My Mom’s Famous Freezer Beef and Bean Burritos
These really are the best freezer beef and bean burritos! And they are famous among our family and friends! So flavorful, so ridiculously easy, they are a freezer staple (we can’t live without them).
No really, we can’t live without these burritos. They’ve been a staple in my personal freezer for the last decade and a half…and a staple in my mom’s freezer for even longer.
I actually think these burritos are what won Brian over to my family almost 20 years ago (I mean, other than our incredibly hilarious senses of humor that strangely only we find funny most of the time).
Whenever we visit my parents in Montana, it’s pretty much a given that Brian will be heating one of these babies up right around 2:38 p.m. most days. By virtue of my vulture-like hovering, I usually eat half which means he has to heat up a second one. We’re a good team that way.
My mom is honestly famous for this burrito recipe. She makes dozens and dozens of them at a time and hands out bags to friends, family, neighbors, church peeps, US! Once you get a taste of the cheesy beef and bean goodness, you’ll understand the nature of the cult following.
From-Scratch or Store Bought?
For a long time, I experimented with making a more from-scratch version. This held me back from getting you the recipe…and wasted a lot of time. Guess what? Wasn’t worth it. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of wanting the same flavors my mom has created for years, but I realized life’s too short to make homemade taco or enchilada sauce for a burrito recipe. At least for me.
The key to the great flavor of these amazing freezer beef and bean burritos is using ingredients/spices you already like the flavor of. Like, this is really important. I’ve given some details in the notes of the recipe below about some of my brand preferences (and links to a few homemade ingredients I do use if I have on hand – these refried beans and this homemade salsa).
Once you do some soul searching to get all that sorted out, it’s literally as easy as cooking the beef and onions and then throwing everything else in (well not the tortillas and cheese, obviously) and heating through. The filling is super saucy because we are not championing dry, crusty burritos. Nope, not here.
Because this is a freezer recipe meant to stock your freezer with tons of lunch- and dinner-saving goodness, it makes a lot. Probably right around 20-30 burritos (and oftentimes, I double for maximum burrito making). I almost always use 8-inch tortillas…my mom always uses 10-inch tortillas. Again, personal preference.
My Burrito Rolling Method
I stuff and roll all of the burritos one at a time and place them on large sheet pans. Once they are all rolled, I wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and then pop them in gallon-size freezer ziploc bags and freeze. Of course this whole process is quicker if you recruit some helpers and do the stuffing, rolling, wrapping assembly-line style.
How to Heat the Burritos
We are microwaver burrito reheaters. How about you?
Grab a burrito, unwrap it and place it on a microwave-safe plate. In our microwave, we heat it for one minute and then use a fork to poke holes randomly on the top of the semi-thawed burrito (or pierce a few times with a paring knife) and heat again for 1-minute intervals until piping hot and heated through. Microwaves vary in power, so keep an eye on the exact time you’ll need to get the burrito safely heated without the risk of 3rd degree burns on the roof of your mouth.
You can also use an oven to heat them up. Unwrap the burrito(s) from the plastic wrap and rewrap in foil (so the tortillas don’t dry out) and place on a baking sheet. Exact time and temperature will vary, but I’d suggest 325 degrees for about an hour.
You can eat the saucy burritos plain Jane or top with sour cream, salsa, avocados, or whatever else your heart desires.
These really are the best freezer beef and bean burritos in the world. They have saved us on so many dinner nights, I’ve lost count. And my kids regularly take them in their lunches (they are lucky enough to have a microwave to use in their cafeteria).
I will often grab a bag of these burritos and throw them on top of whatever take-in meal I’m bringing to someone as a little bonus. As in, here’s dinner for tonight! And here’s a bag of burritos to eat whenever you want (ahem, especially if you don’t like the real dinner I brought).
If you are a longtime fan, as am I, of the other freezer burritos I have on my site, the main difference is that these burritos (my mom’s famous recipe) don’t have rice to bulk up the ingredients and they are much saucier.
Although it does take a bit of time to make a batch or two, it’s worth it, I promise. There is a cost savings for sure. And there’s no doubt these freezer burritos are intensely more delicious than their store bought counterparts. If you haven’t yet established your food presence where you live, it’s time to break out the freezer burritos and start making a name for yourself.
