A layer of chicken made “green” with tomatillos, cilantro and jalapeño – a layer of Monterey jack cheese and sour cream – and a layer of red Spanish rice made with leftover salsa make up the 3 color layers of the Mexican Flag into an excellent burrito.

Green Chicken
About 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken
Zest and juice of 2 limes
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 bundle cilantro, chopped
1-2 small jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced (more or less depending on your preference)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tomatillos, diced
2 Tbs vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Put the chicken in a large pot and cover with water, and salt lightly. Simmer until fully cooked. Remove chicken from water, reserving the liquid in a small bowl.

Slice chicken and set it aside. Place 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the bottom of your pan over medium high heat. Add onion, tomatillo and jalapeno then liberally salt and pepper the mixture. Cook about 5 minutes or until onions begin to soften. Add chicken back in and mix in the remainder of the ingredients. Return reserved water to pan, then add enough water to almost cover the chicken & tomatillos. Turn heat to medium high, stir occasionally, and allow all the excess liquid to cook off. Using a spatula or potato masher, mash ingredients at the end to completely break down the chicken and tomatillos to a shredded state. Salt and pepper to taste.

This chicken can be made in the crock pot, but the chicken must be cooked before placing it into the pot with the tomatillos and other ingredients.

Spanish Rice
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1/2 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups leftover salsa (I used my Mango Salsa recipe)
1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups water or chicken stock
3 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dark chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

In a large pot, heat oil, onions and garlic over medium high heat. When onions begin to brown, add in uncooked rice. Allow rice to cook in the oil, stirring frequently, until the rice begins to brown. After rice is brown, add in all other ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover tightly with a lid and allow to simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is fully cooked.

Assemble your burritos in layers – first your green chicken, then sour cream and cheese, then Spanish rice. You have a Mexican Flag Burrito!

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Have a wonderful day!
-Amelia