Having a stash of perfectly wrapped Mexican Burritos in your freezer is like having a secret weapon for busy weeknights or impromptu gatherings. Just like homemade frozen pizzas, these Mexican burritos stand out as an ultimate freezer meal, ready to rescue you from any mealtime dilemma.
What sets Mexican burritos apart? They are handheld delights! No need to dirty a tray to reheat or a plate to serve. Food that can be eaten straight from your hands always gets bonus points, right? 😂
This recipe focuses on creating an “everyday” Mexican burrito, versatile enough to accommodate whatever fillings you have on hand and tailored to your preferences. The true star of this recipe is the Beef Burrito Filling – intensely flavorful, thanks to a homemade spice mix that rivals store-bought brands like Old El Paso, but without any unwanted preservatives!
Mastering Freezer Mexican Burritos: Essential Filling Tips
Freezing burritos is a fantastic way to meal prep, but to ensure they taste just as amazing after thawing, consider these key filling tips:
- Choose Freezer-Friendly Ingredients: Not all ingredients hold up well in the freezer. Opt for components that maintain their texture and flavor after being frozen and reheated.
- Cabbage over Lettuce: Swap out lettuce for cabbage. Cabbage withstands freezing much better, retaining a pleasant crispness, while lettuce tends to become soggy.
- Limit Watery Vegetables: Minimize the use of watery vegetables like tomatoes as they can release excess moisture upon defrosting, potentially making your burritos soggy. If using tomatoes, use diced tomatoes and use them sparingly.
- Avoid Raw Vegetables That Don’t Freeze Well: Certain raw vegetables, such as avocado and cucumber, are not suitable for freezing in burritos due to texture changes. Add these fresh when serving instead.
- Cook Vegetables for Freezing: Vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots should be cooked before adding them to your burrito filling. Dicing and incorporating them into the beef filling is an excellent approach.
What Goes Inside Authentic Mexican Burritos?
The beef filling is the heart and soul of these Mexican burritos, delivering a powerful flavor punch. It’s richly seasoned and wonderfully juicy, providing both moisture and a robust taste that permeates every bite of your burrito.
Beyond the essential Beef Burrito Filling, the possibilities for customizing your Mexican burrito fillings are virtually endless! For this freezer-friendly recipe, we’ve selected a combination of ingredients known to freeze exceptionally well:
- Flavorful Beef Burrito Filling: Juicy, savory, and intensely seasoned – the foundation of our burrito.
- Plain White Rice: A classic burrito staple, or experiment with brown rice, quinoa, or vibrant Mexican Red Rice for a twist.
- Sweet Corn: Adds a touch of sweetness and texture.
- Black Beans: Provides a hearty, earthy element and boosts the protein content.
- Shredded Cabbage or Lettuce: For freshness and crunch (remember, cabbage is best for freezing).
- Diced Tomato: For a hint of acidity and juiciness (use sparingly for freezer burritos).
- Red Onion: Adds a sharp, pungent bite.
- Shredded Cheese: Choose your favorite melting cheese for gooey goodness.
- Fresh Coriander/Cilantro: For a bright, citrusy finish (optional, but highly recommended).
Step-by-Step Guide: Freezing and Reheating Your Mexican Burritos
For optimal freezing and reheating, foil is your best friend when rolling burritos. It helps maintain their shape and allows you to reheat them directly in the oven.
Freezing Instructions:
- Wrap in Foil: After assembling your burritos, wrap each one tightly in foil.
- Extra Protection: For enhanced airtightness and to prevent freezer burn, wrap the foil-wrapped burritos in cling wrap or place them in a ziplock bag or airtight container.
Reheating Instructions:
- Defrosting: Ideally, defrost burritos in the refrigerator overnight. If you’re short on time, you can defrost them in the microwave on a low setting.
- Oven Reheating (Recommended): For the best texture, reheat your defrosted burrito in the oven while still wrapped in foil. This method crisps up the tortilla beautifully and ensures the filling is heated through.
- If defrosted: Bake at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 20 minutes.
- If frozen (forgot to defrost): Remove foil, microwave on low to defrost, re-wrap in foil, and then bake at 350°F (180°C) for around 30 minutes, or until heated through.
The Perfect Mexican Burrito Dipping Sauces
Don’t forget the dipping sauce! While Mexican burritos are delicious on their own, a flavorful dipping sauce elevates the experience. Since you want to avoid overly wet fillings that can make tortillas soggy, dipping sauces are essential for adding extra moisture and flavor at serving time.
For quick and easy options, sour cream or yogurt are fantastic go-to choices. Add a dollop of your favorite chili sauce for a spicy kick. If you’re looking to impress or serving a crowd (Mexican burritos are perfect for camping trips!), consider making:
- Restaurant Style Salsa: Smooth and flavorful, perfect for dipping.
- Avocado Dipping Sauce: Creamy and rich, adding another layer of Mexican flavor.
