This Crispy Bean and Cheese Burrito Recipe is the ultimate quick and easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love. Each pan-fried burrito is filled with refried beans, salsa, and melty cheese. They’re perfect for serving with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or any of your favorite Mexican toppings.
You can easily update this burrito recipe to add ground beef, chicken, or additional veggies and cheese. I’ve included a list of recipe variations below to get you started.
Crispy Bean and Cheese Burrito Recipe
If you are looking for a family-friendly weeknight meal that can be ready in about 15 minutes, these bean and cheese burritos are where it’s at. Not only are they delicious, filling, and super easy to make, they are also freezer-friendly and require just a handful of pantry ingredients.
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This recipe shows you how to make classic bean and cheese burritos, but feel free to try any of the variations listed below. You can add various proteins and spices, try different beans and cheeses, and so much more. Serve with sour cream and your favorite salsa or guacamole. And if you like this recipe, you will love these Crispy Ground Beef Tacos.
Key Ingredients
- Refried Beans – when it comes to buying refried beans, you have a couple of different options. If you are a strict vegetarian, look for cans that say “vegetarian” because many brands contain lard. Also, if you like your burritos spicy try to find refried beans with chipotle or jalapenos in them. Both pinto beans and black beans work as substitutes, if you prefer.
- Salsa – use your favorite brand of salsa, or even try making your own Homemade Fresh Salsa. You will need some to mix into the refried beans as well as extra to serve for a dipping sauce.
- Shredded Cheese – I like to use either a Mexican blend or shredded cheddar cheese. Pepper jack or Monterey jack would taste great, too.
- Tortillas – you will need medium-sized flour tortillas. Sometimes you can find tortillas that are actually labeled “burrito.”
How to Make Bean and Cheese Burritos
- Make the bean mixture. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the refried beans and salsa.
- Build the burritos. Lay a tortilla onto a flat surface and spread about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture onto it. Sprinkle the beans with a couple tablespoons of shredded cheese. Tuck the sides of the tortilla in, then roll the burrito tightly from bottom to top. Continue with the rest of the tortillas.
- Pan-fry the burritos. In a large skillet, add a couple tablespoons of oil and heat until warm. Add 2-3 burritos at a time, seam side down, and heat until the bottom of the burritos are golden brown. Use tongs to flip the burritos and heat until the cheese is melted inside and all sides of the tortilla are golden brown. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Serve. Serve warm with salsa and sour cream for dipping. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
For these Crispy Bean Burritos, I like to use creamy refried beans. Not only are they super delicious, you can spread them easily over the tortillas which helps the cheese to stick as you are rolling. If you are looking for good substitutes, try pinto beans or black beans.
Bean and Cheese Burritos are the best make-ahead meal! They can be made overnight, stored in the fridge, and then pan-fried the next day. Or, turn them into an easy freezer meal by freezing the pre-built but uncooked burritos for up to 2 months. Store in freezer bags with as much air removed as possible.
When you are ready to eat, remove from the freezer and thaw for an hour or so, then cook as directed.
If you have leftover burritos that you want to reheat, you have plenty of options. The quickest way is to wrap it in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. If you want to preserve the crispiness, you can reheat in a toaster oven, refry in a pan over medium heat, wrap in foil and warm in a 350 degree oven, or even toss into an air fryer for 5 minutes.
Yes! If you want a similar texture as deep fried burritos but don’t want all of the grease, you can try air frying them. Place in a single layer in the air fryer basket seam side down and cook at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Add protein. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of ground beef or shredded chicken over the bean mixture before adding the cheese and rolling up.
- Try different beans. Try using refried black beans, or mashing up black beans or pinto beans instead. If you like things hot, you can also find spicy refried beans.
- Add rice. A couple tablespoons or cooked rice can be added for a bit of texture. Brown rice or white rice would taste great.
- Make it spicy: Mix some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce with your beans and top with sliced jalapeños and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add Mexican street corn: Add a scoop of Mexican street corn (corn mixed with mayonnaise, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime juice) to your burrito and enjoy the sweet and savory flavors.
- Breakfast burrito: Add scrambled eggs, diced potatoes, and crispy bacon to your bean burrito for a delicious breakfast twist.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: store leftover burritos in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: uncooked burritos can be stored in freezer bags and frozen for up to 2 months. When you are ready to eat, pull them out and let them thaw for at least 30 minutes before cooking as directed.
- To reheat: leftover burritos can be wrapped in a damp paper towel and reheated for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. If you want to retain some of the crispiness, you can reheat in a toaster oven (about 5 minutes), a preheated 350 degree oven (about 10 minutes), or even an air fryer (about 5 minutes).
Crispy Bean and Cheese Burritos Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces refried beans
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 2/3 cup shredded cheese, Mexican blend or cheddar
- 6 medium flour tortillas
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil
For Dipping
- salsa
- sour cream
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the refried beans and salsa and mix well.
- Lay a tortilla onto a flat surface and spread about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture onto it, then sprinkle the beans with about 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.
- Tuck the sides of the tortilla in, then roll the burrito tightly from bottom to top. Continue with the rest of the tortillas.
- In a large skillet, add a couple tablespoons of oil and heat until warm. Add 2-3 burritos at a time, seam side down, and heat until the bottom of the burritos are golden brown. Use tongs to flip the burritos and heat until the cheese is melted inside and the burrito is golden and crispy on both sides. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Serve warm with salsa and sour cream for dipping. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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More Quick and Easy Mexican-Inspired Dinner Ideas
- Crispy Ground Beef Tacos
- Chipotle Carne Asada
- Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Mexican Rice
- Red Chicken Enchiladas
- Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Homemade Taco Pizza
- Green Chile Taquitos
- 7 Layer Bean Dip
- Steak Fajitas
- Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
- More Dinner Recipes
- More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
This crispy bean and cheese burrito recipe is filled with refried beans, salsa, and melty cheese. They’re a freezer-friendly 15 minute meal that everyone loves.
Categories:
30-Minute Meals, Easy Weeknight Meals, Main Dish, Meal Prep, Nut-Free, Tex Mex, Vegetarian,
