Beef and Bean Burritos (EASY 20-Minute Dinner)
Beef and Bean Burritos are easy to make in under 20 minutes and deliciously satisfying, stuffed with a mixture of lean ground beef, refried beans, taco seasoning, salsa, and cheese!
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If you enjoy recipes featuring ground beef and beans, you'll also love Beefy 3-Bean Chili, Easy Chili Mac, or French Bread Taco Pizza!
When I need a speedy, effortless dinner that'll satisfy everyone in my family, Beef and Bean Burritos never fail!
Requiring just a few simple ingredients, this recipe almost isn't even a "recipe."
But seeing as how nobody ever complains when I make it for dinner, it's a "non-recipe" that you'll almost certainly want to put on your rotation. 😉
Ingredients
It's likely that you already have all of the ingredients you need to make these Beef and Bean Burritos on hand.
- Lean ground beef. Ground turkey also works beautifully.
- Fresh minced garlic. Or for a shortcut, you can use the stuff from the jar...I'll never tell. 😉
- Salsa. I always keep a batch of my beloved Homemade Fresh Salsa in the fridge, but canned or store-bought jarred salsa will work great as well. If you don't have salsa, you can substitute plain or Mexican tomato sauce.
- Taco Seasoning. Again, either Homemade Taco Seasoning or a store-bought packet is fine.
- Refried beans. Your favorite canned brand is perfect! Or this recipe is also a great way to use up leftover Homemade Refried Beans if you've got 'em.
- Shredded cheese. Use your favorite...cheddar, colby jack, Monterey jack, pepper jack, or a Mexican blend.
- Burrito-sized flour tortillas. Using burrito-sized tortillas gives you enough room to roll the tortilla around the filling. I'm actually obsessed with the Uncooked Flour Tortillas from Costo (which are large and burrito-sized), although they do need to be cooked before wrapping them around your burrito filling.
How to Make Beef and Bean Burritos
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
The next time you're staring in the fridge at 5 o'clock wondering what to make for dinner, this recipe is ridiculously quick and easy!
- Brown your ground beef and garlic until cooked through. Drain the grease.
- Add the taco seasoning and salsa. Stir well to combine.
- Add the refried beans and the shredded cheese. Stir until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the Beef and Bean Burritos filling is heated through and the cheese is completely melted.
- Warm your tortillas. I typically wrap them in a damp paper towel, set them on a plate, and pop them in the microwave for 30 or so seconds.
- Dollop a generous amount of the beef/bean mixture down the center of a warm tortilla. Fold the ends in and then roll up.
- Garnish with your desired toppings and serve immediately.
Embellishing Your Beef and Bean Burritos
The beauty of Beef and Bean Burritos lies in both their simplicity and the ability to jazz them up to your liking!
Enjoy them plain or drizzle them with queso, sour cream, salsa, creamy jalapeño, creamy salsa, or even warm enchilada sauce.
Top them with diced tomatoes, cubed avocado, sliced black olives, pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, black bean and corn salsa, or fresh cilantro.
You can even opt to sprinkle the above add-ons over the beef and bean mixture before rolling up a burrito (so that the add-ons are inside the burrito).
The possibilities are truly endless! 🙂
Yield + Storage
This filling makes enough for 4 to 6 Beef and Bean Burritos, depending on how full you like to stuff 'em.
Leftover filling will keep in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Simply reheat the filling and build fresh burritos using warm tortillas when you're ready to enjoy them.
(It's preferable to make fresh burritos as you're ready to eat them rather than refrigerate already-assembled burritos, since they can get soggy.)
Freezer Burritos
What say you want to save yourself even more time by whipping up a batch of Beef and Bean Burritos and popping them in the freezer for instant future meals?
FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Prepare the burrito filling as directed, but allow it to cool down before wrapping in slightly-warm flour tortillas (just so they don't crack when you roll them).
2. Wrap each cooled (to prevent sogginess later) burrito in a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper, followed by a double layer of foil.
3. Place the wrapped burritos in a freezer-thickness, gallon-sized zip-top bag. Label it with "Beef and Bean Burritos" and the date. You will want to use them all up within 3 months.
When you're ready to enjoy a burrito, remove it from the bag and unwrap it.
REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Place the frozen burrito on a microwave-safe plate and lay a damp paper towel on top.
2. Microwave for 1 minute, flip the burrito over, and then microwave for 1 minute more.
3. If the burrito isn't heated through by this point, continue heating for 30 second increments until it's nice and hot. However, don't overcook or the tortilla may dry out too much.
So the next time you need a family-pleasing dinner that's ready in a flash, Beef and Bean Burritos are here to save the day!
Quick.
Easy.
Customizable.
YUM! 🙂
More Easy Taco-Seasoned Ground Beef Dinners
- Loaded Mexican Cornbread Casserole
- Taco Pasta Skillet
- Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Homemade Taco Hamburger Helper
Beef and Bean Burritos
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup salsa
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning, OR 1 packet store-bought taco seasoning
- 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas, warmed
OPTIONAL FILLINGS AND/OR GARNISHES:
- cooked rice, cubed avocado, diced tomato, pico de gallo, extra shredded cheese, salsa, queso, sour cream, sliced pickled jalapeños, sliced black olives, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a medium pot set over medium heat, brown ground beef and garlic until meat is no longer pink, breaking it up and stirring frequently; drain fat.
- Pour the salsa over the ground beef and sprinkle with the taco seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Add the refried beans and shredded cheese to the pot and stir until all ingredients are well combined. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the beef/bean mixture is heated through and the cheese is completely melted.
- Dollop a generous amount of the beef/bean mixture down the center of a warm tortilla, along with any additional desired fillings. Fold the ends in and then roll up. Garnish with toppings and serve immediately.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Ground turkey may be substituted for the ground beef.
- You can use a larger package of ground beef (such as those from Costco, which are 1 ⅓ pound) and keep the other ingredient ratios the same. The recipe will just yield more servings.
- If you don’t have any salsa on hand, tomato sauce (plain or Mexican) may be substituted.
- For the shredded cheese, you can use cheddar, colby jack, Monterey jack, pepper jack, or a Mexican blend.
- You can cook Costco fresh tortillas in a skillet, or warm precooked burrito-sized tortillas in the microwave wrapped in damp paper towels.
- See post for Freezer Instructions.