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Five Years Ago: Creamy Chicken and Quinoa Cordon Bleu Casserole
Six Years Ago: Cinnamon Roll Cake
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Eight Years Ago: Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas
My Mom’s Famous Freezer Beef and Bean Burritos
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef, or ground turkey
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, I use coarsely ground pepper
- 3 cans (16-ounces each) refried beans
- 3 cans (4-ounces each) green chiles (mild, medium or hot, depending on preference)
- 1 ½ cups (340 g) green taco sauce or green enchilada sauce
- 1 ½ cups (340 g) red taco sauce or red enchilada sauce
- ½ cup (113 g) salsa, green or red
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 6 to 7 cups shredded cheese, I prefer using a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack
- 20 (10-inch) tortillas or 30 (8-inch) tortillas
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, brown the ground beef and onion with the salt and pepper until cooked through, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain excess grease.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except for the cheese and tortillas) and mix to combine. Heat through, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Let the mixture cool slightly. Spread about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the filling on each tortilla (depending on the size of the tortilla and how stuffed you want them). Sprinkle about 1/4 cup cheese (or so!) on the filling. Fold in the sides and then roll the burrito closed (see pictures in the post for a visual).
- I roll all the burritos and place them on a large sheet pan. After they are all rolled, I wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and then put them in gallon size ziploc bags and freeze.
- To reheat, unwrap burrito from plastic wrap and microwave for one minute. Poke holes in the semi-thawed burrito with a fork or cut the burrito in half and microwave for 1-minute intervals until heated through. They’ll be piping hot! Eat carefully. 🙂
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
189 Comments on “My Mom’s Famous Freezer Beef and Bean Burritos”
These are so stinking good! Wow!!! My friend and I have made a goal to make two freezer meals a month this year and this was my choice for February. It took some time to make and assemble the burritos, but well worth it. I have sent the recipe to both my sisters and told them to grab a friend and have a burrito making party because these were so easy to make and the reward is beyond delicious.
Is the plastic wrap necessary? Any reason why we can’t freeze them on a cookie sheet and then put then in a ziploc? Seems like a lot of unnecessary garbage. I can always wrap them to go as needed…
Sure, you could do that. 🙂
For someone with borderline cholesterol who loves burritos (frozen, store bought)… These are absolutely perfect to replace those frozen, store bought with. The flavor is exceptional, they are easy to make and now hubby has enough burritos for at least 3 weeks (we did the large ones).
These are great! They’ve become a staple in our house quickly.
I did discover by accident that putting a couple table spoons of leftover brown rice as the base for the filling will soak up any excess sauciness ( only exists if you need to eat on the go)
Also I found 6 minutes at 50% power works good for reheating w/o poking holes in it.
Thanks!!
These are so yummy! I love that they are moist. I do your tip of baking for one minute, then poking holes in it and nuke one more minute. Then I cover with more cheese and salsa. So good!
So-ummm, I hate beans. There, I said it!! I think I read that someone used beanless chili and that that worked ok? Thoughts? Thanks so much!
Hmmm, you could try! But leaving out all the beans (which makes up a big part of the texture of this recipe) may make the tortillas soggy and/or mess with the overall outcome.
I love a good burrito. These sound amazing.
This looks fantastic. We don’t have a microwave. Do you have advice on how to reheat these in the oven? Do you recommend thawing first or going strait from the freezer into the oven? Temp? Time? Thanks!
I think you could do either. If you heat in the oven from frozen, I’d cover with foil so they heat through without drying out/burning. You might wrap each burrito in foil whether it’s thawed or not and reheat at 325 or 350 degrees.
Wow these look amazing! Cant wait to they them. I love a good, easy burrito and the idea of freeing them for convenience is genius! Thanks for sharing Mel 🙂
These are amazingly easy, fast, and so good! Thanks for another stellar recipe, Mel! They don’t stay stocked in the freezer for long!
Other than having to switch to my stockpot when I realized all of it wouldn’t fit in my 13 inch frying pan, these are really quick and so
good. These are a keeper!
These have been a life saver when I need lunch in a rush after trying to get the kids and myself out the door on time. Thanks so much for sharing!
I would like to make these for a school fundraiser. Everything has to be “prepackaged due to Covid.” The burritos will be heated up in the Culinary classroom then served out on the football field. My question is, how far in advance could I make them and refrigerate, not freeze. Any tips to prevent leakage? Heating, storing tips? Any info is much appreciated!
Hi Brittany, the longer they sit in the fridge the soggier/softer the tortillas will get, so I don’t think I’d make and refrigerate them longer than a couple of hours (maybe a day, but that might be pushing it).
these are so so good! i love that they are saucy with tons of flavor. i froze ours and reheating worked really well following your instructions. they are perfect for a quick lunch!
I’m wanting to make this. I wonder what the best green taco sauce is? Would it work to just use a salsa verde?
Yes, you could use salsa verde (I also like the tapatio brand of taco sauce).
