Chicken Burrito Scoops

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It’s obvious we love Mexican food. But we can’t just eat tacos and burritos all the time, so we’re always looking for ways to mix things up. That’s why we created mini handheld appetizer versions of a Mexican favorite: Chicken Burrito Scoops.

This recipe stuffs the delicious flavors of our Chicken Burritos Ranchero into fun Tostitos Scoops-shaped tortilla cups for the ultimate party food! If you’ve already got our Salsa-Marinated Chicken and Homemade Ranchero Sauce prepared, our Chicken Burrito Scoops are a super easy appetizer that comes together in only 30 minutes. 

Trust us, if you’ve ever wanted to serve burritos at a party (we have), this is the way to do it.

This recipe is so easy, it only takes five steps! Here’s how to make our Chicken Burrito Scoops:

1. Push warm tortillas into the wells of a muffin pan
2. Fill each tortilla about one-third of the way with refried beans
3. Fill each tortilla almost to the top with shredded Salsa-Marinated Chicken
4. Drizzle each Burrito Scoop with a spoonful of our Homemade Ranchero Sauce
5. Top each Burrito Scoop with a sprinkle of shredded Mexican-blend cheese and bake!

Inspired by our Beef Taco Scoops, this recipe is super versatile which makes it the perfect easy appetizer. You can customize these based on what ingredients you have on hand and end up with a delicious snack no matter what! Here are a few ideas:

• Sub in black beans for refried beans
• Use enchilada sauce, your favorite salsa, or hot sauce instead of ranchero sauce
• Fill the scoops with carnitas, carne asada, seasoned ground beef, or any kind of meat you like
• Change out the Mexican cheese blend for straight mozzarella, cheddar, or jack, or top with queso fresco after baking for a fancier feel

The possibilities are endless! No matter how (or if) you decide to customize these Chicken Burrito Scoops, there are plenty of ways to serve your delicious creation. Bring these to a potluck, feed a crowd during your next game day watch party, or serve them with rice and beans for a fun dinner.

But whatever you do, always serve them with our Homemade Guacamole – you can’t go wrong with a dollop of fresh guac on top of these Burrito Scoops!

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Chicken Burrito Scoops

These fun little scoops pack all the flavors of a delicious burrito into an easy-to-make handheld appetizer.

Servings 12 servings

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

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Equipment

• Muffin pan

Ingredients

• 12 street taco (4-inch) flour tortillas
• ¾ cup refried beans
• ½ cup Salsa-Marinated Chicken* shredded, about 1/2 lb
• ¼ cup Homemade Ranchero Sauce*
• Shredded Mexican-blend cheese for topping

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
• Heat refried beans in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring halfway through, until slightly warmed.* Set aside.
• Place 3 flour tortillas between sheets of dampened paper towels and microwave for 15-20 seconds to soften.*
• Transfer softened tortillas to the muffin pan, gently pressing the tortillas into the wells to form a cup shape.*
• Spoon refried beans into the tortillas, filling each about a third of the way.
• Fill the rest of the tortilla with shredded Salsa-Marinated Chicken, almost to the top.
• Drizzle a spoonful of Homemade Ranchero Sauce over each burrito scoop.
• Repeat steps 3-7 with the remaining tortillas, working in batches.
• Top each burrito scoop with a sprinkle of shredded Mexican-blend cheese before baking.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until tortillas are lightly browned and cheese is golden and bubbly.
• Let cool for at least 2 minutes before removing from the muffin pan.*
• Serve hot with a side of Homemade Guacamole!*

Notes

Salsa-Marinated Chicken: This is our easy recipe for salsa-marinated shredded chicken. We usually make this for burrito or taco night, so it goes great in these Burrito Scoops!

Homemade Ranchero Sauce: We like to make a big batch of ranchero sauce at one time and store it in the freezer for later use in different recipes. Since this recipe only requires about 1/4 cup, we recommend making a large batch of ranchero ahead of time like we do and portioning some out. (Check out these other recipes that use ranchero sauce if you want to make a batch but don’t know what to use it for!)

Refried beans: We recommend heating the refried beans just enough so that you can easily spoon them into the tortillas. They don’t need to be hot, since they’ll warm up plenty when the taco scoops go into the oven.

Softening the tortillas:  Warming up the tortillas just a bit helps make them much easier to shape. Be careful pushing them into the muffin pan because they might get a bit hot. We also recommend working in batches of 3, since you’ll want to shape and fill the burrito scoops while the tortillas are still warm.

Forming the tortilla cups: You really just have to let the tortilla fold in on itself for this step. You should only have to press a bit in the center with a few fingers at a time to get them into shape. Don’t worry if they don’t sit perfectly in the muffin pan at first – once you start filling them, they’ll sink in.

Removing from the pan: The best way to get these out of the pan is with a butter knife. Slide it between the edge of the tortilla and the pan and gently pry each taco scoop out, using your free hand for extra support.

Serving suggestions: Serve these with a side of our Homemade Guacamole, for dipping with tortilla chips – or scooping on top of your Burrito Scoops!

Preparing ahead of time: If you want to make these ahead of time for a party or potluck and need to travel with them, no sweat. Just prepare everything up to step 10 (don’t bake them) and seal the muffin tin tightly with plastic wrap. Once you’re at your destination, remove the plastic wrap and bake as normal!

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Author: Nicole

Calories: 117kcal

Course: Appetizer, Appetizers, Snack, Snacks

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: burrito, cheese, chicken, cinco de mayo, mexican, party

Nutrition

Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 369mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 73IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.

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