Burrito Recipe
by Sommer Collier — on Sep 22, 2025 This easy burrito recipe makes classic burritos loaded with savory ground beef, rice, beans and melty cheese. We show you how to assemble and roll them perfectly, including our secrets for making the best beef burritos that hold together!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Isn’t there something so fun and satisfying about eating with your hands? I’m a big fan of great laid-back recipes that let you pick up and dig in with no need to bring out the utensils. (Really, I’m a big fan of anything that makes washing dishes easier!) And burritos filled with all kinds of meaty, cheesy, hearty goodies are one of those iconic handheld foods that are completely unfussy but oh my gosh so delicious!
Burritos are one of my go-to choices at casual Tex-Mex and Mexican food trucks and stalls, where they’re perfect for enjoying on the go as you stroll around. But if you crave them constantly (I’ve got my hand up), you’ll be happy to hear that making ridiculously tasty beef burritos right at home is much easier than you might think!
Why You’ll Love Homemade Burritos
- Simple and delicious – The best burritos don’t need to be complicated… We love to load them with classic ingredients like flavorful ground beef, beans and rice, shredded cheese, and fresh pico de gallo. Perfection!
- Pick your protein – Here we’re using a simple saucy ground beef mixture to make beef burritos. However, you can use this method to make ground or shredded chicken burritos, or even use leftover shredded chicken, beef, or pork to make these burritos as well!
- Make ahead and freeze – Roll up a batch of burritos to sear and serve right away, or wrap them up individually in foil and freeze before searing. Then just take out as many as you need and briefly cook for a quick dinner!
Keep reading for our super easy step-by-step photos and instructions for how to assemble and perfectly roll a burrito very time!
Ingredients and Tips
- Beef filling – Ground beef, onion, garlic, cumin powder, and your favorite hot sauce.
- Tortillas – Burrito-size (obviously) flour tortillas are best.
- Beans – Your choice of black beans or pinto beans.
- Cooked rice – Use white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice for a lower carb option.
- Pico de gallo – You can use store-bought or easily make your own fresh pico de gallo.
- Shredded cheese – Mexican blend, Monterey jack, or cheddar cheese all work well.
- Butter – Just a bit to sear the beef burritos.
Recipe Variations
- Meat – One of the many reasons this burrito recipe is the best is how easy it is to customize with your favorite protein! Swap ground beef with ground turkey or chicken. Or really change things up and use saucy shredded chicken taco meat or Mexican pulled chicken, carne asada, Cuban beef picadillo, or birria de res stew meat (traditionally used to make birria tacos). You can even just use leftovers, shredded chicken, beef, or pork! Just be sure to drain off as much moisture as possible before adding to the burritos.
- Vegetarian and vegan – Use plant-based ground meat alternatives (like Impossible or Beyond Meat), or pieces of crispy baked tofu for the main protein. Or leave these out entirely and load up more beans and rice! For vegan burritos simply use melty nondairy cheese and butter.
- Extras – You don’t want to overfill the burritos, so be careful adding anything more to the lineup. However, you can certainly swap out ingredients or use fewer of each to make room for corn, bell peppers, jalapenos, shredded lettuce, a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, or other burrito fillings you like.
How to Make Beef Burritos
Tips for Success – To roll the perfect burrito that won’t fall apart, leave a 1 inch gap between the filling ingredients and edge of the tortilla. Then fold the edges over the short ends of the rice and meat, approximately 1 inch up.
Take the closest long edge and fold it over the top of the filling. Tuck and roll the filling, making sure to keep the edges folded inward as you roll to the other side. Place the burritos flap side down to hold their shape. Repeat with the remaining burritos.
Then we briefly sear the burritos or bake them in the oven to melt the cheese and get a nice crispy exterior – AND this helps them to hold together!
Find the full Best Burrito recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – It’s best to enjoy the beef burritos right after they have been sautéed or baked. You can keep any leftover burrito in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for a day or so. But note that they will likely get soggy after just a few hours in the fridge.