We have made these 4-5 times. They always turn out great no matter the brands I use. I’ve only used enchilada sauce, not taco sauce and only use 2 cans green chiles and it’s the right amount of heat for my 1 and 4 year old. We usually microwave these, but they are great fried in a small amount of oil, baked, or with cooking spray on a griddle.
These were very yummy when I made them last. I am planning in making the again by using the homemade refried beans. I was wondering if one recipe of the beans is enough for these burritos.
Yes, I think so. I haven’t measured it out exactly, but it should be enough.
I always love having these in the freezer as our go-to. They have saved me on days I didn’t feel like cooking…top with some enchilada sauce on a busy night and bam-dinner!! I had a happy accident when I went to make these and only had 1 can of refried beans. I had some chili but had purchased the “no-beans” by mistake…so I tossed them in and they were yummy!!! Now I always make ours this way. I do cut down on the other sauces because chili comes spicy and saucy already. Love that you do the hard work and we get to benefit from your super recipes!
These are awesome and reheat great for a quick lunch. My husband loves them and helped me make a double batch a few months ago. It’s time to make them again! Also, I accidentally left out the cheese the first time I made these and they are still so tasty. We continue to leave it out because we know we like them and it saves a bit of $. Thanks for a great freezer staple!
Best burritos ever! These have become a staple in our household. I make mine without beef and prefer to use the taco sauce instead of enchilada sauce. I also only use the red taco sauce. Probably with the meat, you would need the extra sauce of another bottle of taco sauce to keep the burrito saucy. I have found microwaving for one minute and flipping the burrito over and microwaving another minute or so to be a good combination of reheating the frozen burrito.
I just made up a batch of these and they were SO good! I’m still trying to figure out the best way to reheat them so that it’s hot in the middle and the end of the tortillas don’t dry out. The taste was great and my husband loved that it wasn’t a dry burrito. I will definitely be making another batch when we finish these. Thank you!
My kids devour these! Thanks for the recipe.
I want to make these and have the raw tortillas from Costco on hand. Do you think those would work? Should I pre cook them on both sides? One side?
I would precook them on both sides before using.
Wow! I made a huge batch of these today. Made your IP refried beans and used ground turkey. I also made a batch without meat as 2 of my kids are vegetarian. In that batch I used 3 cans of drained black beans in place of the meat. They turned out fabulous! I really think it was worth the effort to make homemade refried beans because it’s the main ingredient in this recipe.
This recipe is easy and my teen son has made it for our family twice in the last few weeks. The burritos only last a few days around here. Delicious! Thanks for sharing this. This will be a family favorite for years, I’m sure. 🙂
Hi Mel, I love your blog and recipes! I want to make this for a sister with a newborn but she’s not eating beans because of baby colic. Do you think I could replace the beans with quinoa? Would you replace it 1:1 or less?
Thanks!
You could definitely try – I worry they might be a little dry – but certainly worth trying! I’d probably do a 1:1 sub and see how it goes (or maybe slightly less to account for less moisture).
I am not a meat lover… can i follow the recipe and leave the beef out? I LOVE a good bean and cheese burrito! These look amazing!
Sure! Maybe add a can of rinsed, drained beans for texture? Optional but would be a tasty addition.
This has been my go to recipe for take in meals for new moms. I’ve gotten so many rave reviews, and my husband and 1.5 year old love it when I make them for us too. Thanks for another awesome recipe!!!
And my burrito rolling has definitely improved after making dozens and dozens of these
How long do they last in the freezer?
Several months.
Made. Loved. Making again.
We loved it, everyone had seconds and we still have about 10 left to freeze. Plus it was SO easy to make and came together quickly, this will definitely go in our rotation. Thanks Mel!
I’ve made three batches of this recipe! One I shared with my daughter-in-law, one I made for my daughter’s family and today I made a batch for my son. He asked for these burritos for his birthday since his wife is about to have their 3rd child! Everyone loves them! Thanks so much for sharing!
I learned two things making these… First, that grocery stores carry more types of refried beans than I ever could have imagined (Kroger fat free for the win) and second, that burrito rolling probably isn’t my calling . These were delicious, however, and I look forward to making them again in the future!
I have made steak, egg,cheddar cheese. Sausage, egg,potato, cheddar . Black bean, pepper jack,egg,steak. Chorizo, potato,egg. Sweet potato, black bean, queso fresco. Chicken, rice, cheese. You name it, I have made it.
I make burritoes like this, brown them quickly and freeze in wrap and ziplocs. To eat they go straight from freezer to microwave after removing the wrap and placing in a paper towel.
