Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos Recipe (2024)

Published: Oct 10, 2022 by Addison LaBonte · This post may contain affiliate links.

This Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos Recipe consist of warm tortillas with a crispy exterior, filled with refried beans, cheese, rice, and creamy jalapeño sauce.

It's a great recipe to make on busy weeknights, especially if you prepare the sauce and rice ahead of time. This way you'll have a meal ready in 5 minutes!

Taco Bell's cheese burritos are one of their cheapest menu items. They can be customized and filled with anything you like such as ground beef, red sauce, lettuce, etc.

This vegetarian version is delicious on its own or paired with guacamole, salsa, or cheese sauce.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Tortilla wraps: I like to use soft flour tortillas, but whole wheat or corn tortillas will work as well.
• Refried beans:You can use a store-bought can of refried beans or make your own using black beans or pinto beans.
• Cheese or cheese sauce:I like to make a simple cheese sauce with butter, flour, milk, and cheddar cheese, but you can also use just shredded cheese.
• Rice:I like to use white rice such as jasmine, but you can also use brown rice. If you have basmati rice, make this Mediterranean Rice!
• Salsa:You'll need ¼ cup salsa to flavor the rice.
• Sour cream:It's the base of the sauce, but it can be substituted with Greek yogurt as well.
• Mayo:To give richness and body to the sauce.
• Pickled jalapenos:You'll need both the jalapenos and the pickling juice that they come in for the sauce.
• Taco seasoning:You'll need 1 teaspoon taco seasoning to flavor the jalapeno sauce. If you don't have it on hand, you can use chili powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika instead. Try these Vegan Tacos too!

How to Make This Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos Recipe

1. Prepare the rice. Rinse ½ cup of rice and add it to a pot, followed by salsa, ½ cup of water, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer for 12 minutes without stirring, then remove the pot from the heat and let the rice steam for 10 minutes.
   
2. In the meantime, make the sauce. To a bowl, add all of the ingredients for the sauce and mix until well combined. The sauce should be thick but pourable.

3. Assemble the burritos. To a large tortilla spread a few tablespoons of refried beans, then to the side of the tortilla that's closest to you add some of the cooked rice, a dollop of the jalapeno sauce, and some cheese sauce (or shredded cheese).

4. To fold the burritos, fold the side edges first, then using your hands roll the burrito towards its end, making sure that the edges don't loosen up.

5. Brown the burritos. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a teaspoon of olive oil and let it heat until it sizzles. Add the burritos to the hot pan with the overlapping end of the tortilla facing down, and cook for 1 minute per side, or until golden brown. Serve right away while still warm!

Top Tips

• Season the rice well. The rice makes the bulk of these burritos, so make sure to properly season it. For more flavor, you can cook the rice in vegetable or chicken broth, and if you want to take this recipe to the next level, make our Mexican rice recipe instead.
• Don't overfill the burrito. This will make it hard to fold and the tortilla may crack.
• Don't add the filling all over the tortilla. Add it to ⅓ of the wrap only to make it easier to wrap. If you add it in the center of the tortilla or all over you won't be able to wrap it tightly.
• Fry just before serving if possible. This cheesy bean and rice burritos recipe is served best when fresh, while the tortillas are crispy and the filling is warm.
• Add veggies. This is an easy recipe that is super versatile, so you can add any of your favorite veggies such as red bell pepper, yellow onion, and even pico de gallo.

Serving

These vegetarian burritos can be a great side dish for something heartier like a stew or a chili, or they can be enjoyed on their own with a drizzle of hot sauce and a squeeze of lime juice.

For some great side dish ideas, check out this collection of over 30 sides for burritos.

Storage

To store, let cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and save in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To freeze, wrap uncooked burritos in aluminum foil and transfer them to a freezer-safe container, freeze for up to 6 months.

More Copycat Recipes

Copycat Panera Bread Black Bean Soup Recipe

Chipotle Sofritas with Tofu

Copycat Chili's Black Bean Burger

Panera Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich

Post photography by: Petranka Atanasova.

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