How to Make Authentic Bean and Cheese Burritos

These Bean and Cheese Burritos are a flavor explosion! They've got creamy and seasoned pinto beans, Mexican-spiced rice, crisp corn, and savory black beans. We add creaminess and plenty of cheesiness by adding in sour cream and two types of cheese! Crisp up these tasty vegetarian burritos in a skillet or an air fryer!

Overhead image of Bean and Cheese Burritos on a plate, with one split open to show the interior.

Bean and Cheese Burritos

These burritos are part of my second mini-series "cook once enjoy all week long" with these homemade Pinto Beans. A quick run-down: prepare dried pinto beans (I promise, they're simple!) in the slow cooker or pressure cooker (AKA Instant Pot®) at the beginning of the week. Enjoy those beans as a side dish that day for dinner and then use the leftovers in recipes throughout the week. (Or freeze the leftovers and use them in place of canned pinto beans for future recipes.)

Bean and Cheese Burritos come together so fast with pre-made pinto beans–which have only gotten more flavorful as they've sat overnight. Plus, you don't need to warm the leftovers; they'll warm up with everything else.

Beyond these burritos, I also share how to use those homemade pinto beans in these Pinto Bean Tacos and these pinto Bean Tostadas. Cook once and enjoy some kitchen shortcuts for the remaining meal preparation throughout the week!

Process shots-- images of the rice being made.

Bean and Cheese Burrito Tips

Warm tortillas to help them be more pliable (and roll easier): Stack the tortillas on a large plate and place a damp paper towel over top. Microwave for 20 seconds to steam the tortillas. Keep any tortillas that aren't being filled covered with this damp paper towel.
Use large burrito-size tortillas to avoid filling spilling out or the tortillas ripping. If using smaller tortillas, reduce the quantities of ingredients added.
Crisp these Bean and Cheese Burritos. I know, microwaving is so convenient but for a knock-your-socks-off burrito experience, take an extra 5 minutes to get these crispy in the air fryer or in a skillet. I promise it's quick and totally worth it!
Allow time for the rice to steam. Once the liquid has evaporated in the seasoned rice, allow the rice to stand (still covered) and steam for 5-10 minutes before using. This keeps the rice from getting mushy or sticky.

Process shots-- images of the rice being cooked and the sour cream being added to the tortilla

Bean and Cheese Burrito Storage

Store freshly made burritos in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap (or wax or parchment paper) and then place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer bag. Enjoy throughout the week.
Freeze: Wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap (or wax or parchment paper) and then place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer bag. Label the bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Bean and Cheese Burrito Cooking Options

(See "quicktip" below)

Cooking from the fridge: Place the burrito in a skillet or on a grill pan and cook over medium-low heat until the outside is brown and crispy and the cheese is melted on the inside.
Cooking from the fridge in an air fryer: Unwrap the burrito, spray all sides with cooking spray, and place seam side down in the air fryer. Cook at 360 degrees F for 6-10 minutes (flipping halfway through) or until the burrito is crispy and browned to your desired preference. (This is the timing for one burrito; with more burritos be sure to space out the burritos and slightly increase cook time)
Cooking from frozen in an air fryer: Tightly wrap the burrito in foil and cook for 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. (The foil keeps the outside from getting too crispy before the inside is fully heated.)
Cooking in the microwave from frozen: Set the microwave to the defrost setting for approximately 7-9 minutes, or the defrost-by-weight setting (1 pound). Once the burrito is thawed, crisp in the skillet if desired.
Cooking in the oven from frozen: Wrap the burrito in foil and bake for 35-40 minutes in a 350 degrees F oven. Crisp in a skillet after baking if desired.

QUICK TIP

Microwaves, ovens, and air fryers can vary quite a bit. Watch these burritos carefully and adjust time as needed.

Process shots--images of the beans, rice, and cheese being added to the tortilla and being folded up

VARIATIONS

Variation ideas

Don't have time/desire to make the pinto beans from scratch? Use a can of refried beans instead!
Replace the green onions with freshly chopped cilantro (use 2 tablespoons instead)
Cut down the spice by eliminating the jalapeños and using McCormick chili powder (which is very mild)
Increase the spice by adding in 1/8 teaspoon (or more!) of cayenne pepper
Switch up the cheese! Use a different cheese or a blend of cheeses. We love combining Monterey Jack and extra sharp cheddar cheese best!

Bean and Cheese Burritos Topping suggestions

Honestly, these Bean and Cheese Burritos are brimming with flavor, so they really don't need a whole lot in way of toppings. We enjoy them with a side of sour cream (fat-free or lite is great!) and usually this salsa recipe (or store-bought salsa).

