David Burtka’s Cheesy Chicken & Bean Enchiladas
with Tomato Rice, Pico de Gallo & Lime Crema
- Milk
- Wheat
- Soy
Professional chef David’s enchilada recipe starts by wrapping tortillas around a filling of spiced chicken, bell pepper, and black beans, then coating the bundles with zesty sauce and a sprinkle of Mexican cheese. They’re baked until piping hot and bubbly, then served with lime crema and pico de gallo over tomato rice for a filling finish. Saucy, smothered, hearty, and delicious—it’s everything husband Neil Patrick Harris’ heart (and stomach) desires!
Ingredients
3 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Red Onion
10 ounce
Chopped Chicken Breast
1 unit
Tomato Paste
1 unit
Long Green Pepper
1 clove
Garlic
1 unit
Black Beans
1 unit
Tomato
1 unit
Lime
6 unit
Flour Tortillas
(Contains: Wheat, Soy)
1 tablespoon
Mexican Spice Blend
¾ cup
Jasmine Rice
1 tablespoon
Southwest Spice Blend
¼ ounce
Cilantro
½ cup
Mexican Cheese Blend
(Contains: Milk)
10 ounce
Mild Red Enchilada Sauce
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 475 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Peel and mince or grate garlic. Halve, peel, and finely dice onion; reserve 2 TBSP (4 TBSP for 4 servings) in a small bowl for step 5. Core, deseed, and dice green pepper into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Drain and rinse beans. Finely dice tomato. Roughly chop cilantro. Quarter lime.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and 2 TBSP remaining onion (4 TBSP for 4 servings); cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and onion is translucent, 1-3 minutes. Stir in rice and half the tomato paste (all for 4); cook, stirring, until rice is evenly coated, 30-60 seconds more. • Stir in 1 1⁄4 cups water, 1 tsp Southwest Spice Blend, and 1 tsp salt (use 2 1⁄4 cups water, 2 tsp Southwest Spice Blend, and 2 tsp salt for 4). Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• Pat chicken* dry with paper towels and season all over with Mexican Spice Blend, salt, and pepper. Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and almost cooked through, 2-3 minutes. • Add green pepper and remaining onion; cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. • Add half the beans (all for 4 servings), half the Mexican cheese blend, remaining Southwest Spice Blend, and 1⁄2 cup water (3⁄4 cup for 4). Cook, stirring, until filling has thickened and chicken is cooked through, 2-4 minutes more. Remove from heat; taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, 30 seconds. • Place a small amount of filling on one half of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, starting with filled sides, to create enchiladas. Place, seam sides down, in an 8-by-11-inch baking dish or large ovenproof pan. (For 4 servings, use a 9-by-13-inch dish or two smaller ones.) • Pour enchilada sauce over enchiladas to thoroughly coat. (You might not need all the sauce.) Top with remaining Mexican cheese blend. Bake on top rack until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts, 6-8 minutes.
• While enchiladas bake, stir tomato, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice to taste into bowl with reserved onion; season with salt and pepper. • In a second small bowl, combine sour cream with a squeeze of lime juice to taste. Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
• Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) until melted. • Top enchiladas with lime crema and as much pico de gallo as you like. Divide rice between plates. (TIP: Spoon some pico on top of your rice for an extra hit of tomato.) Serve enchiladas directly from baking dish with remaining lime wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many enjoyed the tasty enchiladas, though some found the dish bland and wished for more spice or cheese.
- Ease of prep: Several noted it was time-consuming with many steps; some felt it wasn't worth the extra effort.
- Suggestions: Consider using corn tortillas for better texture; add extra cheese and spices to boost flavor 🌶️.
- Leftovers: Generous portions provided satisfying leftovers for many, stretching to multiple meals.
- Rice: Some found the rice bland or undercooked; try adding more seasoning or adjusting cooking time.
Reviews from our home cooks
The taste is great. The rice was real close to true Spanish rice. The enchiladas were very tasty. I am a great believer in mise en place and always try to do my prep work ahead. I am glad I did as it was fairly time consuming. I don't like to rush when I am cooking a meal. Only change I made was my usual addition of a little minced jalapeno in the salsa and additional cheese on top before baking. We like cheese and jalapeno.
Very flavorful. One issue with the recipe/instructions. It says to save 2 TBSP of diced onion for rice. Then says use remaining onion when combining with chicken. Later it says to add 2 TBSP to the pico, however there's none left because it says to add all remaining in a previous step
The enchiladas were great. The rice was a bit much - so we skipped it for dinner and made it with another meal later on. The spice on the chicken was just right.
Loved the Pico de Gallo and Lime crema. The dish needs a little more spice in the rice, it was VERY mild.
This dish was delicious! I usually make more of a lasagna style enchilada, so rolling them was a little tricky for me. But all in all, will make again
Ingredients listing, Jasmine Rice listed isn't amount given; Step 2 does not list the amount of rice needed from what was provided. Step 3 doesn't list how much chicken, nor that it should be cut up? It was super delicious! But updating the recipe card will make easier for novice cook, thanks!
Two suggestions: Save all the cheese for the topping. There was too little. Pour some enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish first to keep the tortillas from sticking.
This wasn't bad, but I was a little disappointed by the Old El Paso enchilada sauce. I had hoped for something a little more authentic, but still delicious!
Good dish, but rather complicated to make. I might have suggested adding the other half of the black beans to the rice just so they aren't wasted. Plus it would have made the dish healthier.
Flavours were great...WAY TOO MUCH FOOD FOR 2 PEOPLE!!! This was enough for 4 people with 1.5 enchiladas w/ rice & toppings ea!