- Freezing – These burritos can be wrapped individually in foil and kept in the freezer for later use. They’ll keep well for up to 3 months.
- Reheating – When ready to eat, bring the burritos out of the freezer. Then either bake or sauté in a skillet, or you can lay all the burritos, wrapped in foil, on a baking sheet and heat them all at once.
Serving Suggestions
In our opinion, the best toppings for burritos are simple add-ons like rich sour cream, guacamole, and fresh pico de gallo. And usually there is a bowl of salsa on the table, too! We’ve got several great recipes here, including spicy salsa matcha and salsa al pastor, a mild and bright tomatillo avocado salsa, smoky roasted tomato salsa, and the BEST classic salsa recipe.
For a full meal, I suggest you include your favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex sides like rice and beans or Mexican potatoes (papas bravas). Any one of our rice recipes like this copycat Chipotle cilantro lime rice, cheesy enchilada rice, easy Spanish rice, arroz amarillo (yellow rice) or arroz verde (green rice) are delicious with beef burritos!
And sure, we already include black beans in the burritos themselves – but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy more beans as a side dish! Our traditional refried beans and pinto beans recipes are always a big hit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Probably the #1 common mistake when making a burrito is overfilling the tortilla. There needs to be that 1-inch gap of space all around the edge, and the fillings shouldn’t be piled any higher than the tortilla can wrap around. You should have no problem if you follow our step-by-step instructions in the images above and recipe card below!
A soggy burrito usually means the meat and/or beans weren’t drained thoroughly. Also, be careful when adding ingredients like pico de gallo, salsa, and sour cream so that you don’t overdo it.
Beef Burrito Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the Burrito Meat –
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3-4 tablespoons hot sauce Cholula, Frank’s, Tabasco…
- 3 tablespoons water
- Salt and pepper
For the Burrito Recipe –
- 8 large burrito-size flour tortillas
- 15 ounce can black beans drained (or pinto beans)
- 3 cups cooked white rice from 1 cup dried rice, or use vacuumed-sealed cooked rice
- 1 ½ cup pico de gallo
- 3 cups shredded cheese Mexican blend, Monterey jack, or Cheddar
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef to the skillet and brown the beef, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once the beef is almost fully cooked, add the chopped onion, garlic, cumin , 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper. Sauté the meat and vegetables until the onions are soft. Then stir in the hot sauce and water. Simmer for another 1-2 minutes and then turn off the heat.
- Assemble the Burritos: Lay the tortillas out on a clean work surface. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of shredded cheese over the top of each tortilla , leaving a 1-inch rim around the edges. On one side of the tortilla, sprinkle 1/3 cup of rice into a line. Add approximately 3 tablespoons of black beans over the rice, followed by 1/3 cup of ground beef. Sprinkle the top with 3 tablespoons of pico de gallo.
- Roll the Burritos: Fold the edges over the short ends of the rice and meat, approximately 1 inch up. Then take the closest long edge and fold it over the top of the filling. Tuck and roll the filling, making sure to keep the edges folded inward as you roll to the other side. Place the burritos flap side down to hold their shape. Repeat with the remaining burritos. *If planning to freeze for later use, at this point wrap the burrito in a sheet of foil. Then place all the burritos in a gallon freezer bag.
- How to Sear: Set a clean skillet over medium-low heat. Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, place the burritos in the skillet. Sear the sides for 2 minutes turning as they brown, to ensure all the fillings are warmed through and the cheese has melted.How to Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lay the burritos in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the fillings are warmed through and the cheese has melted.
Notes
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- Storing Leftovers – It’s best to enjoy the beef burritos right after they have been sautéed or baked. You can keep any leftover burrito in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for a day or so. But note that they will likely get soggy after just a few hours in the fridge.
- Freezing – These burritos can be wrapped individually in foil and kept in the freezer for later use. They’ll keep well for up to 3 months.
- Reheating – When ready to eat, you can bring the burritos out of the freezer one at a time or all at once. Then either bake it or sauté in a skillet, or you can lay all the burritos, wrapped in the foil, on a baking sheet and heat them all at once.
