Why it works: Chicken and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,031 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Chicken Burritos
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
In skillet, combine chicken, soup, tomatoes, and Rotel juice.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through and thickened a little (about 15 minutes).
Assemble and serve
Sprinkle center of tortilla with shredded cheese, add chicken mixture, and roll up burrito.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Tortilla | 1 medium flour (45g) | 140 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Soup | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Chicken + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,031 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Tomato + cheesetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,896 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Chicken + cheesetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,936 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
-
Cream + cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,655 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Cream + flourtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,481 recipes
Shared aroma: acetaldehyde (pungent, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cream of chicken soup
- Thickens the filling and adds a creamy, savory body to the chicken.
- Chicken
- Provides the main protein; its cooked meat is heated through in the sauce.
- Whole tomatoes
- Add moisture and acidity that loosen the sauce as it simmers.
- Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, juice only
- Contributes liquid, tomato acidity and mild chili flavor to the filling.
- Shredded cheese
- Melts into the warm filling, adding fat and a rich, binding texture.
The step that matters
Cook until thickened a little. Simmering evaporates excess liquid and lets the soup thicken. If the filling stays too wet, it will soak through the tortilla and make the burrito hard to roll and handle.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, cream, flour, cheese):
- Potatofits better
- Spinachfits better
- Mustardfits better
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, cream, flour, cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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