The last time I tried to make burritos out of ground turkey, it was an absolute failure. The meal was edible, and my roommates were kind enough to not say much, but I certainly was not sneaky enough in my attempt. The flavor was far too bland. The chipotle chiles added a smoky flavor underlying everything, and my favorite Jack’s Special Salsa was the perfect topping. I experimented with an expensive Mexican cheese which was not as exciting as the price would indicate. Next time, I think I’ll spring for the more expensive but certainly more appropriate “melting cheese”.
Photo by Nathan Clendenin
Ingredients:
- 1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (depends on your preference for spiciness), minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 lb. ground turkey (you could easily use beef here)
- 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained
- 2 cups cooked rice
- cheese
- tortillas
- salsa and sour cream (optional)
Procedures:
- Cook the ground beef in a greased frying pan. Add spices, onions, ad bell pepper as it cooks. If necessary, add 1/4 c. water to keep the meat moist.
- Stir in beans, rice, and cheese.
- Roll in flour tortilla.
- (optional step) Top with additional cheese and place in oven set to broil for a few minutes.
- Add salsa and/or sour cream as desired.
Notes:
- One trick to delicious rice: cook in chicken broth. It’s pricey, but it sure does add to the flavor. What I normally do to accommodate the flavor without the price is add a chicken bouillon cube as it cooks in the rice cooker. Small cost, little effort, nearly as good results.
- Things to consider adding:
- Mashed sweet potatoes make a great bean-like addition. Be aware of the fact that you made need to add more spices to accommodate for the blandness of their flavor.
- Chopped eggplant can “beef” up the filling without all the fat and calories of meat. An excellent healthy alternative.
- Where to shop: while none of the ingredients I used are particularly obscure, they’re not necessarily ingredients regularly used by white, middle-class Americans. I’ve found Harris Teeter to be the worst possible place to find good selection in canned Mexican food products, with Kroger not too far behind. A better alternative: consider tracking down a more authentic Mexican grocery. In Durham, my favorite is La Superior. They’ve got excellent produce, a large selection of canned chiles and sauces, fresh corn tortillas, and, of course, meat. If that’s a bit too out of the way for you, I’ve found Food Lion to have a large selection of Mexican food products, most of which are not made by Ortega. :)