Beef and Bean Burritos Recipe

Quick, easy, comforting, inexpensive Beef, Bean and cheese Burritos stuffed with the BEST FILLING you will be eating with a spoon is the answer to your weekday dinner woes!

 

Ground Beef Burritos

I thought these Beef, Bean and Cheese Burritos would be fitting for Cinco de Mayo, but sometimes you just need a Beef, Bean and Cheese Burrito every other day of Mayo – and all year round.  Or in my case, burritOS.  For all those busy nights, lazy nights, don’t want to cook nights, “what should I make for dinner?” nights, need something NOW nights, need something everyone will LOVE nights – Thank you Beef, Bean and Cheese Burritos. 

The filling is hearty and packed with flavor from browning your beef with sauted onions and garlic and seasoning with a symphony of fiestalicious spices…

And then stirring in refried beans, salsa (you will looooove my Homemade Salsa) and sour cream for extra creaminess AKA deliciousness.  The burrito filling is pure savory comfort food at its most addicting.  Even if not the most beautiful…

Beef and Bean Burrito Ingredients

• Tortillas: Use burrito size thin tortillas often found in the bakery section at Sprouts, Whole Foods or Costco or uncooked tortillas found in the refrigerated section. They are easily the most flavorful tortillas, easy to roll and toast up supremely crunchy.
• Ground beef: The best ground beef to use for Beef Burritos is 85%-93% lean. You can go pretty lean in this recipe because the salsa and beans prevent the meat from tasting dry.
• Cheese: Use sharp cheddar to cut through the richness of the other ingredients.
• Aromatics: Use one yellow onion and 4-6 cloves garlic or substitute with 1 teaspoon onion powder and 1 teaspoon garlic powder in a pinch.
• Homemade Taco Seasoning: Chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt and pepper combine to create perfectly seasoned, juicy meat.
• Refried beans and sour cream: These combine with the beef to create irresistible meaty creaminess. You may substitute the sour cream with Greek yogurt.
• Salsa: Use your favorite salsa, I love Mateo’s. Use medium for more of a kick.

How to Make Beef and Bean Burritos

1. Brown Beef: Brown beef and onions in a large skillet. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
2. Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the homemade taco seasonings, followed by the refried, sour cream, then salsa, and heat through.
3. Fill Burritos: Line the middle of each tortilla with cheese, then top with filling.
4. Wrap Burritos: Fold in the edges of each tortilla and roll up “burrito style” by folding in the edges next to the filling, folding up the bottom over the filling, then tightly rolling from the bottom, squeezing in any escaping filling as you roll. Place seam side down.
5. Crips Up Burritos: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add burritos, 3 at a time, seam side down, and cook until golden on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.

How to Make Ground Beef Burritos ahead of time

Option 1: Prep Ingredients Now, Assemble Later: The beef and bean filling can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stove, stirring in a splash of water if needed to moisten.

Option 2: Assemble Burritos Now, Heat Later: Completely assemble the burritos but don’t toast. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil so the tortillas don’t dry out; refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to enjoy, follow the toasting instructions in the recipe.

Beef and Bean Burrito Recipe Variations

The burritos themselves are completely customizable with everyone’s favorite filling extras and/or toppings like pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, salsa verde, lettuce, etc. so everyone’s palates and bellies will be singing your praises.

And you will be strongly tempted to make Beef Bean and Cheese Burritos every night.  Or at least every other night along with my sensational Mexican Rice.

Happy Cinco de  Mayo! and excuse my large, very excited hand 🙂

Ground Beef Burrito Recipe Tips

• Use large tortillas: Anything smaller than 10 inches is practically impossible to wrap successfully unless you use barely any filling.
• Keep the tortillas warm: If they’re allowed to cool, then they can dry out and tear while folding.
• Grate the cheese yourself: No matter what kind of cheese you use, make sure it is freshly grated by YOU! Pre-packaged cheeses are coated with anti-clumping chemicals which inhibit them from melting beautifully. Freshly grated cheese is much more flavorful, creamier and melts more easily.
• Customize: Add rice, guacamole, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. For the guacamole, use store-bought or simply season mashed avocados with lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder. For the rice, use your rice cooker to make the Cilantro Lime Rice or simply season any plain rice with lime juice, salt, pepper and cilantro if you have it. You can even use microwave rice packets.
• Don’t use wet ingredients for meal prep: If you are making the burritos to meal prep or freeze, avoid wet ingredients like tomatoes or vegetables in the filling. Avoid lettuce which will become soggy. You can, however, use cabbage instead.
• Drain some of the grease. You may wish to drain some of the grease after browning the beef, but I would leave some for flavor.
• Don’t use piping hot filling: Let the beef filling cool for a few minutes before adding to the burritos. If you fill the burritos with steaming meat, it will make the burritos soggy.
• Don’t overstuff your burritos: It’s super tempting to overstuff a burrito, but this is the biggest pitfall for a burrito falling apart. If you overstuff the burrito, there isn’t enough tortilla to wrap all around. Only about a fourth of the tortilla’s surface area should be covered with filling.
• For a crowd: Have a burrito party with a big topping bar. Serve with bowls of shredded lettuce, fresh chopped tomatoes. sliced limes, a variety of salsas, hot sauce and a big bowl of fresh homemade guacamole and chipotle sauce.