These have been on my list to make for a while and I finally did it last week. They’re great! I had a bunch of instant pot refried beans left over and this was the perfect use. I had a little less than called for so I added a rinsed and drained can of beans. I also used 2 lbs. beef. As for it seeming too liquid, I found that as it cooled it thickened up and had a great consistency both eaten right away and for (unfrozen) leftovers the next day. The rest went in the freezer and we’ll be glad to have them for easy meals in a pinch.
Love this recipe! The trick for reheating burritos in the microwave is to wrap them in a damp paper towel and then microwave. The steam keeps the tortilla from drying out!
Made these this weekend and they are awesome. Great taste, perfect liquidity. Thank you!!!!! Will absolutely make again and a great thing to give away!
This made a marvelously big batch and fed my large family 4 times! I only had 2 cans of refried beans. It seemed a bit soupy but all turned out well. Next time I will be sure to add that third can to thicken it up more. Thank you so much for keeping us happily fed.
I made a TON of these and stocked up the freezer. Everyone loves the flavor but the tortillas end up soaking wet and falling apart by the time they’re done cooking in the microwave and very unappealing. Any tips?
Someone else down below left this comment about soggy tortillas: My husband always runs his frozen burrito under water just enough that the tortilla is wet. Shakes off any extra water and then puts it in the microwave. He says that the water on the tortilla allows the microwaves to heat it up faster (he is a food scientist).
Winner for our family of eight! Outside of saving supper on more than one occasion, having these on hand satisfied my growing teen’s mid afternoon food search and gave my husband something to take for lunch (I felt like such a good wife!). Six burritos are left in the freezer (I made these in November) so it’s time to head back to Aldi for ground turkey and get more made! Thank you!!
Do you use the Trader Joe’s fat free refried beans?
Yes
These are a lifesaver! My toddler was diagnosed with leukemia a couple of months ago and the chemo takes away his appetite. It’s been so hard to find things he will eat. Well, he loves these burritos! And it is so easy to have them on hand. Thank you, thank you!!!!
I’m so sorry about your sweet little boy!! I’m glad these burritos are a quick fix for his missing appetite…many prayers for the both of you.
These are the best burritos ! I’ve made them several times and my family loves them! I like to add a packet of taco seasoning to the ground beef. And I use half a package of frozen green chiles. I think they have a lot more flavor than canned. I thaw them in the microwave, spray a little olive oil on top of the burrito and sprinkle with kosher salt. They cook up so crispy in the air fryer. So good!
That’s amazing! Thanks, Tricia!
As a non-meat eater, I made these yesterday and used the Gardein brand of faux beef crumbles in place of the meat, and used the vegetarian Old El Paso refried beans (I did about a 2/3 batch of the recipe and used 1 bag of the faux meat and 2 cans of beans). I tried using the recommended brands where I could, and had wonderful results! I prefer the texture of oven-baked burritos but hate waiting an hour for them to cook, so to save some time, I microwaved the frozen burritos for about 1.5 minutes and then did the foil wrap and baked at 325 for 25 minutes. Using 8-inch tortillas, I ended up with 17 burritos. I already wish I’d done a full batch! I wouldn’t change anything about the recipe.
Thanks for adding your notes and changes, Amelia!
Getting ready to make my second batch of these. They’ve been a hit in my family of seven!! Thanks for a great freezable recipe that hits the spot when things are hectic. Now my family is requested freezer breakfast burritos…I need to check and see if you have such a recipe, but I think it would be a little harder to make in bulk because of the quantity of each ingredient, made and portioned out separately in the burrito; it’s not quite as easy as dumping a spoonful of this burrito filling and sprinkling some cheese. If you have a way to work around that, I’d be so excited!!
I’m actually working on the perfect freezer breakfast burrito! I’ll keep you posted!
Sounds fantastic!
Mmm .
I made these yesterday with a few alterations. 2 lbs. ground sirloin ( thank you Publix for the great sale this week!) 2 cans Rosarita refried beans, one 10 oz. can enchilada sauce and 1/2 jar Pace salsa.
I kept looking at the recipe thinking it would be too wet if I used all of the sauces so I went with my instinct and cut back. They were perfect in consistency, not too wet, nor too dry.
Thanks for another great dinner idea!
Thanks for the review, Susan!
Do I have to heat up the ingredients first? I have precooked beef, can I just mix it with the sauces and seasonings and beans and then fill the tortillas? I’m thinking since its all going into the freezer anyway that way I don’t have to heat it up and cool it down.
I do think the flavor is a little better if it heats through but that might be just my mind playing tricks on me so you could just mix it together and see how it goes.
