An everyday Beef Burrito recipe, stuffed with a simple, super tasty seasoned beef, rice and other fillings of choice. These Burritos are a brilliant freezer standby because they are just as good made fresh or frozen then reheated. The burrito beef filling is especially good – made with a homemade Mexican seasoning that’s way better than a packet of Old El Paso!
Flavour packed everyday Burrito recipe!
Having a stash of burritos in the freezer makes me feel smug. Along with homemade Frozen Pizzas, these are one of the all time ultimate freezer meals.
Except burritos have the added bonus that you don’t even need to dirty a tray to reheat them, or a plate to eat them. Food you can eat with your hands always rates highly in my world!!! 😂
I call this Beef Burrito recipe an “everyday beef burrito” because beef filling aside, it’s a terrific one for adding in what you have and what you want. The key part of this recipe is the Beef Burrito Filling – highly seasoned with a homemade spice mix that tastes like Old El Paso – except it’s preservative free!
Freezer burritos: filling tips
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Use ingredients that freeze well
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Use cabbage instead of lettuce – cabbage holds up to freezing better
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Only use a small amount of “watery” vegetables like tomato as they become even more watery once defrosted
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Other raw vegetables used in burritos that do not freeze well include: avocado, cucumber
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Cook vegetables like capsicum/peppers, zucchini, carrot. Dice and add to Beef Filling.
What goes in beef burritos
The Beef Filling is the main flavour component in this burrito recipe. It’s highly seasoned and juicy so it provides the “wetness” in the burrito as well as the flavour mixing through the other ingredients when you roll it up.
So other than the Beef Burrito Filling, there’s endless possibilities for what to put in the burrito! For this recipe, I’ve chosen a combination of ingredients that freeze well:
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Beef Burrito Filling – juicy and packed with flavour!
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Plain white rice – or try brown rice, quinoa, or this Mexican Red Rice!)
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Corn
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Black beans
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Cabbage or lettuce
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Diced tomato
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Red onion
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Cheese
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Coriander/cilantro
How to freeze and reheat burritos
I like to use foil to roll up the burritos as it holds it together and then I can reheat it in the foil in the oven.
To freeze, I wrap in cling wrap (for extra air tight assurance) then put it in a ziplock bag or airtight container.
To reheat the burrito, I simply defrost in the fridge overnight then pop it in the ovenin the foil to make it crisp and heat through. If I forgot to defrost overnight, then I take it out of the foil, microwave on low to defrost, then wrap it up in the foil again and pop it in the oven to crisp up.
Dipping sauces for burritos
I totally forgot to take a photo of what to dip burritos in. They do need something because you can’t make the filling too wet, otherwise it makes the tortilla soggy.
For simplicity, my go-to is sour cream or yoghurt, sometimes with a dollop of some sort of chilli sauce. If I feel like making more of an effort or I’m doing these for a group (I like doing burritos for camping), then I’ll make Restaurant Style Salsa (because it’s smooth, it’s good for dipping) or this Avocado Dipping Sauce.
So – have I convinced you that you need to fill your freezer with these burritos??? – Nagi xx
FAVOURITE MEXICAN RECIPES
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Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
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Mexican Fiesta Menu and recipes
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Beef Burrito recipe video!
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Beef Burritos
Ingredients
Burrito Seasoning:
- 1 tsp each onion powder , dried oregano, salt
- 2 tsp each dried cumin powder , paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper , or to taste (optional)
Beef:
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ onion , finely chopped
- 500g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef), I use lean
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp water
Burritos:
- 6 - 8 large soft flour tortillas or round wraps (~25cm/10”+) (Note 1)
- 3 cups cooked rice , warm not piping hot (I use white long grain)
- 3 cups iceberg lettuce or cabbage , finely sliced (use cabbage if freezing)
- 1 cup corn kernels (I use canned, drained)
- 1 cup black beans (I use canned, drained)
- 3 tomatoes, deseeded and diced
- 1/2 red onion , finely chopped
- Finely chopped coriander / cilantro (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups / 150g shredded cheese of choice (melting kind)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes until onion is lightly browned. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it turns from red to brown.
- Add Taco Seasoning (or use 1 packet store bought) and cook for 1 minute. Then add tomato paste and water, cook for 3 minutes until the water is mostly evaporated but the beef is still juicy, not dried out. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes – piping hot filling will steam the burrito, making the tortilla soggy.
- Optional: If not warming rolled burrito, warm the tortillas before rolling (per packet directions).
- Place a burrito on a work surface. Place 1/4 - 1/3 cup of rice just below the centre. Top with 1/4 - 1/3 cup beef, then some lettuce, corn, black beans, tomato, a sprinkle of red onion, coriander and cheese.
- Fold up the bottom to cover the filling then fold the edges in (video helpful to see how to do this). Roll up tightly, then wrap in foil. Serve as is or heat per below.
- HEATING: To warm through, pan fry (dry pan) in the foil over medium high heat for a few minutes on each side to slightly crisp and warm the outside. Or for 10+ minutes on a medium low heat if you want to melt the cheese. Or they can be baked at 180C/350F for 20 minutes in the foil – this will warm them all the way through and crisp up the tortilla slightly. If they are straight from the fridge, they will take around 30 minutes to warm through.
- Burritos are best served with something to dollop/dip - sour cream (or yoghurt) and some sort of chilli sauce are my usual because it's easy. When I'm making more of an effort, I use Restaurant Style Salsa or Guacamole.
