Pollo Fundido

All lovers of Mexican chimichangas and burritos will go crazy for this easy Pollo Fundido recipe consisting of shredded chicken filling inside a crispy flour tortilla, topped with melted fundido jalapeño cream cheese sauce. 

Serve Pollo Fundido with a side of Mexican Rice, Refried Beans, and Horchata or Tres Leches Cake for a killer authentic Mexican meal!

This Pollo Fundido burrito is a copycat of burritos (also called burros) found at local Mexican restaurants here in Arizona. I like to serve the jalapeño cream sauce over burritos or chimichangas, but you could serve it as a dipping sauce for taquitos, quesadillas, or even on tacos and nachos.

What is Pollo Fundido?

Directly translated, Pollo fundido means “melted chicken” and it’s a popular Mexican dish that consists of a chimichanga or burrito (baked or fried) filled with shredded chicken and a jalapeño cream cheese sauce melted on top. You could also serve fundido sauce directly over chicken, with a side of Mexican rice and beans.

How to make Pollo Fundido:

1. Prepare fundido sauce by adding sauce ingredients to food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Set aside (or make in advance and refrigerate).

2. Mix chicken, salsa, cumin, oregano and 1 cup of cheese. Place a heaping ½ cup or so of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla.

3. Fold the sides of the tortilla in and roll up tightly like a burrito. Add enough oil to a skillet to just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat to medium.

4. Once the oil is hot, pan fry the burritos, turning every 30 seconds or so, until golden on all sides. Place on a paper towel lined baking sheet.

5. Once all burritos are crispy, turn oven to high broil. Remove paper towel from under the burritos and spoon some fundido sauce over each burrito. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Broil for 2-3 minutes until warm and melty.

Serve garnished with green onion.

To bake instead of pan fry, line burritos on a baking sheet, seem side down, and brush the tops lightly with olive oil or cooking spray. Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To make ahead: The sauce can be made a week in advance, stored in the fridge. The chicken filling or the assembled burritos can be stored (before cooking) in the fridge for 2-3 days, depending on the freshness of ingredients. Remove from fridge and continue with the pan-frying or baking steps of the recipe.

To freeze: Assemble the burritos and before pan-frying or baking, place them in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for 3-6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with the pan-frying or baking steps of the recipe. For best results in flavor and texture I don’t suggest freezing the sauce.

Don’t miss my other popular Mexican recipes, like:

Tostadas

Homemade Tamales

Chile Verde

Cheese Enchiladas

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Recipe

5 from 18 votes

Pollo Fundido

Pollo Fundido consists of shredded chicken filling inside a crispy flour tortilla, topped with melted fundido jalapeño cream cheese sauce. 

Print Pin Rate

Author Lauren Allen

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6

Calories 381

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 10 minutes mins

Total 20 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• ▢ 3/4 cup salsa , of your favorite kind
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves , crushed
• ▢ 1 ½ cups shredded cheese , divided
• ▢ 6 burrito size flour tortillas
• ▢ olive oil

Fundido Sauce:

• ▢ 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
• ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream
• ▢ 2-3 Tablespoons canned diced jalapenos , to taste
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons milk
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

 

• Prepare fundido sauce by adding all sauce ingredients to food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Set aside (or make in advance and refrigerate).
• Mix chicken, salsa, cumin, oregano and 1 cup of cheese. Place a heaping ½ cup or so of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Fold the sides of the tortilla in and roll up tightly like a burrito.
• Add enough oil to a skillet to just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat to medium. Once the oil is hot, pan fry the burritos, turning every 30 seconds or so, until golden on all sides. Place on a paper towel lined baking sheet.
• Once all burritos are crispy, turn oven to high broil. Remove paper towel from under the burritos and spoon some fundido sauce over each burrito. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.
• Broil for 2-3 minutes until warm and melty. Serve garnished with green onion.
• To bake instead of pan fry, line burritos on a baking sheet, seem side down, and brush the tops lightly with olive oil or cooking spray. Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Notes

Make ahead Instructions: The sauce can be made a week in advance, stored in the fridge. The chicken filling or the assembled burritos can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, depending on the freshness of ingredients. 

Freezing Instructions: Assemble the burritos and before pan-frying or baking, place them in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for 3-6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with the pan-frying or baking steps of the recipe. For best results in flavor and texture I don't suggest freezing the sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 381kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 30gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 886mgPotassium: 392mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 684IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 242mgIron: 3mg

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