These were a big hit with our family of 7. I accidentally bought “hot” red enchilada sauce, so there were some comments of them being spicy….but that was my fault. They are delicious!!!! I was very curious to see what my 15 year old would think. He loooves microwave burritos. He has reached for one for his lunch every day since I made them. :). A true winner! Thank you!!
Thanks, Jeannette!!
I love all of mels recipes and cook from her blog weekly! We aren’t big burrito eaters but with the good reviews thought I’d give these a try and stock the freezer! Maybe it was the texture but I wish I would have held back on a couple cans of beans/sauce and had more of a meatier burrito. Im sure this is just personal preference!
Thanks for the feedback, Emily – they are definitely more of a saucy burrito (also a lot can depend on the consistency of the beans – I find that usually the beans help thicken the filling up a bit??)
I finally got around to trying these. My picky “wont try new food” 19mo old grabbed one and started to eat it. The rest of my family enjoyed them too.
I am sad because I went store brand refried beans and now have a soup mixture. So I will try again next time with the either homemade refried beans or ones you suggested.
Made these for my super active tween and they are delicious. Once the meat was browed the rest of it came together quickly and it was fun to do together. He taste tested one that had a torn tortilla and loved it. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Great idea, Katie!
I made these burritos last night and they turned out great! I substituted cubed chuck roast in for the ground beef though.
Delicious idea, Melissa!
I made a double batch! 60 burritos ready to go in my freezer. I used some gluten free tortillas so we can all enjoy the goodness. Thanks a ton!
Awesome, Natalie!
What kind of gluten free tortillas did you use?
This recipe was perfect timing! I’m 38 weeks pregnant with our second child and just started maternity leave. I knew I wanted to have some fast and ready freezer options on hand, so last night my husband and I tucked in our son and got to work assembling these burritos! Thank you so much for posting this one. I know we will ALL be thankful in a couple weeks when we enter those sleepless newborn days! 🙂
I’m so glad to hear this, Haley – and good luck with that upcoming baby!
I made these and absolutely LOVE them!! But I’m running into the issue of soggy tortilla when reheating. Seems like there’s a lot of liquid that melts. Any tips?? I’ve tried it the way you suggested 3 times and every time the tortilla has been soggy. I followed your measurements exactly 🙁
Hey Erica – what kind of refried beans are you using? Are they really thick in texture or kind of runny?
They were pretty chunky! I used the Rosarita brand. So you’re thinking maybe my filling was too runny and causing the problem? Or is it something with the microwaving I’m doing wrong?
I’m guessing the filling is maybe too runny…I don’t think it would be due to how you are reheating. You could add more refried beans or cut down the taco sauces, that should help!
I am an admitted frozen burrito lover (El Monterrey’s Bean and Cheese), but they are definitely a guilty pleasure and I only occasionally buy a package. I was really excited to come across this recipe, and made them yesterday. So tasty!! And now I have almost 40 waiting for me in my freezer! Thanks!!
Yay to having so many burritos now stashed in the freezer!!
Mel, every time I think to myself “ I need a recipe for……” it appears on your blog! Maybe it’s because I am cooking for the masses as you are and have kids in sports who are hungry. all. the. time. These burritos came together so fast after all of the soccer practices tonight and my fam is really looking forward to having these on hand in the freezer!
I make something from your blog every week. Thank you, thank you! Keep up the good work. I hero worship your blog. ♀️
Love this, Jessica! Thanks so much for letting me know!
While I was making these burritos, I spread the filling in a tortilla and fried it like a quesadilla for my baby. My 7 year old kept stealing pieces of her diner, that’s when I knew this would be a home run recipe. I accidentally bought some very small tortillas, which were hard to wrap but actually have worked out really well as they are the perfect size to heat up for my little ones. My husband has been taking them to work, we all enjoy them. Thank you!
Yum! What a great idea to make this a quesadilla filling!
These were outstanding. I only had them fresh so far and am freezing the rest, but if they are anything close to how they tasted, they should be great. Thanks so much.
So happy to hear that – thank you, Kevin!
Hooray! I made these hoping my family would give their approval; big win! They devoured their burritos at lunch before I set down to make the rest to freeze. Thank you for another great recipe!!!
Yesss! Awesome feedback from your family!
I knew these would be amazing since all your recipes are fabulous. I loved that I was able to roll about 26 8-inch burritos with the regular recipe. I’m so pumped to have these babies in my freezer ready for those crazy-busy-after school nights. Well done, Mel… again!!!!
Yay! Thank you!
