Easy Burritos Recipe (2024)

By Ali Slagle

Published Jan. 11, 2024

Easy Burritos Recipe (1)

Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(933)
Notes
Read community notes

Saucy and savory with just ground beef, beans and cheese, this easy recipe is inspired by Los Angeles-style burritos, which restaurant critic Jonathan Gold once summarized as “the rough equivalent of a hardhat’s lunch pail, a method of constructing a filling, portable meal from a tortilla, last night’s beans and a spoonful of stew if there was one.” This burrito’s filling eschews guacamole, sour cream, rice and raw vegetables which means it freezes well for up to 3 months. The seared ground beef is simply spiced, but feel free to swap in a stewed meat like birria or tinga de pollo or make it vegetarian with just beans and cheese.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 burritos

  • 1pound ground beef
  • 1medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped
  • teaspoons ground cumin
  • ½teaspoon smoked paprika, or chipotle or ancho chile powder
  • ½teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1(15-ounce) can black or pinto beans
  • 1large tomato, coarsely chopped
  • 2teaspoons lime juice, or apple cider vinegar
  • Hot sauce, for drizzling (optional)
  • 6burrito-size (about 10-inch) flour tortillas
  • 2cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican blend cheese

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

575 calories; 31 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 32 grams protein; 813 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Easy Burritos Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    In a large skillet, press the beef into an even layer to fill the skillet. Sprinkle with the onion. Cook over medium-high, undisturbed, until the meat is deeply browned underneath, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the cumin, smoked paprika and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Break up the beef into small pieces, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and the spices are fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.

  2. Step

    2

    Add the beans, including the liquid, and the tomato and simmer, stirring and scraping up browned bits, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture starts to sizzle, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

  3. Arrange the tortillas on a clean work surface. Sprinkle half the cheese across the center of the tortillas, left to right, leaving a 1-inch border. Top each with ⅔ cup of the beef-bean mixture, followed by the remaining cheese. Drizzle on hot sauce, if using. Fold the tortilla’s short sides over the filling, then fold the bottom of the tortilla snugly over the filling. Tightly roll away from you until the burrito is sealed. Repeat with the other tortillas.

  4. Step

    4

    When ready to eat, in a nonstick skillet over medium, place the burritos seam side down. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.

Tip

  • To make ahead, prepare through Step 3. Let cool slightly, then wrap in aluminum foil. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, remove the foil and wrap the burrito in a damp paper towel. Microwave, seam side down, until warm, 1 to 4 minutes. Remove the towel and continue to Step 4.

Ratings

4

out of 5

933

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Richard X

You have a round tortilla. Sprinkle cheese and meat left to right across the center of the tortilla (middle vertical third), leaving a 1" border at the left & right. This 1" border on the left & right sides are the "short" sides: the left and right sides of the round tortilla as you face it. Fold those in. The "bottom" of the tortilla is now closest to you. Fold that up, over the filling, and continue rolling. Video: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+wrap+a+burrito&sca_esv=599926585&sx

David

I'm originally from San Antonio, as well, and frying before filling was a common step with many tortilla recipes. It's humorous to read some comments saying how this wasn't done "that way" where they had their experience or where their friend/family member came from in Mexico. You've got to realize and hopefully embrace, celebrate, and accept just how diverse and colorful and flavorful Mexican culture is - it is anything but hom*ogeneous.

Bob

Wrap it well in tinfoil and find a nice warm spot near the radiator of the equipment you are running (the engine block will burn it) and at lunch you got a nice, gooey, hot burrito.

Richard X

It is not silly. It sets things up for the rest of the Step by defining short and bottom sides of the tortilla. One reader has already been confused by that. Some new cooks are grateful for any additional tips/instructions, even if you think they are silly.

David

Delicious and quick (and easy) Friday evening meal! Was out of black and pintos, but a can of great nirthern worked well. I think almost any bean would work, as long as they’re unseasoned. And in the winter only canned diced tomatoes - no good tomatoes during the winter and the carbon miles from shipping mealy tomatoes long distances pretty much cancels them out.

RobinP

I do not begin to understand the wrapping instructions. A tortilla is round, so aren’t all sides the same? what is meant by “short sides” vs “bottom”? Can someone be more specific about how to roll these wraps or point to a picture or video?

Sue

Thank God for 21st century sensibilities. Meat is not required to make these yummy burritos. You can use ground meat from your animal of choice, Impossible meat, textured vegetable protein, beans or whatever. The point is we can eat a delicious meal without continuing the bad, rapacious, blind, climate oblivious habits of generations before us. Sorry. I'm having a hard time filtering for the kids

Marnie

I used Fire Roasted canned tomatoes in the winter and they were wonderful.

