Skip the takeout! This easy burrito recipe is a budget-friendly way to enjoy your favorite Chipotle restaurant dish at home. They’re freezer-friendly, too, so you can satisfy your Mexican food cravings any night of the week!
More easy Mexican-inspired dinners
Before You Get Started
These burritos are perfect for meal prep. Make a full batch and you’ve got two dinners for one effort. A few tips to make sure they turn out perfectly:
- Skip watery fillings if you’re freezing. Tomatoes, salsa, bell peppers, and lettuce will make the tortilla soggy. Save those for fresh garnishes at serving time.
- Spread the beans on first. Refried beans act as a moisture barrier between the filling and the tortilla. That’s the real secret to burritos that don’t get soggy: crispy on the outside, warm and cheesy on the inside.
- Use large burrito-size tortillas. 10-inch flour tortillas are essential for getting the filling ratio right and folding without tearing. I like Mission brand because they’re extra soft and pliable.
How to Make a Burrito
Whether you enjoy them right away or pull them from the freezer on a busy night, this is an easy burrito recipe you’ll come back to again and again. Here’s the overview:
Step 1: Cook the Taco Meat
Cook the ground beef with the taco seasoning and water according to the packet instructions. Simmer and stir until the liquid thickens and the sauce coats the meat.
A squeeze of fresh lime juice is a great flavor booster here; it brightens everything up.
If you want more control over the seasoning, swap the packet for my Homemade Taco Seasoning.
Step 2: Assemble the Burritos
Spread refried beans down the center of each tortilla. This is your moisture barrier. Top with rice, the meat filling, corn, and cheese.
To fold, tuck in the sides first, then roll tightly from the bottom up, keeping the filling in as you go. Place seam-side down in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
→ A note on proportions: these burritos are generously filled. If you prefer a bolder meat-to-rice ratio, use a little less rice and a bit more of the beef and cheese. It’s a recipe worth customizing to your taste.
Step 3: Bake
Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, until heated through. If you’re baking cold burritos straight from the refrigerator, add about 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
→ For an extra-crispy exterior, try this: after baking, transfer a burrito to a lightly buttered skillet and toast for about 1 minute per side until golden. It’s an easy step that makes a real difference in texture.
What to Serve Alongside
To round out the meal, set out your favorite toppings: guacamole, homemade salsa, sour cream, diced tomatoes, and fresh cilantro are all great.
For a heartier spread, my Jiffy Mexican Cornbread and Ranch Style Beans are simple sides that pair beautifully with these burritos.
These burritos are AWESOME! My family loves them!
– Angie
Storage and Freezing
Refrigerator: Store leftover burritos in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat covered in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through.
Freezer: This is where the recipe really shines. Wrap each unbaked burrito individually in aluminum foil before baking, then freeze. When you’re ready to eat, bake the foil-wrapped burrito straight from the freezer at 350°F for 45-55 minutes. No thawing required. Just pull one out when you need a quick dinner and let the oven do the work.
Make-Ahead: Assemble the burritos up to 24 hours ahead of time, cover the pan tightly, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different protein?
Absolutely. Ground turkey and ground chicken work just as well as beef. Cook them the same way with taco seasoning and water. For a shortcut, you can also use shredded rotisserie chicken.
Check out my Chicken Burrito for that version!
Why do my burritos taste bland?
Taco seasoning packets can vary in intensity. A squeeze of fresh lime juice added to the meat makes a big difference, and so does bumping up the seasoning. Try adding a pinch of cumin, chili powder, or cayenne.
Using my Homemade Taco Seasoning instead of a packet gives you more control over the flavor.
Can I add other fillings?
Yes, this recipe is really just a guide. Use black beans instead of refried beans, swap in brown rice, skip the corn, or add sautéed onions and peppers. Just keep in mind that if you’re planning to freeze the burritos, you’ll want to skip any watery vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, lettuce) to keep the tortilla from getting soggy.
More Easy Mexican-Inspired Dinners
I made these burritos for my wife and she fell in love with me all over again. Thanks and Gracias!!!!!!
– Ralph
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
The Easiest Burrito Recipe
Equipment
- 9 x 13-Inch Baking Dish (this is my favorite baking dish with a lid)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning mix
- 1 ½ cups refried beans (or 1 ½ cups drained and rinsed black beans)
- ¾ cup corn kernels
- 3 cups cooked rice (use Uncle Ben's microwaveable Ready Rice for a quick option)
- 6 large (10-inch) flour tortillas (such as Mission brand "burrito size" tortillas)
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend
- Optional garnish: finely diced red onion; lettuce; diced tomato or salsa; sour cream; fresh cilantro; avocado or guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook the ground beef with the taco seasoning mix according to the package instructions.