So, are you convinced yet? It’s time to fill your freezer with these incredible Mexican burritos! – Nagi xx
More Mexican Recipe Inspiration
Watch How To Make It: Beef Burrito Recipe Video!
[Watch the video here – Link to Video]
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Mexican Beef Burritos Recipe
Author: Nagi
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Category: Mains
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex
Rating: 4.96 from 85 votes
Servings: 6-8 burritos
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Recipe video above. Simple, super tasty everyday beef burritos made with a homemade beef mince filling (ground beef), rice, and your choice of fillings. One of the best freezer meals ever!
Ingredients
Burrito Seasoning:
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried cumin powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)
Beef:
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 500g / 1 lb ground beef (beef mince), lean
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp water
Burritos:
- 6-8 large soft flour tortillas or round wraps (~10″+ diameter) (Note 1)
- 3 cups cooked rice, warm, not piping hot (white long grain recommended)
- 3 cups iceberg lettuce or cabbage, finely sliced (cabbage preferred for freezing)
- 1 cup corn kernels (canned, drained)
- 1 cup black beans (canned, drained)
- 3 tomatoes, deseeded and diced
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- Finely chopped coriander/cilantro (optional)
- 1 ½ cups / 150g shredded cheese of choice (melting variety)
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics and Brown Beef: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add minced garlic and chopped onion, and sauté for 2 minutes until the onion is lightly browned. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it turns from red to brown.
- Spice the Beef Filling: Add the homemade Burrito Seasoning (or 1 packet of store-bought taco seasoning) to the beef and cook for 1 minute, stirring to combine. Then, stir in tomato paste and water. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the water is mostly evaporated and the beef filling is juicy, not dry. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes – piping hot filling can steam the burrito and make the tortilla soggy.
- Warm Tortillas (Optional): If you are not warming the rolled burrito later, warm the tortillas before rolling according to package directions. This makes them more pliable.
- Assemble Burritos: Place a tortilla on a clean work surface. Spoon ¼ – ⅓ cup of cooked rice just below the center of the tortilla. Top with ¼ – ⅓ cup of beef filling, followed by lettuce or cabbage, corn, black beans, diced tomato, a sprinkle of red onion, coriander (if using), and shredded cheese.
- Roll Burritos: Fold the bottom of the tortilla up to cover the filling. Then, fold in both sides of the tortilla towards the center. Roll the burrito up tightly from the bottom to the top. Wrap each burrito tightly in foil.
- Heating Instructions:
- Pan Fry (for a quick crisp): Heat a dry pan over medium-high heat. Place the foil-wrapped burrito in the pan and pan-fry for a few minutes on each side until slightly crispy and warmed through.
- Oven Bake (for thorough heating and melting cheese): Bake foil-wrapped burritos in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 20 minutes, or for 30 minutes if starting from refrigerated. Baking ensures they are heated all the way through and the cheese is melted.
- Serve with Dipping Sauces: Mexican burritos are best served with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and your favorite chili sauce for easy dipping. For a more elaborate option, serve with Restaurant Style Salsa or Guacamole.
Recipe Notes:
- Tortilla Size and Type: Large soft flour tortillas or wraps (approximately 10 inches or larger) are recommended. Mission brand large soft wraps are a great option as they are slightly larger and softer than standard burrito wraps, making them less prone to tearing and easier to roll.
- Storage and Reheating: These Mexican burritos freeze and reheat exceptionally well, especially when you avoid watery vegetables in the filling. The suggested combination of ingredients (using cabbage instead of lettuce and limiting tomatoes) is ideal for freezing. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours or overnight on the counter (if it’s not too warm). Reheating options include:
- Oven: Reheat in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 30-40 minutes (place on a baking tray in case of any leakage) until the outside is slightly crispy.
- Microwave/Stovetop: Unwrap the burrito and microwave for 2 minutes to warm through. Then, crisp the tortilla in a dry pan over medium heat.
- Stovetop: Leave the burrito wrapped in foil and heat in a dry pan over medium heat for 10+ minutes, turning frequently, until heated through and crispy all over. This method takes longer to warm the burrito completely.
- Adding More Vegetables & Reducing Carbs: To increase vegetable intake and reduce carbohydrates, you can incorporate more vegetables directly into the beef filling. Increase the Burrito Seasoning, tomato paste, and water by 50% (use the recipe scaler by hovering over “Servings”). Then, add about 3 cups of diced vegetables of your choice, such as zucchini, carrots, celery, bell peppers, or extra corn. Sauté these vegetables after the onion, push them to the side of the skillet, and then add the beef and proceed with the recipe as directed.
- Nutrition Information: Nutritional values are estimated per serving assuming 10 burritos are made from the recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 308g
Calories: 511cal (26% Daily Value)
Keywords: Mexican Burrito, Burrito Recipe, Freezer Meal, Beef Burrito Recipe
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Burrito recipe originally published June 2017. Updated for housekeeping matters October 2018 – no changes to the recipe!
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Life of Dozer
Staring competition: Dozer vs Burrito. Dozer won.
