Customizable, easy to make, and positively delicious, if you’re in the mood for a tasty, beef burrito, we’ve got you covered. With our beefburrito recipe with shredded beef just add refried beans, sour cream, black bean dip, Mexican rice, and maybe some enchiladasauce and you have a meal.
In the last several decades, Mexican food has become one of the world’s most beloved cuisines. There’s just so much to love about Mexican food and Tex-Mex food. First of all, there is usually a lot of meat in Mexican food, so if you’re a meat-eater, you can live with tacos and burritos as much as your heart desires.
However, even if you’re vegan or vegetarian, you can still be a Mexican food aficionado. With tons of tomato flavor, amazing spices, and a hint of hot chili, burritos will just explode in your mouth. Thank you Chipotle for making burritos famous!
This recipe also works for chicken or ground turkey with minor substitutions like green chilies, red onion, diced tomato, and pinto beans or brown rice. Don’t forget the shredded cheese.
Today, we’re going to be showing you how to make delicious beef burritos with a variety of flavorful ingredients, including tantalizing seasoned beef.
You can freeze them for later, eat them fresh or even serve them up to a lucky receiver. Whatever you plan on making your beef burritos for, this recipe will ensure that you’re left licking your fingers and wanting more!
Let’s jump right in.
What is a burrito?
To put it plainly, a burrito is a kind of Mexican cuisine that consists of a flour tortilla and delicious, savory ingredients. A tortilla can be warmed up or grilled in oil to give it flavour and is usually kept soft so that it can mold itself around the filling.
Upon first inspection, you might think that the beef burritos we’re going to be making today are nothing short of the ordinary.
However, we’ve carefully selected the most delicious ingredients, ensuring that each compliments the other in order to create a flavorful meal worthy of a Michelin star restaurant.
Sure, they’re simple to make but when done correctly, burritos make for a truly unforgettable dish.
Below, we’re going to be talking you through our tried and true recipe that consists of ingredients you’ve probably already got in your fridge, and will take just a few minutes to prepare!
How to freeze and reheat burritos:
One of the best parts about burritos is that they can be frozen and defrosted to eat at a later date.
If you plan on doing this, then there are a few steps you’ll need to follow, which we’ll talk you through below. When done correctly, your burritos should last up to two months in the freezer.
To freeze your burritos, we recommend preparing them exactly as you would if you were going to eat them fresh. After you’ve prepared your burritos and they’re ready to be eaten, take some cling film and wrap them inside.
Then, take either a ziplock bag or a freezable container and securely place them into the freezer. As a side note, if you plan on putting them inside a container, make sure it is big enough so that it won’t squish the burritos.
When you’re ready to defrost and eat your burrito, all you will need to do is take it out of the freezer and pop it in the fridge overnight. The next day, you can then go ahead and reheat the burrito by warming it up in the oven until it’s crisp, and it will be ready to eat.
In addition to that, it’s also worth being aware that certain foods are better suited to being frozen than others. If you plan on freezing your burrito, be aware that watery vegetables like tomatoes and cucumber can become soggy.
What ingredients will you need?
Just like touched upon above, there isn’t one ‘set’ recipe to make beef burritos, meaning that you have total freedom to decide which ingredients you’d like to use.
Though we’ll be taking you through our own beef burrito recipe at the end of this guide, here is a quick breakdown of some of the basic ingredients you might want your burritos to have:
Beef – We recommend choosing ground or mince beef for your beef burritos, as this type of beef will be able to mix with the other ingredients easily. Alternatively, if you’re a vegan or vegetarian, you can substitute beef with a plant-based alternative. Cheese – Cheese is optional, but it makes all the difference. As you’re making a Mexican dish, you might like to choose a cheese that has a kick, like a chili cheese, though regular cheddar will do just fine.
Seasoning – All kinds of seasoning are suitable for adding to your burritos. In particular, we like coriander, cayenne pepper, and oregano flakes.
Beans– What would a burrito be without beans? One of the main ingredients, we recommend choosing black beans or kidney beans, though any type will do the job.
Tortillas – If possible, stick to tortilla wraps on the larger side, as these will provide you with enough room to add the ingredients and roll it all together. Larger wraps will also be able to stop any beef juice from dripping out.
Additional fillings: If you’re going to eat your beef burritos fresh, then additional fillings such as chopped tomatoes, cucumber, salsa, and lettuce will make for tasty additions.
How do you correctly wrap a burrito?
So, once you’ve cooked your beef and prepared your fillings, you’ll have to carry out the finishing step: wrapping the burrito!
If you’re going to be wrapping your tortillas for the first time or simply want a technique refresh, it couldn’t be easier.
All you’ll need to do is carefully line up your beef, cheese, tomatoes, and other toppings carefully on top of each other. Try out this method:
If you plan on adding rice to your burrito, then we recommend adding it first because it will be able to absorb the juice from the beef, which will help to prevent any leakage.
Next, you’ll want to add your beef, making sure to carefully line the beef on top of the rice so that you don’t use up to much surface space of the tortilla.
After you’ve neatly lined up your rice and beef, you can then go ahead and begin adding your additional fillings, such as chopped tomatoes, cheese, cucumber, and lettuce.
If you’ve correctly placed each ingredient on top of each other (or tried your best to) then you should have enough tortilla wrap leftover to be able to successfully roll the burrito into a neat little wrap.
To achieve the perfect burrito wrap, carefully start by gently pulling the bottom half of the burrito over the top of the ingredients, so that it is parallel with the top of the tortilla wrap.
After doing this, carefully fold one end in and then fold the other, just like how you would if you were wrapping a Christmas present. Then, when you have both ends correctly folded, all you’ll have to do is tightly roll the tortilla and you will have a tasty burrito ready to be eaten!
Should burritos be cut in half?
If you’re finding yourself asking this question, rest assured that you’re not alone.
There isn’t a correct answer, however, we do feel that cutting the burrito in half makes it easier to handle, so it might be helpful to do so if you’re giving them to children (or particularly messy eaters!).
In contrast, some people prefer to keep the burrito whole as it means the filling stays hot for longer.
Should rice get put into burritos?
Traditionally speaking, rice is an ingredient that usually gets put into a burrito. Besides being packed full of healthy nutrients, many people add rice to a burrito as a filler ingredient, so whether or not you choose to include it inside your burrito is entirely up to you.
As an alternative, you could prepare some rice and serve it as a side dish, or just skip it and stick with your beef, vegetables, and beans.
Beef Burritos
Soft tortilla wraps filled with savory ingredients and mouthwateringly delicious seasoned beef.
If not planning on freezing, a mixture of chopped tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, and cucumber
Instructions
Step one is to heat the sunflower oil up in a large pan. Fry the onions for 5 minutes and then add seasoning such as oregano and garlic, cooking for one to two minutes. Take the beef mince and place into the pan, stirring with the other ingredients until golden brown.
Stir sugar into the beef mixture, and then pour a little vinegar over it. If you aren’t planning on freezing your burritos, this is when you can add chopped tomatoes to the beef mixture and stir it in.
Simmer your beef mix for around 5 minutes, and then add the black beans, continuing to simmer for an additional 20 minutes. During this time, you can add additional spices depending on your preference.
Take the tortillas out of their packaging and begin to heat them according to the instructions on their packaging. Once you have heated the tortillas and they are ready to go, begin lining up rice and beef along with each tortilla, making sure to add any toppings you like such as tomatoes, cucumber, or lettuce.
Fold over the ends of the burrito in order to seal them so that the filling doesn’t fall out. Serve immediately, or leave to cool if you wish to freeze them.
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
