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These flavorful Beef and Bean Freezer Burritos come together in a snap! An easy make-ahead dinner idea that the whole family will love!
An Easy Make-Ahead Burrito Recipe
Talk about this recipe being a good meal prep treasure! With just a little planning ahead, you can have them stored in the freezer, and then cook them up for a quick weeknight dinner.
Even better, older kids can heat them up for afternoon snacks or quick lunches! 🙌
Burrito Ingredients
- Olive Oil: You’ll need 1 tablespoon of light olive oil, for sautéeing.
- Ground Beef: I recommend lean ground beef like round or sirloin, but chuck and market blends are also great!
- Grated or Finely Diced Onion: You’ll need ¼ cup of grated yellow onion. White or red onions can be substituted.
- Garlic
- Salsa: This recipe uses one cup of salsa. You can use any type of tomato salsa that you like.
- Taco Seasoning – Homemade or commercial seasoning blends are fine.
- Pinto Beans: You’ll need 2 cans (15 ounces each) of pinto beans, rinsed and drained. You can also substitute cooked dried beans, if you prefer.
- Beef Broth: I use low-sodium broth or water, but you can also use homemade broth. Chicken or veggie broth is also fine.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Feel free to substitute other shredded cheeses!
- Flour Tortillas
- Cooked Rice
How to Make Freezer Burritos
Making these yummy burritos is fast and easy! You only need to cook up the filling, puree the beans, and then fold ’em up.
Make the Burritos
- Cook the Beef and Onions. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onions to the hot oil; cook until the meat is browned, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon.
- Add the Salsa and Simmer. Stir in the salsa and seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until mixture is heated through and a bit thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Puree the Beans. Combine pinto beans and beef broth in a blender or a food processor; process until mixture is smooth.
- Combine the Beans, Beef, and Cheese. Add the bean mixture to the beef mixture, and stir until combined. Stir in the cheese. You don’t have to mix it all together, but it does speed up the prepping process.
- Assemble the Burritos. Add 1/2 cup of the beef mixture down the center of each tortilla. Fold the ends and sides over the filling and roll up.
Freeze the Burritos
- To freeze the burritos, wrap them well in wax paper, and then in foil.
- Then, stack them inside a gallon-sized ziploc bags. Label with the date they were made and place in the freezer.
- Frozen burritos will keep for up to 2 months.
Tips for the Best Freezer Burritos
- Combine, or Not! If you don’t like the idea of mixing the beef and bean mixtures, feel free to add them separately to the burritos! Simply, layer the rice, then the beef, followed up by the beans, and top with cheese.
- Don’t Overfill. When it comes to filling the tortillas, less is more! Too much filling, and they will be very difficult to wrap up!
- Cool Things Down. Don’t try to fill the tortillas with hot filling. Instead, wait for the filling to cool down, so that the burritos will be easy to handle. This also helps avoid condensation from steam once you’ve placed your filling into the tortillas.
Tasty Variation Ideas
- Chicken Verde: Using the same method as the above recipe, you can substitute ground chicken (or turkey), white beans, and salsa verde! Yum!
- Veggie Variation: Try using canned black beans, cooked brown rice, salsa, and cheese. So good!
- Breakfast: Substitute scrambled eggs and sausage for the beef mixture. Mmmm.
Serving Suggestions
- Dips and Toppings: Definitely try serving these burritos with some yummy dip options, like guacamole, sour cream, fresh Avocado Salsa, and queso!
- Fruit Salad: Add a fresh-fruit side with my Easy Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing. So good for you, and so delicious!
- Frozen Yogurt: This sumptuous Mango Strawberry Frozen Yogurt is so easy to make with just a blender and your freezer, no ice-cream-maker needed! The fresh and creamy frozen yogurt contrasts really well with the Tex-Mex flavors of the burritos.
How Long Can You Freeze Homemade Burritos?
- Depending on the ingredients, homemade burritos generally keep for around 2 months in the freezer.
- Always remember to check your ingredients’ freezer life, and label your frozen items with the date, for safety.
How to Reheat Freezer Burritos
- To reheat, unwrap one burrito and place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on HIGH for 2 to 2-½ minutes, or until the internal temperature of the burrito registers at 165˚F.
Freezer Burritos
Scrumptiously easy make-ahead burritos with beef, beans, salsa, and cheese are perfect for filling your freezer with homemade burritos.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup grated yellow onion or finely diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic,, finely minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning,, (you can also use store-bought taco seasoning – comes in a 1-ounce pouch)
- 1 cup tomato salsa
- 2 cans (15-ounces each) pinto beans,, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup water OR low sodium beef broth
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 10 (10-inch) flour tortillas
- cooked white or brown rice, , optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook for 2 minutes; stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
- Stir in the ground beef; cook until meat is browned, about 8 minutes, mixing and breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon.
- Stir in the taco seasoning; then stir in the tomato salsa.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until mixture is heated through and a bit thickened.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- Combine pinto beans and water (or beef broth) in a blender or a food processor; process for about a minute, or until mixture is smooth.
- Add the beans mixture to the beef mixture and stir until combined.
- Stir in the cheese.
- Add two tablespoons of cooked rice, if using, to the center of each tortilla.
- Add 1/2 cup of the beef mixture over the rice.
- Fold the ends and sides over the filling and roll up.
- Wrap each burrito in wax paper; then wrap in foil.
- Place burritos inside a gallon-sized ziploc bag; label the bag with the date you made them.
- Freeze burritos for up to 2 months.
Notes
- You don’t have to mix the beans and beef together. You can combine the cooked beef mixture with the cheese, add it down the center of the flour tortilla, then, spread some of the bean mixture over the beef, and roll up the tortillas.
- When ready to serve frozen burritos; place a burrito on microwave-safe plate and microwave on HIGH for 2-½ minutes, or until internal temperature of the burrito registers at 165˚F.
- You can also heat them up in the oven. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Place frozen burritos on a baking sheet – do not remove the foil – and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 487mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 398IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 222mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Did you make a recipe? Leave a rating
4.5 stars! Loved it!
Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I keep these stocked in my freezer for easy lunches and dinners ( and occasionally breakfast)! My family absolutely loves them.
How did you come up with the nutritional count on this? Seems like it is way higher than 16 grams of carbs.
This will definitely depend on the brand of flour tortillas you use. I used Market Pantry tortillas for this recipe, but if you opt for the low-carb flour tortillas, they yield about 2 grams of net carbs.