cook a bit longer to wilt.
- Shredded rotisserie chicken – Leftover roast chicken is another great option here. You can also use raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs; cut them into bite-sized pieces and cook them for 5 minutes before adding the onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Another option is to use canned, drained chicken breast.
- Chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, Mexican oregano, and black pepper – If you prefer, you can omit these spices and instead use 3 tablespoons of your favorite taco seasoning.
- Salsa verde – Aka green salsa! You can use any type of salsa you like here.
- Fresh cilantro – Adds bright, fresh herby flavor to this burrito filling.
- Fresh lime zest – Bumps up the lime flavor without adding more acidity.
- Tortillas – Use 10-inch soft flour tortillas.
- Monterey Jack cheese – This is a mild cheese that melts well and is readily available. You can swap it out for Oaxaca cheese, queso asadero, cotija, or queso fresco.
High Protein Cilantro Lime Crema Ingredients
- Cottage cheese – I like to use 4% cottage cheese here for rich flavor and creamy texture, but you can use low-fat if you prefer.
- Sour cream – Adds a touch of tanginess, as well as richness and creamy texture. Greek yogurt also works really well here, and will bump up the protein even more.
- Fresh lime juice – This adds a hint of citrusy tartness to wake up the flavors.
- Garlic – For the most robust flavor, use fresh garlic.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper – I know we’re also using fresh garlic, but dried garlic powder is milder and sweeter, and adds another layer of flavor. The other spices help season the crema and make the flavor pop.
- Fresh lime zest – For intense citrusy flavor without the acidity.
- Fresh cilantro – We use cilantro in both the burrito filling and dipping sauce to tie the flavors together. Even though we’re meal prepping, putting just a little bit of extra effort in can make freezer meals feel special!
How to Make Meal Prep Burritos: Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos to guide you through the process. For the recipe video, please see the recipe card below.
1: How to Make Chicken and Veggie Filling For Burritos
Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and red bell pepper, and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and spinach and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in the chicken and spices and cook 1 minute. Stir in the salsa, cilantro, and lime zest, and remove from the heat.
Pro Tip: If you don’t feel like taking the time to assemble burritos, you can eat the filling as a skillet meal. Top it with cheese if desired, and you’re good to go – or good to freeze!
2: How to Roll Burritos (And Toast Them!)
- Lay a flour tortilla out on a flat surface. Place 1/6 of the chicken burrito filling (about 1 cup) across the bottom 1/3 of the tortilla, leaving a little space on all sides so you can fold the tortilla over. Add 1/6 of the shredded cheese on top of the filling.
- Fold both sides of the tortilla over onto itself, then fold the bottom 1/3 up over the filling.
- Continue rolling the tortilla up over the filling.
- As you’re rolling each burrito, after you roll the tortilla over the filling, tuck in the corners of the tortilla, as shown here. This helps roll the burritos as tightly as possible, making sure your filling doesn’t come out.
- You’ll end up with a tightly-rolled burrito that’s perfect for a grab-and-go meal! Repeat until all the burritos are rolled.
- To toast the burritos, preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the rolled burritos and cook until they’re warm throughout and golden on the outside, about 3 to 5 minutes. (Do this in 2 batches if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold all the burritos at the same time.)
3: How to Make High Protein Cilantro Lime Crema
- Add all ingredients (except the cilantro) to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
- Add the cilantro and pulse a couple times to combine.
Storage
After cooling to room temperature, wrap the burritos individually in foil and then put them in a large zip-top plastic bag. Portion out the crema into condiment containers. Store the burritos and crema in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating
If you’re pressed for time, the microwave will work well to reheat burritos in just a couple minutes. However, if you want to re-crisp the outside, there are better reheating methods.
You can reheat them until warm in a skillet on the stovetop over medium to medium-low heat, flipping occasionally. To reheat burritos in the air fryer, preheat it to 350F and heat them wrapped in foil for 8 minutes (flipping once), and then unwrapped for 1 to 2 minutes. In the oven, preheat it to 350F and heat foil-wrapped burritos for 15 minutes (flipping once), and then unwrapped for 2 minutes.
To reheat burritos from frozen, preheat the oven to 350F. Place foil-wrapped burritos in the oven and reheat for 40 to 45 minutes, or until warm throughout.
Pro Tips For Perfect Meal Prep Burritos
- Customize Your Fillings: You aren’t limited to these vegetables, spices, cheese, etc.! Use what you like. You can also add refried beans, black beans, prepared rice, or cooked quinoa.
- Keep it Crisp: To avoid soggy tortillas, let the cooked ingredients cool before assembling your burritos.
