The smaller the piece the quicker it cooks and the more likely it is to dry out.

Agree with Veda. I would marinade in oil and seasoning and some citrus for an hour and then saute' them whole then shred or slice on the bias after resting.

For burritos I like to cut the chicken into smaller chunks and coat with fajita seasoning before cooking them in the skillet. A little Pam or EVOO on the bottom of hot cast iron skillet with the gas/heat on high, spread the chicken out evenly and wait for the sizzle to die down, flip with metal spatula once a nice brown sear is achieved on the first side. Once sizzle dies down again I splash in a couple ounces of water to bring the carmelization off the bottom of the pan and stir it up well to distribute that golden brown all over. Only add a little water at a time. It should evaporate within 10 seconds or so. You could also deglaze with beer, white wine, veg or chicken stock for some added flavor, but water should work just fine.

I prefer to use thighs for enchiladas and burritos because the meat is more moist and has more flavor. And I can get great deals on unadulterated leg quarters (no added sodium/ mystery ingredient broth 'enhancements'.) I always poach because that keeps the meat moist and I always have uses for the resulting broth.

Never cut up white meat before cooking unless you are stir frying adn want to cook them in a few seconds.

I roast bone-in skin-on breasts for enchiladas and chicken noodle soup. Then I make a stock with the bones and skin.

Burritos, hmm. Depends on the other ingredients and maybe the recipe. Some are assembled, then baked. With sauce and cheese. Some are giant and some are delicate and much smaller with sides of guacamole and a green or red sauce on the side or sauce and cheese baked on top. Guac, cilantro, and crema at the table as garnish.

Flour tortillas need heat either pre-toasted over a gas flame, in a skillet, or baked as a casserole. (for a crowd of 10 or more).

Might depend if you are assembling and back in the oven to heat and keep warm...(?) Or assembling then wrapping individually to serve a couple hours later....they can be packed back into a rating pan covered and kept warm in the oven but they will further steam a bit.

Since you want to use boneless breast, i like poached/steamed with lots of dry spice in that liquid. With onions, garlic and a good salsa added at the end while it cools down. After a rest, shred and chop. Similar to how i prep for tamales...i make a pork and chicken version. Both cool off in the fridge in those spices and liquids like a marinade. Then i start the prep for assembly, sometimes a few hours later...

If for an easy family meal, slice in strips, dry spices and some oil to marinade for an hour, then quickly stir fry....with everything ready to assemble, roll up, and serve. A weird one as it is 'street food' in NYC, being like a wrapped sandwich having usually beans and rice and chopped lettuce, and cheese and meats and a 'meal-in-one' kind of dish. Grab-n-go.

I make a Mexican burrito pie in the winter months pretty often when i just use the tortillas like lasagna layers and bake it in a cast iron pan often with eggs as a layer....so many choices.

Whatever your recipe, make sure the tortillas are somehow toasted first to get the raw dough out of them first and you will have a hit....just as important as the chicken filling...

I'm with Ci_lantro. Boneless skinless chicken thighs. And then you can chop up the meat before OR after you cook it. (Plus, I'll actually eat it.)

I'm with Cindymac... bone-in and skin-on is the way to go if I'm using chicken in some way other than whole pieces. It is a little more work but think it has advantages. Even if over-cooked a bit, BI-SO doesn't seem to dry out as much as boneless/skinless. Also find that BL/SL have that very small window of doneness... one minute just right and next minute HOCKEY PUCK!

I cook boneless breasts whole then slice for fajitas. If they're really thick, I'll slice them in half for quicker cooking.

I live in Southern California close enough to the border that part of our population doesn't speak English. Burritos here are authentic, moist and shredded. You specified that you would be using a skillet and breasts. I would just poach the breasts in a skillet until barely done. Keep them moist!! You do not want dry chicken breasts. Here, the Mexicans use the dark meat.

Baked burritos? Aren't they then enchilidas?

Why chicken?

Around Thanksgiving, stores practically give away turkeys for free.

I always get a couple, sous vide and freeze. Tender turkey burritos year round.

dcarch

You're right DC. I always buy as small a turkey as I can get when they're on for .99/lb. and freeze them. Chickens are never that cheap.