So interesting, the amount variations!! I got 37 with the 8 inch tortillas! I didn’t feel like I was skimping on the filling – I measured out about 1/3 cup per tortilla, and it was perfect 🙂
Quick, easy, delicious and makes enough to feed your family and share with others. It can’t get much better than that. My husband, 11 year old daughter and I made a batch in about 45 minutes. This is a keeper. Thanks for sharing, Mel!
Sounds like you had some awesome helpers! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Erin!
Mel- you are my hero!!!
I cannot handle any soggy bread texture at all. Do the tortillas stay pretty dry, or do they get soggy from the filling, freezing, and reheating?
Steph — after microwaving, I put in the toaster for a few minutes to crisp up. Works well.
They definitely soften up a bit upon reheating but I wouldn’t say they are soggy (however if you have a strong aversion, they might be too soft for your tastes).
Your beef/bean/rice recipe is famous in my neck of the woods! I made them for a church freezer meal group I was running years ago, and they were one of our most popular items (possibly the most popular?) I’ve also had friends and family take home the recipe after having them at our house, or us giving them away to people having a tough season. I’ll try these too, but know that around Vancouver Island your burritos are well-known!!
I love that so much! Thanks, Amy!
Made these last night and they were great! Mel, give us more individual freezer food! I’m so tired of resorting to drive-thru!
Will do!
I just made a batch and they’re so good, but super runny…like can’t properly roll them into burritos runny. I followed the recipe exactly. The only thing I did differently was use your homemade refried beans. Do you think that could have caused it? Thank you!
Oh shoot, Nicole! I definitely think it’s the homemade refried beans…probably because with that beans recipe, they can be runnier depending on how much liquid is drained/added back in. I’ll add a note to this recipe that if using homemade refried beans, they need to have a thick consistency.
Oh Mel, you beautiful genius. I’m so excited to make these. Taking half to a friend in late pregnancy and keeping the other half for us.
These make the BEST gift for busy mommas.
What brand of tortillas do you like to use? I’m super excited to make these for my family!
I usually use mission brand or Costco ones.
Do you have a favorite brand of tortillas?
Usually just everyday Mission brand or the ones from Costco.
My daughter is gluten intolerant. Can these be made and frozen in corn tortillas?
I’m sure they could – I’ve found corn tortillas tend to crack a little when rolled. I actually saw my very small-town grocery store had gluten free flour tortillas (and we bought and tasted them when my daughter was eating gluten-free for a while). Mission brand. They were super tasty! So you might have better luck finding a gluten free flour tortilla.
We decided that it would not work well to use corn tortillas. given their size and consistency I have never successfully used them to roll something that wasn’t fried. We did however use the bean/meat mixture as a base for a seven lay dip and eat them with tortilla chips for our gluten-free teen. Delicious. You could freeze the mixture in a ziplock baggie and then microwave reheat, top with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream, avocados, for a quick dinner.
Great idea, Katie!
Fantastic! I made a batch of these yesterday to pop in the freezer for busy weeknights. My daughter ate one on the way to dance class before I froze them and she kept saying, ‘mommy, this is so yummy!’ She also asked for them to be placed in her lunchbox today and my son grabbed one on the way to school so it’s a true winner here! I added 1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the mixture at the end and it mellowed out the spicy salsa I used. When we drive up to visit our daughter in college, I will be making another batch to bring for her to put in her freezer. She will be thankful for the convenience of popping one in the microwave during late study nights and I’ll be thankful that she isn’t running to fast food! 🙂 Thank you for another great recipe!
I’m so happy to hear this, Tiffany! Glad they have already been a great grab-and-go item for your kiddos!
I made these for dinner tonight and put all of the extra in the freezer for later. Your mom knows how to make some killer burritos! They are so flavorful and saucy! I’ve had issues with dried out beans in the past after microwaving, but I’m pretty sure that will not be the case with these.
Happy you loved the finished product, Nicole!
This is so weird but I am going to a baby shower tonight where instead of giving gifts, we are giving freezer meals. For the past half hour I have been searching the internet for a freezer meal made out of ground beef…. Didn’t find anything that looked good. Then I decided to head on over to you to check out your latest recipe and BAM. There is was. The perfect thing I was looking for. It was magic. Meant to be.
What a GREAT baby shower idea!!
Crazy good timing! (And that’s a really great idea for baby shower gifts!)
Come back and report what people brought!
Could you do these without meat and not have them be too wet? Maybe just back on the enchilada/taco sauce? The frozen burritos we like most are just bean and cheese.
