Whenever we need a super quick and easy dinner, we often turn to burritos. This is because we usually have the ingredients on hand and don’t have to do too much prep work. However, if you are not like us and you don’t have a full taco bar in your fridge at all time, this can still be a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Use as many shortcuts as you need to make this quicker and more convenient. The beef does take a tiny bit of planning, but if you use an InstantPot or a crockpot, you can throw it in before you leave in the morning and it will be done when you get home!
Ingredients
Tortillas
You can use any size flour tortilla you wish. Just understand that of course, the smaller the tortilla, the smaller the finished burrito. We like to use monstrously big tortillas. Even then, sometimes it just doesn’t all fit! If you don’t want to wrap the tortilla fully like a burrito you can use a smaller one and fold it in half and this will be more like a soft taco.
Beans
Now, I know I may be crucified for this, but I often use canned refried beans. I KNOW you can make them yourself. I know how. I’ve done it before. But if I make them myself it requires sorting the beans, an overnight soak of the beans, then boiling them, THEN refrying them. So…my busy self buys a few cans that stay as a staple in my pantry. Feel free to tear me to shreds in the comments. Using canned beans is one of those shortcuts I mentioned above. Soon, I will have a recipe for these you can follow!
Spanish Rice
This is an optional ingredient. You don’t have to add rice to yours, but we often have leftover rice and we add it to the burritos to make it more filling, give it another layer of texture and taste and more fiber. If you don’t have any leftover rice that needs to be used up, you can always buy Spanish rice in a pouch and heat it up, like Ben’s Ready Rice, or a box of rice that is fairly quick to make. Another shortcut. You’re welcome. Stay tuned for our awesome Spanish rice recipe.
Beef
The star of the show in my opinion! We almost ALWAYS have a big container of slow or pressure cooked shredded beef in the fridge. Setting the beef to cook is very quick and easy. Then it is hands off until it’s ready to eat. For our recipe for InstantPot taco and burrito meat, go here.
Cheese
I don’t believe a burrito is a burrito without cheese. Now, I am just stating my opinion. But cheese is life. For these burritos I like to use sharp cheddar cheese because the flavor stands up to the multiple layers of the burrito. Any cheese that can be shredded and will melt will work however.
I am not a huge fan of pre-shredded cheese, but I’m realistic. If you don’t have the time, you’re barely throwing this together at the end of a 37 hour day…just buy the pre-shredded cheese and give yourself a little grace. As Mini-Me once told me, “buying pre-shredded cheese doesn’t make you a bad mom…it might make you a bad chef though…”
Optional Toppings:
Sour Cream
Again, a burrito is not a burrito without sour cream. Don’t agree? You’re wrong! Haha! No, seriously if you don’t like sour cream, skip it. That’s why it’s listed as an optional topping. Mr. Chef Alyssa doesn’t like sour cream…and I married him…
The sour cream gives an amazing mouth feel, cools any spicy heat that may be present and adds another layer of flavor. Get Daisy sour cream. The only ingredients are “cultured cream”. You can’t get more pure than that.
Jalapeños
I don’t like chunks of jalapeños in my food. Not my poke bowls, not my burritos. However, Mr. Chef Alyssa does. So…to each their own. The best way to prep these are to slice them thinly. Be careful to wash your hands after handling raw jalapeños. Jalapeño oils in the eyes or nose is a truly awful feeling.
Guacamole or Avocado
Avocados are one of my favorite foods! In Okinawa, avocados are very hit or miss. Buying them isn’t difficult or even too expensive compared to other places. The issue is they go from rock hard to moldy overnight. Maybe it’s the humidity? Who knows.
Since I am the only one in my home who likes avocados or guacamole, I simply buy Wholly Guacamole. If the mini smashed avocado are available I get that. The ingredient list is short: Hass Avocados.
If those aren’t available, I get the mini guacamole cups: the ingredient list is a little longer, but still recognizable: Hass Avocados, Distilled Vinegar, Contains 2% Or Less of Water, Jalapeño Peppers, Salt, Dehydrated Onion, Granulated Garlic. I like the minis because I can open one of them and there is no waste! If you don’t have an avocado hating family, then you can aways get the bigger containers. I like to add pico de Gallo to the little cup and freshen it up.