Recipe Notes:
- MICROWAVE/STOVE: unwrap then microwave for 2 minutes then crisp in dry pan over medium heat;
- STOVE: Leave in foil and turn over medium heat in dry pan for 10+ minutes until crisp all over (takes a while to warm all the way through). 3. MORE VEGGIES / Great for Freezing: One way to pack more veggies into this and/or reduce the carbs by leaving out the rice is to add veggies into the beef filling. To do this, increase the Seasoning, tomato and water by 50% (use the scaler by hovering your cursor over Servings) then add 3 cups of diced veggies of choice, like zucchini, carrots, celery, capsicum, corn. Use a large skillet, saute these veggies after the onion, then push to the side and add the beef and proceed with the recipe. 4. Nutrition per serving assuming 10 burritos.
Nutrition Information:
Burrito recipe originally published June 2017. Updated for housekeeping matters October 2018 – no change to recipe!
Burrito Fever
Life of Dozer
Staring competition: Dozer vs Burrito. Dozer won.
Maria Gray says
Really enjoyed your text – nice recipe although I prefer carne asada or at least cubes of steak ( more pricy though) love Dozer!
Nagi says
Oooh always yes to cubs of steak!! 🙂 So glad your on board the Dozer Fan Club! 😂
Magda says
These burritos taste fabulous! Yummy! I am not a talented cook, but the recipe worked for me. Thank you Nagi ☺
Cheryl says
Amazing Burritos!
Trying to locate your Mexican fried rice recipe? I must be searching the wrong title.
It looked amazing!
Thanks!
Nagi says
HI Cheryl! The name just changed – it’s Mexican Red Rice! https://www.recipetineats.com/mexican-red-rice/ N x
Chris says
These are fantastic to make on a lazy Sunday evening, then pop in the fridge/freezer to eat during the week. We usually get about 10 of them, which is great value for only 500g of mince!!
I did have to adapt mine, as the only tins of black beans I can get easily come in a chilli sauce, which seems like a waste to drain out… so I use the entire tin, reduce the amount of water and cook the sliced cabbage and corn, etc in with the meat so it bulks out the mix but is still saucy enough and it makes assembling them even easier! It might not look as pretty, but it’s definitely got the flavour.
We made a double batch in advance and invited a bunch of friends over – everyone got to write their name on the foil (the spare ones got labelled Greedy Pants, For My Tummy, This Is Mine, etc) and we just popped them in the oven to heat through while we sat around eating chips with salsa and queso and drinking suitably Mexican inspired beverages. Best of all, virtually no dishes at the end of the night!
Definitely a keeper!
Sam says
This was the first meal I cooked from scratch! It turned out delicious! Thanks for the recipe – will definitely be making again!
Sarb says
So incredibly tasty! Great recipe, definitely a keeper. Thank you Nagi!
Nagi says
I love hearing that Sarb!! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
Chantelle says
Very tasty and filling! My husband loved it and it is a good way to get him to eat beans! We had it with the salsa (tasted awesome the next day ) and the cheese sauce.
LaTaunya says
i made these tonight As a matter of fact I’m eating one right now. One hand typing while holding this delicious burrito in the other. Great recipe!
Nagi says
LOVE THE VISION!!! 😂
Joy says
Where have you been all my life?!!
Nagi says
Right here waiting for you to FIND MY WEBSITE! 😂
Sylvie says
This recipe is amazing! The beef filling is delicious.
I have celiac disease and used GF tortillas and they turned out great.
Nagi says
That’s so great to hear Sylvie! Thanks for letting me know! N xx
verity says
Hi Nagi,
Recipe says it serves 8-10 however in the list of ingredients it only states 6 wraps?
Nagi says
Sorry Verity, fixing that now! 🙂 N x
Barb says
Really really good. You can whack almost anything into these beauties. The salsa is AMAZING!
Nagi says
Love the way you think Barb! 🙂 N xx
José Luis Mendes says
Otima receita! Irei fazer aqui no Brasil com toda a certeza.
Melissa McCracken says
Delicious!!! Enough said ☺
Nagi says
Certainly all I needed to know! 😂 N xx
Lydia says
Hi Nagi, I love getting your recipes via email! And just to say here in Cape Town South Africa we also use “chuffed” the way you do 😉 *L
Nagi says
I LOVE THAT!!! 😂
Steven says
Wow!! These were amazing. I was going to cook a Nagi-free dinner tonight after all this deliciousness, but your dishes are so tasty. Might do the buffalo wings tonight.
Nagi says
Ha! You flatter me Steven ☺️ N xx
Dina says
I made these for dinner yesterday and they were AMAZING, just like all other recipes from your blog that I’ve tried so far. Thank you so much! <3
Nagi says
WHOOT! So glad you enjoyed it Dina, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Alana says
Made Burritos to take to Birdsville camping, spending 3 weeks in outback Australia. Also talking chicken swarma and lamb chops marinated in rosemary and garlic. Tried Burritos for dinner tonight, they were so good. Thankyou Nagi. I love your Blog.
Nagi says
OMG I MISSED CAMPING IN THE OUTBACK!!!!!
Jane says
I made these tonight and they were lovely.. I was ‘chuffed to bits’! .. as we say in Northern Ireland
Nagi says
I”m CHUFFED to hear that!!! 😂
Thanh says
Your meat seasoning turned out really good with ground chicken. I never realized how easy it was to make the seasoning from scratch and will never go back to buying taco packets again! Thank you for the recipe.
Nagi says
I think you are the first to report in on this – WHOOT! So fantastic to hear that Thanh, thanks for letting me know! N xx