And do you have suggestions on enchilada sauce brands? I’ve tried a couple but usually make homemade so it’s been a while and I don’t remember being too impressed with any of them. I’ve never used taco sauce before at all so I have no idea if we like it or not. I always thought it was just basically salsa without any chunks. No?
If you glance at the notes section below the recipe, I’ve given my brand preferences there. Taco sauce is pretty similar to salsa – just super smooth. Honestly, this recipe is so adaptable that you could probably use salsa in place of the taco sauce and vice versa.
That’s a good question. I think it would work out ok – I’d probably cut the taco sauce down to 1 cup each.
If you put the sheet pan of rolled burritos into the freezer for a while, there’s no need to wrap each individually in plastic wrap. Just pop them in a freezer bag! (I’m constantly looking for ways to use last plastic and plastic wrap.)
Great idea!
Have you tried making these with whole wheat or Ezekiel tortillas? They look delicious!!!
I haven’t but I bet they would work great.
I too am confused about all the sauce/salsa:
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) green taco sauce or green enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) red taco sauce or red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup (4 ounces) salsa, green or red
I need an example of these sauces. What do you use? And do you really use 3 cups of sauce? Or is a choice between green or red sauce?
The amount of sauce called for in the recipe is correct (3 1/2 cups total). The only ingredient that I alter between green or red is the salsa. Otherwise, there is 1 1/2 cups green taco/enchilada sauce AND 1 1/2 cups red taco/enchilada sauce. If you take a look at the notes below the recipe, I’ve given examples of the brands I use. Keep in mind this makes a pretty large batch and the filling is saucier than some other recipes I have for burritos – so 3 1/2 cups of sauce works really well with the other ingredients (the refried beans help thicken up the filling).
I am already pretty famous for your Black Bean Sweet Potato and your other Freezer Burritos, so I CANNOT wait to make these. Do you have a favorite tortilla?
I usually use Mission brand.
These could easily be breakfast burritos too subbing sausage!!! That’s our “heat up burrito” as my boys call it. Thank you for once again supplying an awesome recipe!!
Great idea, Kelly!
Are there really 3 cups of either green or red taco sauce and green or red enchiladas sauce?
Yep, it makes a huge batch. 🙂
Can’t wait to make these! So just wondering if these are the brands your mom prefers too? Gotta be like momma’s!
She doesn’t have Trader Joe’s, so she doesn’t use brands from there but the other brands I mentioned she does use!
My husband always runs his frozen burrito under water just enough that the tortilla is wet. Shakes off any extra water and then puts it in the microwave. He says that the water on the tortilla allows the microwaves to heat it up faster (he is a food scientist). It actually does work and your tortilla isn’t soggy like you would think would happen! Can’t wait to try these!
What?? I had to read this twice! My soul is screaming “no soggy tortillas!” but I trust your food scientist husband. I’m going to make someone in my family try this!
I tend to put/spray/cook in water on everything before I put in the microwave.
Just made a batch of these to take to my two college boys. My husband sampled a few before they went into the freezer. He kept coming back for more. I’m sure these are going to be a huge hit with my boys. They will probably ask for a batch every time I go for a visit. Thank you for such great recipes! You have been one of my go-to’s for many, many years now.
LOVE the idea of sending these to college with your sons! Thanks, Summer! So glad you are still sticking around after all these years. 🙂
Do you happen to know the nutritional info on these? Thanks!
I don’t – sorry!
Would you sub one batch of your linked recipe for refried beans for the 3 cans?
I’m going to make these and try to trick my bean haters into eating them! I feel like they blend in with the meat! What they don’t know won’t hurt them, right? Cross your fingers for me!
I have the same question, BECKYM. I want to make the IP refried beans, too. Did you figure out the answer?
Andrea and Becky – when I make those IP or slow cooker refried beans, I package them in 2 cup bags and freeze. So I just pull out three packages from the freeze, thaw, and use them in this recipe. If you are making the beans solely for this recipe, you’ll probably end up using about half of a batch (so about 6 cups of beans total). Does that help?
That helps so much, Mel! Thank you! My beans are almost done and then I’m making the burritos and I am SO EXCITED! I have tried tons of your recipes and my family loves them all. I have become such a good cook because of you and cannot thank you enough! I tell everyone I know that “food is my love language” and I always credit you!
People whose love language is food are the best people!! 🙂 Thanks so much, Andrea! I hope you love these burritos!
Do you think another meat (i.e. shredded chicken) would work just as well?
Yes, for sure!
Tried shredded chicken and it worked great! I’m going to try other sauce brands next time. Couldn’t find the brand you suggested so I used La Preferida brand and I didn’t Prefer these (ha!). The sauce flavor was a bit bland as was the sauce when we tried it on its own, but the recipes for these and the refried beans are definitely winners and I’m excited to try them again. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback, Allison – glad the shredded chicken worked out so well!