Pamela

Tortillas are more flexible and easier to fold if softened wrapped in a damp paper towel and microwaved for a few seconds

Ellen Oliver

If I put the cheese on right to left does it change the flavor of the end product? Put your cheese on in any direction,L to R, R to L, north to south, east to west or even southeast to southwest. What a silly instruction in a recipe.

Michelle Young

Don’t skip the lime at the end!!! What a boost. Absolutely delicious. I did drain the fat after browning the beef even though I used 93/7. Will make these again and again.

Miz

My mom was from San Antonio and on Christmas Eve would make a Tex Mex feast. We lived in a small fishing village in Alaska so she had to adapt her recipes. She made green enchiladas, cheese enchiladas and “burritos,” in much the same way as this recipe. Except she’d slice Monterey Jack cheese into long strips, pre-fry the flour tortillas then put the ground beef mixture on followed by a Monterey Jack stick and…cottage cheese in place of Cotija. Pre-frying made them bake up crispy.

John

We make “carburritos” for our Friday drive to Snowshoe, WVa. Sub sauted veggies for beef, wrap and bake at 350 for 17 minutes. Cool, then wrap up. Most excellent car food.

Robin Currie

I made this recipe with ground dark turkey, skipped the cheese, added some brown rice, and doubled the spices. Really a great and adaptable recipe for the freezer. I popped my burrito in the air-fryer. Worked perfectly

Ferny

Yes, you could sub ground turkey. You may want to use dark meat ground turkey so it’s not too dry

Karen

This was easy, but not as flavourful! I did 3 things:- Added more spices like cayenne and chili powder (1/4 tsp each)- Added canned tomatoes in garlic sauce (half of a 28 oz can is good)- Added 3 tbsps of enchilada sauce

Lauren

DELICIOUS and easy! We used 2 packs Chorizo Seitan and dairy-free cheese to make it vegan. Kids couldn't tell the difference!

cat

What can I say? I’m an Angelino so this burrito is my go-to comfort food. Also great made with homemade refried beans (no meat).

Doug B.

OR, go to any grocery store freezer section any choose from a large selection of excellent burritos, take one home, pop it in the microwave, enjoy, then look around your kitchen and notice that there is no mess to clean up! Bob's your uncle!

Richard X

Perfect solution for a Cooking web site!

ingredient note

Needs more cumin and ground chili. Also salt.

Paula

Easy delicious recipe. I used vegan ground beef, added tomato paste, and topped with pickled onions.

Dan the Wannabe Cook

Need to keep a fairly close eye and stir often while browning after the onion is added and after the beans and liquid are added need to use a medium heat in order to more quickly boil off the excess liquid, so definitely stir every minute or so. If you don't use medium heat instead of a simmer to boil off the liquid, it'll take 30 minutes or more. Was really delicious and satisfying. Even beer when reheated the next day or later. Trust me...you'll need extra-large flour tortillas for this!

Nora

Whenever I make chili (ground lamb, chopped onion, chopped tomatoes, cumin, etc.), topped with shredded cheddar and sour cream, we have burritos the next day. Often for breakfast! :-)

Cindy

I don't freeze with aluminum foil. I wrap them in waxed paper then put them in freezer bags. That's easier for me. Also, I make my own beans in the pressure cooker. It's so quick and easy and so much more flavorful and cheaper than canned. I sometimes toss in a can of Rotel with the beans, when cooking and skip adding the tomato to a burrito. The beans are amazing by themselves and excellent in a burrito.

Charlotte

Costco sells raw flour tortillas, they are the best, nice and thin, easy to roll. A sprinkle of Tajin is a must!

vicki

I bake mine and they are delicious. I also add different fillings based on request. Most popular are my green chili burritos.

Greg

What the heck...these were a hit with the whole family!!! Even our picky daughter who only eats chicken nuggets, haha! And relatively quick and easy

JB

This is not spicy enough for my taste so I added green chilies, garlic, ancho powder and more cumin. It's easier to cook as a tostada - great for kids. Real burritos require a larger tortilla and a steam press to soften them before rolling up the filling.

Claudia

Ok but can we all just stop using gross shredded cheese and actually just grated a block of real cheese? It’s always going to taste better. Shortcuts like shredded cheese ruin food.

Andrew

Looks good, I would make it Plant Based, Cruelty free though.

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Easy Burritos Recipe (2024)

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