How to Store Ground Beef Burritos

Burritos keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend wrapping the burritos in foil to hold them securely together, then, you can easily reheat together or individually in the air fryer or oven.

How To Freeze Burritos

For meal prep, freeze un-toasted burritos. I recommend first wrapping the burritos in plastic wrap for an extra tight seal and protection against the tortilla drying out which can cause cracking and tearing. After you wrap the burritos, place them in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the burritos overnight in the freezer and toast per recipe instructions.

TOP COOK FROM FROZEN:

Microwave: Remove burritos from wrapping and thaw using the defrost setting. Once thawed, crisp up the burritos in the air fryer, pan or oven for a couple minutes.

Bake: Remove plastic wrap, wrap burritos in foil and bake on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until thawed, remove foil, then continue to bake until toasted and completely warmed though, another 15-20 minutes.

How To Reheat Burritos

You have a few options when it comes to reheating burritos. The air fryer is my favorite method because it restores the burritos to their former crunchy glory, but the oven is super convenient if reheating more than a few. The following is for reheating TOASTED burritos. If your burritos are not toasted, then follow the toasting instructions in the recipe.

• To air fry an already toasted burrito: Keep the burrito in foil and air fry at 400 degrees for 6 minutes (it burns if not in foil). Remove the foil and continue to cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until crispy and warmed through, flipping halfway through.
• To reheat an already toasted burrito in the oven: Place individually foil wrapped burritos on a baking rack placed over a baking tray. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Unwrap the burritos and continue to bake for 5- 10 minutes, or until warmed through.
• Stove top: Leave the burritos in the foil and heat over medium heat in dry pan for 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the foil and continue to cook for 2-4 minutes or until crispy and warmed through.
• Microwave: The microwave is my last choice because it won’t crisp up the tortilla. Still, it is the quickest method when you need a quick fix. To reheat, remove the burrito from foil, and microwave for 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway, until warmed through. Crisp up in a dry skillet if desired.

Beef and Bean Burritos Recipe FAQs

More like this Ground Beef Burrito Recipe:

• Smothered Baked Chicken Burritos
• Carne Asada Burritos
• Best Carne  Asada
• One Pot  Cilantro Lie Rice and Black Beans
• Southwest Pepper Jack  Salad with Creamy Avocado Salsa Dressing
• Lighter Cheesy Taco Pasta
• Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken

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Tools Used in This Recipe

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Nonstick Fry Pan with Lid 12 in.

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Teak Water Resistant Spatula Set

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Measuring Cups and Spoons Set

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Kitchen Knife Set

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Teak Wood Cutting Board

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Cheese Grater

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Silicone Handle Sleeve

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Silicone Oven Grips

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Beef and Bean Burrito

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Ingredients

• 6 burrito size flour tortillas (we prefer raw tortillas)
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese , more or less to taste

Burrito Filling

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 16 oz. can refried beans
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup salsa (medium for more of a kick)
• hot sauce to taste

Customizable Filling/Topping Ingredients

• sour cream
• lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Guacamole
• Rice

Instructions

• Add onions and beef to a large skillet and cooked over medium heat until onions are softened and meat is cooked through. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Drain off any excess fat (if there is any).
• Stir in all of the spices/seasonings, followed by refried beans until well incorporated, followed by sour cream and salsa. Heat through.
• If using raw tortillas, cook according to package directions. If using cooked tortillas, stack them together on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds or until warmed through.
• Line the middle of each tortilla with desired amount of cheese. Top with Bean and Beef filling and any additional desired filling ingredients.* Fold in the edges of each tortilla and roll up “burrito style.” Serve with additional sour cream, guacamole, etc. (optional).
• Optional to “crisp” burritos: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add burritos, 3 at a time, seam side down, and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Notes

*You can also stir desired amount of cheese directly into bean and beef filling on the stove.

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