I can’t wait to try making your family recipe! My family will be very surprised, all thanks to you!!
I am not familiar with all the green and red options…other than salsa. Could you or anyone please give me some advice? We eat pretty neutral and not too spicy. Is there a pairing etiquette? Stay with all green or mix it up red/green? What would be the mildest, medium, spiciest options or pairing. I usually use mild or medium salsa. Thanks from Minnesota!
Hey Moni! I usually use green salsa for my kids who don’t like chunks of tomatoes (usually red salsa is chunkier). Other than that, most all the salsa, enchilada and taco sauce options will come with mild, medium or hot versions so you can choose your spice preference.
As a family who regularly power cooks multiple batches of your other freezer burritos, and has them in our freezer almost always.. I can’t wait to make these and the greatest news of all for me is that your timing is perfect because I just bottled 21 pints of your salsa recipe and it is amazing stuff .. and the broiler method for peeling tomatoes is the greatest thing ever!! Looking forward to loading up my freezer with another of your winning recipes !!
Coincidently I have your other Beef and Bean Burritos in my freezer right now! They are such a favorite with my boys, I’m not sure how a trial of this new recipe will go over…..AND THAT RICE!–I’m surprised you haven’t posted it on its own as a side dish-yummy! (btw, I just mix the finished rice in with the filling to save time). Quick question: How ‘saucy’ are these burritos?…will the filling ooze out and will they flatten when stacked up?
Great questions, Sandra! The burritos are pretty saucy – but I don’t have a problem with the filling coming out while rolling as long as I don’t overfill the burrito. If I stack too many on each other they do flatten a bit. My mom actually intentionally flattens them – hers are more like a rectangle envelope and mine are more rounded. Just a personal preference!
thanks!
I have always kept beef and bean burritos in the freezer for my hungry boys but mine are basic and boring. These look so saucy, I can’t wait to try them. Now I am off to look for quick dinners for karate nights.
We are definitely in the quick dinner phase of life too.
I think my kids would love these in their lunches! They have microwaves at school too, and they are always looking for non-sandwich options (like leftovers). Do you know how long they need to microwave if they’ve defrosted in your lunch box? I’m sure they’ll ask! Thanks for all the great recipes!
Hi Laura – if the burrito is fully defrosted, they take about a minute to reheat. 🙂
Good timing! I’m filling my freezer in preparation for baby#2, and I needed more ideas. Thank you! I already made your quinoa granola cookies, spaghetti sauce and red sauce enchiladas. Can’t wait to try this one for quick lunches.
This would be perfect lunch saver for homeschooling moms, too! Making these with the kids asap.
YES! Great lunch for homeschoolers and weekenders.
You are ambitious, Jennie! I love it!
oh YUMMMMMMM!!!!!
I REALLY NEED ONE NOWWWW!!!!
These are almost identical to my mom’s recipe. We try to always have some in our freezer for last minute dinners, quick lunches and to take to others for a quick meal. The cook your own tortillas and homemade salsa make these even better!
I bet!
These look like a life saver. Thank you! I plan to make a ton on Saturday, and I know my daughter will have a lot of friends at our house while I’m making them. So, I likely want to cook some of them as I make them. In that case, for those that I don’t freeze, how do you advise cooking (i.e. temp and time in the oven)? Thank you!
Hi Sarah – to cook “fresh” burritos and not frozen, you can microwave for about a minute or pop several in the oven (I like to wrap them in foil so they don’t dry out but you could place several in a baking pan and cover the pan with foil – they might get a little golden/crusty on the bottom where the burrito sits in the pan but that’s ok) and heat at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so.
Perfect. Thank you, Mel!! Can’t wait.
I made your mom’s fabulous lasagna just last night (for my husband’s birthday dinner, no less). These might have to be next!
Oh man, that lasagna is the best! Happy birthday to your husband!
I am so excited to try these! My kids are in the midst of competitive marching band season with late rehearsals, football games and competitions galore. These will be a much better option to have when they’re starving at 11 pm and wanting to swing through the drive through on their way home! Thank you!!!
Amen to that, Kris!
There are three recipes that my boys ask for consistently: your mom’s lasagna, taquitos, and the burritos with rice and beans. These bean and cheese burritos may replace the other recipe for me (and them). I love that it makes so many; hungry teenagers are scary. Thanks for helping me feed my crew each week.
Haha. Yes, hungry teenagers ARE scary! That made me laugh.