- To assemble each burrito: spread ¼ cup beans down the center of a tortilla. Top with ½ cup rice, a portion of the beef, 2 tablespoons corn, and ¼ cup cheese.
- Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll up from the bottom. Place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, until heated through. If baking cold burritos from the refrigerator, add 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
Notes
- Make it your own: This recipe is a guide, not a strict formula. Use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, swap in black beans, use brown rice, or adjust the filling amounts to taste. If you want a bolder flavor, try my Homemade Taco Seasoning instead of a packet.
- Bean first, always: Spreading the refried beans on the tortilla first creates a moisture barrier that keeps the tortilla from getting soggy. Don’t skip this step.
- Adjust the ratio: These burritos are generously sized. For a bolder meat-forward flavor, use a little less rice and a bit more of the beef and cheese mixture.
- To freeze: Wrap each unbaked burrito in aluminum foil. Freeze flat. To reheat from frozen: place foil-wrapped burritos on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes.
- Refrigerator storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Crispy exterior tip: After baking, toast burritos in a lightly buttered skillet for about 1 minute per side for a golden, crispy exterior.
- Serving suggestions: Serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, diced tomatoes, and fresh cilantro. Jiffy Mexican Cornbread and Ranch Style Beans are great sides to round out the meal.
Nutrition
Originally published in April, 2018, this post was updated in April, 2026.
Great food photos. It looks so good.
Thank you so much, Maggie!
Yum. Easy and tasty. I don’t usually post but this competes with our favorite chipotle burrito. I used arugula instead of lettuce as we prefer the zesty flavors and Mexicorn instead of plain.
Amazing! Thanks for taking the time to leave a note! 🙂
This is a amazing recipe for food thank you so much blair you so gifted.
Thank you, Jaylin!
Love this tons, and I make it multiple times a month. The alterations I make include using a package of Beyond Beef, and spooning a thin layer of guacamole and cilantro paste onto the tortilla before filling with toppings. The burritos really hit the spot, great recipe!
Thank you, Vee! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks for sharing your version, too. I love that it’s so flexible!
Thank you for including the heating instructions for fresh, fridge and frozen!
You’re so welcome! 🙂
Definitely will be on our menu soon. I’ll probably use ground turkey because I have extra. Thank you
Thanks, Shery! I hope you enjoy them! The turkey will work perfectly. 🙂
Tried this recipe over a year ago ,the family loved it ,it’s a regular now at least once a week .
Thanks for this delicious meal.
We’re so happy to hear this, Chris!Thank you for sharing.
Can I microwave leftover frozen burritos vs reheating in oven ?
Hi Leslie! Yes, we’re sure that you can — you’d just have to keep an eye on it to see how long it needs. We’ve never tried it in my microwave, and every microwave is a little different, but it should work just fine. You’ll want to keep it wrapped in a microwave safe damp paper towel or plastic cover so that it doesn’t dry out while cooking. Enjoy!
Sounds great going to make to night.I like mine fried,so the wrap will be brown and crisp,I brush with olive oil and bake. My bunch likes to top with chili, Lettuce sour cream and cheese, the red onion sounds great,Thanks so much.
Sounds delicious, Linda! We hope you enjoy.
Quick question about the freezing of the burritos. Am I supposed to bake the whole batch and then freeze what I have left or do I skip the baking step for the ones I want to freeze until I’m ready to cook and eat them?
Hey, Zachary! You just want to bake the burritos that you plan to eat right away. If you want to freeze any of them, skip the baking step and just freeze the burritos BEFORE baking them. Hope that helps, and enjoy!
Hi! Thanks so much for this. Can I freeze after baking too? (I had one left over)
Yes, that should be fine! 🙂
This is just what I was looking for and can’t wait to try it. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
We hope you enjoy it, Delores!
Can I microwave it ?
Yes, I’m sure that you can — you’d just have to keep an eye on it to see how long it needs. I’ve never tried it in my microwave, and every microwave is a little different, but it should work just fine. You’ll want to keep it wrapped in a microwave safe damp paper towel or plastic cover so that it doesn’t dry out while cooking. Enjoy!
But not when wrapped in foil!!!