Lettuce
Adding some shredded lettuce to the burrito adds some beautifully juicy crispness, some freshness, and even though you wouldn’t think so, some flavor. Lettuce can have a wonderful sweetness to it. You can of course just buy a head of lettuce and slice it super thin or you can buy a bag of shredded lettuce if available at your store. What is that…? Another shortcut?
Salsa/Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo is my preferred tomato product for burritos or tacos. Stay tuned for my amazingly simple recipe! But Mr. Chef Alyssa prefers salsa. So we usually have both. I am not a fan of jarred salsas, but Mr. Chef Alyssa likes it. So use whatever your prefer, and whatever you need to do stay sane. You can even use taco sauce if that is your preference.
Procedure:
First thing you need to do is assemble your ingredients.
Make sure your beans, rice and beef are all nice and hot.
Get your cheese, sour cream, lettuce, salsa, jalapeños, avocado or guacamole ready to do.
Create a nice burrito assembly line. The last thing you do is warm the tortillas. You can simply microwave them for 20-30 seconds, or heat them individually in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Be sure not to allow them to crisp as that will make them harder to fold. We simply want them warm enough to make them pliable.
Place your stack of flour tortillas in front of you. If you have super large burrito sized tortillas that I tend to use, layer 1/2 cup refried beans, 1/2 cup Spanish rice and 2-3 oz of shredded beef on the tortilla. You want to leave about 2-3 inches room from the edge closest to you, and from the sides. Sprinkle 1/2 – 1 oz cheese over the beans, rice and meat. At this point, add any optional toppings you desire. You can also leave any of the above out. Once all your ingredients are layered, you need to wrap.
Using both hands, one on each side of the tortilla, fold the side edges toward the center over the filling.
Keep a hold of the tortilla with your fingers and using your thumbs, bring the side closest to you up and over the filling and the folded edges.
Remove your fingers from the sides, and use your fingers over the top to tuck the tortilla over the edge of the filling.
Use your pinkies on the sides to keep the side edges tucked in. Keep your thumbs behind the burrito closest to you. Use your forefinger through ring finger to tuck the tortilla under the filling nice and tight.
Start to roll the tortilla away from you. Tucking in the sides as needed to keep a nice tight roll.
Continue to roll the burrito away from you until the seam is underneath.
This is the underneath of the burrito, the seam is being held by middle finger, Place the burrito seam side down on the plate.
Serve immediately!
To make ahead:
Burritos are FANTASTIC make ahead meals!
To make ahead, leave out any optional toppings and only put the beans, rice, beef and cheese into the tortilla. Wrap the same way. Wrap burritos individually in plastic wrap and then place in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Freeze up to 3 months. To serve, remove from bag and plastic wrap and microwave for 1 minute intervals, flipping each time, until fully defrosted and warmed through.
Quick and Easy Beef and Bean Burritos
Ingredients
- 6 Ea Extra Large Flour Tortillas
- 1 30oz Refried Beans Or 3 cups homemade beans
- 3 Cups Spanish Rice Cooked
- 18 Oz Shredded Beef
- 12 Oz Sharp Cheddar Grated
Optional Toppings
- 12 Tbs Sour Cream Divided
- 12 Tbs Guacamole Divided
- 12 Tbs Salsa or Pico De Gallo Divided
- 3 Ea Jalapeños Sliced
- 1.5 Cup Lettuce Shredded
Instructions
- Gather all of your ingredients. Make sure your beans, rice and beef are hot.
- Warm your tortillas in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until pliable but not hard.
- Place your stack of tortillas directly in front of you. About 2-3 inches from the edge closest to you, spread beans leaving 2-3 inches from the left and right edges.
- Layer the rice and beef directly on top of the beans.
- Layer the cheese on top of the beef.
- If eating immediately, layer any and all optional toppings on top of the cheese.
- Wrap the tortilla over the fillings tightly (see the blog post above for picture and tutorial)
- Serve immediately.
- If NOT eating immediately, do NOT add the optional toppings. After tightly wrapping the tortilla, wrap the burrito tightly in plastic wrap.
- Place the plastic wrapped burritos in a gallon sized freezer bag.
- Freeze up to 3 months.
- To reheat, remove burrito from bag and plastic wrap. Microwave at 30 second intervals flipping in between until the burrito is heated to 165º in the center.
- Gently unwrap and place optional toppings. Re-wrap and enjoy immediately.
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