Fresh lime juice and cherry tomatoes, plus a little sprinkle of cotija cheese are also some toppings we'll occasionally include.

Up close overhead image of the bean and cheese burritos cut in half showing the inside

More delicious vegetarian meals

Vegetarian Enchiladaswith black beans
Vegetarian Chiliwith tons of veggies
Healthy Tacoswith a cilantro pesto
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowlswith a creamy sauce
Moroccan Stewwith butternut squash

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (65g) diced yellow onion (1/2 onion)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (~2 cloves)
1 tablespoon diced jalapeno seeds and ribs removed, optional
1 teaspoon EACH: ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
1 tablespoon ground chili powder (we use McCormick which is very mild)
Fine sea salt and cracked pepper
1 cup (185g) long grain white rice
1 & 3/4 cups (392g) chicken broth or stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian option; we love Swanson's best!)
1 cup (240g) prepared pinto beans (or refried beans) Note 1
1 cup (180g) black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup (160g) frozen corn
1/4 cup (19g) thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cups (172g) freshly grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
8 tablespoons sour cream (lite or fat-free is great)
8 large (burrito sized) tortillas
Olive oil cooking spray
Optional toppings/dips: salsa, sour cream, fresh lime, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro

PINTO BEANS: See Note 1
RICE: Add the olive oil to a nonstick pot over medium heat. Add in the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until golden and tender. Add in the minced garlic and jalapeño and stir for 1 minute. Add in all the seasonings (as well as salt and pepper to taste; I add 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Stir, constantly, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add in the uncooked rice and stir constantly (no liquid still!) for 2 minutes. Finally pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover the pot. Let cook for 12-17 minutes or until all the liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat, keeping the rice still covered, and let stand for 5-10 minutes.
RICE CONT.: Once the rice has finished standing, remove the lid. Stir in the black beans, frozen corn, green onions, and lime juice.
ASSEMBLY: Stack the tortillas on a large plate and place a damp paper towel over top. Microwave for 20 seconds to steam the tortillas. Keep the other tortillas covered while working on filling for 1 burrito. Place one of the tortillas in a clean work space. Spread 1 tablespoon sour cream on the left 1/3rd the tortilla. Top with 3 tablespoons of the pinto (or refried) beans. Top with 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of the filling mixture. Top with 1/4 cup of the sharp cheddar cheese. Fold up the burrito, rolling tightly and sealing so edges are folded in (great visual here). Repeat with the remaining burritos to get 8 loaded burritos!
COOK: Spray the burritos all over with olive oil cooking spray. Rub the spray into all sides of the burrito. Warm a very large nonstick skillet to medium heat for one minute. Once hot, place 2-3 burritos seam side down into the pan. Cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-4 minutes. Flip with tongs and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until golden and crisp. The filling should be hot and cheese melted. Serve with any desired toppings such as sour cream, salsa, cherry tomatoes, cotija cheese, and/or fresh lime juice

Note 1: This recipe uses leftovers from these homemade pinto beans!

Don't have the time to make from-scratch beans? It's okay!Canned refried beans work too.
If you do make thehomemadepintobeans (highly recommended!), wait until the next day so the beans are thick enough to use in this recipe (right after being made, they're a bit watery and thicken a lot overnight). No need to warm them through for these burritos, they'll get plenty warm when we cook the burritos. And if you want these burritos to be vegetarian use vegetarian stock and leave out the bacon in the homemade pinto beans.

Cooking/Re-heating Options:

Cooking from the fridge: Place the burrito in a skillet or on a grill pan and cook over medium-low heat until the outside is brown and crispy and the cheese is melted on the inside.
Cooking from the fridge in an air-fryer: Unwrap the burrito, spray all sides with cooking spray, and place seam side down in the air fryer. Cook at 360 degrees F for 6-10 minutes (flipping halfway through) or until burrito is crispy and browned to your desired preference. (This is timing for one burrito, with more burritos be sure to space out the burritos and slightly increase cook time)
Cooking from frozen in an air-fryer: Tightly wrap burrito in boil and fry for 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. (The foil keeps the outside from getting too crispy before the inside is fully heated).
Cooking in the microwave from frozen: Set your microwave to the defrost setting for approximately 7-9 minutes, or the defrost by weight setting (1 pound). Once burrito is thawed, crisp in the skillet if desired.
Cooking in the oven from frozen: Wrap the burrito in foil and bake for 35-40 minutes in a 350 degrees F oven. Crisp in skillet after baking if desired.

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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How to Make Authentic Bean and Cheese Burritos

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