Metal will arc in the microwave. Maybe wrap in parchment paper instead, or not wrapped at all.
so good! i substituted the tortilla with lettuce as i had some leftover, and it was fantastic!
Thanks, Dan! That sounds perfect!
This is perfect I’ve made it 3 times already!
Thank you, Tim! 🙂
The Easiest Burrito Recipe!
I really enjoyed this Burrito, but i think I made a mistake at the beginning.
I mixed hamburger meat and taco seasoning in a skillet and cooked it. Now that I
reread the recipe I Think it was all supposed to be baked at the same time. Please enlighten me
Ray
Hi, Ray! I usually just follow the instructions on the seasoning packet, which calls for you to brown the ground beef, drain off the fat, and then return the beef to the skillet. At that point, you add the seasoning mix with some water to the beef in the skillet and let it simmer until the sauce thickens. If you enjoyed the recipe, though, your way of doing it was probably fine, too! 🙂
Delicious and quick, easy to make. Thank you so much.
Thanks, Saira! So glad that you liked them!
First time I ever tried making a burrito. I liked the recipe, but I thought the burritos were a bit dry. Any tips on how to make them more moist?
Hi, Barbara! Were the tortillas themselves dry, or was the filling dry? You might try adding more salsa or taco sauce to the filling, but you don’t want to use too much water or wet ingredients if you plan to freeze them. If it was the tortillas that were dry, you might try a different brand. We really like a brand that sells “super soft” tortillas, which don’t get too dry here. Hope that helps!
These were fantastic! To meet my family’s likes, with the taco seasoning, I sauteed: beef and onion; chicken, onion, and sweet peppers; and diced zucchini & yellow squash to make 3 different kinds of burrito. One of us likes refried beans; the other two like black beans…the possibilities are endless!!! Thank you for the recipe; it’s a keeper!!
I love that idea, Anne! Thanks for the great suggestions!
Are your oven temps for fan assisted or non-fan assisted ovens?
Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Hi, Ellie! I always use an oven that does not have a fan. 🙂
This was delicious! I did use a little jar salsa and they were not dry. They were perfect. I will definitely be making these again.
Wonderful! Thanks, Dee!
So the rice is supposed to be raw when I bake it?
Hey, Susan! Nope, the recipe calls for 3 cups of cooked rice, so you want to measure the 3 cups after it’s cooked. 🙂 Enjoy the burritos!
The rice would never cook without a bunch of water. So definitely not raw rice in burritos… Jasmine rice tasted very good with this recipe..
I think it should not be refrigerated if we want to bake
Do you wrap the burritos individually or just put aluminum foil over the pan that goes in the over?
Hey, Taylor! If you’re making an entire pan at once, you just cover the whole dish with foil (no need to wrap individually). To freeze the burritos in individual servings, wrap each burrito individually in aluminum foil before freezing. Then just remove one (or more) burritos from the freezer when you’re ready to eat.
Hope that helps clarify! 🙂
Thank you!! Making these tonight!☺️
Might be a silly question, but normally the garnish would go on after but would it not be a pain to try to open up the burrito after everything is melted? And putting the lettuce in before does not seem like a good idea
Hi, Jane! I don’t put any of the garnishes inside the burritos. Instead, I just use them to top the burritos once they’re baked. Hope that helps clarify, and enjoy!
Bake them “open-faced” and after they’re done you can add garnishes. Best wishes!
These are perfect! Thanks alot!!
Thanks, Matt! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them and thanks for taking the time to leave me a note.
We are in California and on stay at home quarantine but wanted something different for dinner. This filled the bill and I had extras to freeze. I like burritos and I don’t know why I have not tried making them at home. In my emergency pantry I had all the ingredients plus the soft tortillas! So glad to see this posting today and many thanks for sharing. I found suggestions in the reviews that I’ll try next time!
That’s great, Wendy! I’m so glad that your first homemade burrito was a success (and that you didn’t even have to go grocery shopping). 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
I have spanish style rice, good idea or bad idea?
Great idea!!! I bet it would add nice flavor. 🙂
My burrito flour wraps broke while rolling. Should they be baked in the oven before rolling?
Hi Alli,
We don’t recommend baking them first. However, some tortilla brands are more pliable than others. So, it may help to warm them slightly before rolling.
Hi Blair,
We loved these, I made my own flour tortillas and my own taco seasoning (a bit bored with lockdown here in Australia). We love, love loved these.
Wow — I bet they were amazing with the homemade tortillas! Thanks so much for letting me know, Kim. Stay safe!