Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos
These cheesy bean and rice burritos are an easy, budget-friendly vegetarian meal made with refried beans, rice, and melty cheese wrapped in a toasted tortilla. They are filling, protein-packed, and perfect for a quick Meatless Monday dinner situation or effortless weekday lunches. Think Taco Bell vibes, but better and made with simple ingredients.
What was your Taco Bell order?
Or maybe, what is your Taco Bell order?
Growing up, my mom’s fast food of choice was definitely Taco Bell. My dad worked out of town often, and when my mom didn’t feel like cooking dinner, we went through the Taco Bell drive-thru and ate burritos on the couch while watching Supermarket Sweep. Puh-leease tell me you remember that show.
My order was always the same – two bean burritos, no onions.
I don’t frequent Taco Bell these days, but I do still love a simple refried bean burrito. This version is elevated with cilantro lime rice (like the packets you can get from Costco or the grocery store!), freshly grated cheese, and a homemade dipping sauce. Pictured is my easy cilantro yogurt sauce, but I also adore this chipotle crema or jalapeño aioli. Don’t forget to toast the burritos; it really takes them to the next level.
Since I like dinners to be more veg-heavy, I pair these with a simple side salad made with whatever vegetables I have on hand.
Aaand that’s it! Let’s make them! Think outside the bun, y’all, and live más. 😉
What You’ll Need to Make Refried Bean Burritos:
- You can use traditional refried beans or refried black beans (I prefer black!)
- I get the cilantro lime rice packets from Costco, but nearly any grocery store will have them in the rice aisle.
- The creamy element in the bean filling is sour cream, or if you’d like a lower-fat alternative, you can use plain Greek yogurt.
- For cheese, I like a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack.
- Tortilla thoughts: I buy the Tortilla Land fresh tortillas – meaning you have to cook them. They take about 30 seconds per side on high heat, and they taste authentic and amazing. These are found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store (or Costco), usually by the sour cream/cottage cheese. However, you can get whatever tortillas you enjoy!
How to Make Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos
In a bowl, mix together the refried black beans, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, taco seasoning, salsa, and hot sauce until smooth and well combined. Adjust to your desired spice level.
Cook or warm the tortillas so they’re soft and flexible. Prepare the cilantro lime rice according to the package instructions. Optional – you can mix the rice and beans together.
Add about ¼ cup bean mixture, ¼ cup rice, and 2 tablespoons shredded cheese to the center of each warm flour tortilla.
Fold in the sides and roll tightly to form a burrito.
Heat a large frying pan or griddle over medium heat with a small swish of oil. Place burritos seam-side down in the pan and cook about 3 minutes to seal the seam. Rotate the burritos and toast the remaining sides for 1 to 3 minutes each until golden and crispy all around.
Serve hot with smashed avocado, cilantro lime sauce, chipotle sauce, salsa, hot sauce, tortillas chips and/or side salad.
FAQs
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in an air fryer at 375°F for 4-5 minutes until crispy and warmed through.
You could make your own cilantro lime rice, use Spanish rice or plain steamed white or brown rice!
Busy weeknights can’t get us down, c’mon y’all to burrito town! (sorry, that was super lame)
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Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5-7 minutes
- Total Time: 20-22 minutes
- Yield: 7–8 burritos 1x
- Category: Dinner, Meatless
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Cheesy bean and rice burrito made with refried beans, cilantro lime rice, and melty cheese in a toasted tortilla. It’s giving Taco Bell energy but with a handful of wholesome pantry staples!
Ingredients
Bean filling
- 1 14oz can refried beans (I like refried black beans!)
- 1/3 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 oz cheddar cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning OR 1 teaspoon chili powder + 1/2 teaspoon each cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder + 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons salsa
- dash of hot sauce, optional
AssemblyÂ
- 8 8-inch tortillas (I like the Tortilla Land ready-to-cook ones that you cook up fresh!)
- 4 oz cheese, grated (about 1 cup, I like a blend of cheddar + Monterey Jack)
- 1–2 packets cilantro lime rice (or 1 1/2–2 cups cooked rice)
- swish of oil, for toasting
for serving: salsa, hot sauce, cilantro yogurt sauce or chipotle crema or creamy jalapeño sauce
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together one 14oz can refried black beans, â…“ cup sour cream, 2oz grated cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning, 2 tablespoons salsa and a dash of hot sauce until well combined.
- Cook or warm your tortillas to make them more pliable. (see note) Cook or heat your rice per the package instructions. You can either mix the rice into the bean mixture or assemble the burritos with the beans and rice separately.
- To each tortilla, add about ¼ cup creamy bean mixture, ¼ cup rice and 2 tablespoons cheese. Fold in the ends and then roll the tortilla tightly around the filling into a burrito.
- In a large skillet or griddle, add a swish of oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the burritos seam side down and toast for 3 minutes. This helps ‘seal’ the burrito shut. Rotate the burritos, toasting 1-3 minutes on the remaining three sides until toasty golden brown all around.
- Whip up this cilantro yogurt sauce or chipotle crema for dunking.
- Serve hot with sauces of choice, smashed avocado, salsa, tortilla chips and a simple side salad!
Notes
Tortillas: if you’re using fresh tortillas (pictured), cook them per the package instructions and proceed with assembly. If you’re using pre-cooked tortillas, wrap them in a damp paper towel and warm them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds so they are more pliable and easier to roll.
Refer to the above blog post for step-by-step photos, ingredient information and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burrito
- Calories: 348
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 886.8 mg
- Fat: 12.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 2.4 g
- Protein: 14.3 g
- Cholesterol: 24.6 mg
