High-protein chicken & black bean burrito
A protein-packed burrito with marinated chicken, quinoa and black beans — great for a post-workout dinner or batch-making lunches.
This high-protein burrito stacks marinated chicken, quinoa and black beans into a satisfying, portable meal—perfect for evenings when you want fuel without faff. It’s designed to be batch-made, reheated and still taste great.
Quinoa lifts the protein count and texture while the black beans add fibre and heft. Roll these up for lunches, post-workout dinners or to impress a busy crowd without breaking a sweat.
Ingredients
- 600 g skinless chicken breast
- 150 g plain yoghurt — for the marinade
- 1 lime — juice for the marinade; keep a wedge for serving
- 30 ml olive oil
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml chilli flakes — optional
- 5 ml salt
- 5 ml black pepper
- 150 g quinoa — uncooked, rinsed
- 300 ml water — for cooking quinoa
- 400 g tinned black beans — drained and rinsed
- 150 g tinned sweetcorn — drained
- 1 brown onion — medium, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper — medium, diced
- 2 cloves garlic — one for the marinade, one for the veg
- 60 g baby spinach
- 4 wholewheat tortillas — large
- 80 g reduced-fat mature cheddar — grated
- 75 g Greek-style yoghurt — to dollop on each burrito
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
Equipment
- griddle pan or chargrill pan
- small saucepan
- meat thermometer (optional)
- fine sieve
Instructions
Make the marinade: in a bowl whisk together plain yoghurt, juice of the lime, 1 tbsp olive oil, smoked paprika, ground cumin, chilli flakes, salt, black pepper and one crushed garlic clove.
Coat the skinless chicken breast in the marinade, cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to develop flavour.
While the chicken marinates, rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve, then combine with the water and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.
Drain and rinse the tinned black beans and tinned sweetcorn, then set aside.
Heat a frying pan over a medium-high hob. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and sear the marinated chicken for 6–8 minutes each side until cooked through and well browned.
Transfer the chicken to a board, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes to keep it juicy.
Slice or shred the rested chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
In the same frying pan over a medium hob add the brown onion and red pepper and cook for 5–6 minutes until softened. Add the remaining crushed garlic, smoked paprika and ground cumin and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the tinned black beans, tinned sweetcorn, cooked quinoa, shredded chicken and baby spinach to the pan. Stir through the reduced-fat mature cheddar and cook 2–3 minutes until the spinach wilts and the cheese melts. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Warm the wholewheat tortillas for about 20–30 seconds each side on a dry griddle pan or in a clean frying pan so they become pliable.
To assemble: spoon the filling down the centre of each tortilla, add a dollop of Greek-style yoghurt and scatter with fresh coriander. Fold in the ends and roll tightly. Serve with the reserved lime wedge.
Tips
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes — longer (up to 6 hours) will deepen flavour; avoid marinating overnight in yoghurt as the texture can soften too much.
- Cook the quinoa covered without stirring so it steams properly; if it seems dry before time, add 1–2 tbsp water and continue gently.
- Resting the chicken is essential: it keeps the meat juicy and makes shredding easier.
- To make ahead: assemble unrolled fillings and store in the fridge up to 2 days; warm filling and tortillas separately before assembling to avoid sogginess.
- Freeze cooked filling (without tortillas) in portions for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pan or microwave.
Substitutions
skinless chicken breast → skinless turkey breast, same quantity
Stays closequinoa → brown rice, same weight (adds slightly chewier texture and lower protein)
Noticeably differentreduced-fat mature cheddar → grated vegan cheese, same quantity
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 562
- Calories
- 60 g
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 600 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make these vegetarian?
Yes — replace the chicken with extra beans and 200 g cooked lentils or 200 g firm tofu (crumbled and pan-fried). Protein will remain high but texture changes.
How long will leftovers keep?
Cooked filling will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store tortillas separately and assemble just before eating for best texture.
Can I freeze the assembled burritos?
They can be frozen wrapped tightly, but the tortilla may soften on thawing. For best texture freeze the filling only and warm then assemble.
How do I reduce the carbs?
Use large lettuce leaves or low-carb tortillas instead of wholewheat tortillas; quinoa can be reduced or replaced with extra beans for fibre and protein balance.
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