- Don’t Overfill: Less is more when it comes to filling burritos. Overstuffed burritos can be hard to roll and prone to falling apart. And make sure to use 10-inch soft flour tortillas here.
Serving Suggestions
With 40 grams of protein, a variety of veggies, and a little under 500 calories per serving, these burritos are a filling grab-and-go meal on their own. But if you want to serve them with side dishes, here are a few delicious options that pair well:
- Leafy green salad
- Pico de Gallo
- Homemade Rice a Roni
- Tortilla chips (pair them with guacamole or cottage cheese queso!)
FAQs
Absolutely! Replace the chicken with roasted vegetables, tofu, or beans for a delicious vegetarian option. Just note that the protein content will change if you swap out the chicken.
To help prevent the tortillas from cracking when you roll the burritos, you can soften the tortillas first. To do so, stack the tortillas layered between damp paper towels, place them on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave them in 20-second intervals until warm. This makes them more pliable and easier to roll.
Yes! Whole wheat, low-carb, or gluten-free tortillas all work well for this recipe. Use whatever fits into your way of eating.
Use a salsa you enjoy eating! Mild, medium, or spicy—it’s up to your taste preferences. I like green salsa here, but red is also delicious.
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Chicken Meal Prep Burritos Recipe
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Ingredients
Chicken Burritos:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large white onion diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1 red bell pepper chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4 large cloves garlic crushed
- 4 cups baby spinach coarsely chopped
- 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken see Notes for chicken options
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder see Notes for spice options
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup salsa verde green salsa
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 3/4 teaspoon fresh lime zest
- 6 10-inch soft flour tortillas
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded
High Protein Cilantro Lime Crema:
- 1 1/4 cups 4% cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 large clove garlic crushed
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon fresh lime zest
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Instructions
For the Chicken Burritos:
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and red bell pepper, and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and spinach and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in the chicken and spices and cook 1 minute. Stir in the salsa, cilantro, and lime zest, and remove from the heat.
- To assemble the burritos, lay a flour tortilla out on a flat surface. Place 1/6 of the chicken burrito filling (about 1 cup) across the bottom 1/3 of the tortilla, leaving a little space on all sides so you can fold the tortilla over. Add 1/6 of the shredded cheese on top of the filling. Fold both sides of the tortilla over onto itself, then fold the bottom 1/3 up over the filling, and roll it up as tightly as possible. (See Notes to soften your tortillas before rolling the burritos.) Repeat until all the burritos are rolled.
- To toast the burritos, preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the rolled burritos and cook until they’re warm throughout and golden on the outside, about 3 to 5 minutes. (Do this in 2 batches if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold all the burritos at the same time.)
For the High Protein Cilantro Lime Crema:
- Add all ingredients (except the cilantro) to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add the cilantro and pulse a couple times to combine.
To Serve:
- Serve the warm chicken burritos with the cilantro lime crema for dipping.
Video
Notes
- Chicken Options: Leftover roast chicken is another great option here. You can also use raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs; cut them into bite-sized pieces and cook them for 5 minutes before adding the onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Another option is to use canned, drained chicken breast.
- Spice Options: If you prefer, you can omit the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, salt, Mexican oregano, and black pepper and instead use 3 tablespoons of your favorite taco seasoning.
- To Soften the Flour Tortillas: To help prevent the tortillas from cracking when you roll the burritos, you can soften the tortillas first. To do so, stack the tortillas layered between damp paper towels, place them on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave them in 20-second intervals until warm.
- Storage: Once they’re cooled to room temperature, wrap the burritos individually in foil and then put them in a large zip-top plastic bag. Portion out the crema into condiment containers. Store the burritos and crema in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: If you’re pressed for time, the microwave will work well to reheat burritos in just a couple minutes. However, if you want to re-crisp the outside, there are better reheating methods.
- You can reheat them until warm in a skillet on the stovetop over medium to medium-low heat, flipping occasionally.
- To reheat burritos in the air fryer, preheat it to 350F and heat them wrapped in foil for 8 minutes (flipping once), and then unwrapped for 1 to 2 minutes.
- To reheat burritos in the oven, preheat it to 350F and heat them wrapped in foil for 15 minutes (flipping once), and then unwrapped for 2 minutes.
- To Reheat From Frozen: Preheat the oven to 350F. Place foil-wrapped burritos in the oven and reheat for 40 to 45 minutes, or until warm throughout.
- Keto Version: Use keto soft tortillas. Or skip the tortillas and eat the filling and cheese as a skillet meal!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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