Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos
This cheesy bean and rice burrito is such an easy meal to make at home, I bet it will replace your favorite fast-food burrito. These burritos are a great way to use up leftover ingredients plus, the optional chipotle crema gives this burrito some sophistication!
Ingredients
For the chipotle crema
- 1 tbs Mexican crema see notes
- 1 tbs mayonnaise
- 3-4 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped see notes
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
For the burrito assembly
- 1 cup warm refried beans see notes
- 1 cup warm, cooked rice see notes
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese see notes
- 4 large flour tortillas ~12 inches in diameter at room temperature, see notes
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil I use canola
Instructions
- Start by making the chipotle crema by mixing all sauce ingredients together in a bowl.1 tbs Mexican crema, 1 tbs mayonnaise, 3-4 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped, 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- Next, heat the canola oil over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet until shimmering, ~3 minutes.1 tbsp vegetable oil
- While the oil is heating up, assemble your burritos. Add 1/4 cup of warm refried beans to the bottom third of your burrito. Next layer on top a 1/4 cup of warmed, cooked rice. Add 2 tablespoons shredded cheese, and 1/4 portion of the chipotle crema.1 cup warm refried beans, 1 cup warm, cooked rice, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 4 large flour tortillas
- Fold the bottom of the tortilla over the ingredients, them fold the side flaps towards the center. Roll the burrito towards the open end of the tortilla, ensuring that the sides of the tortilla are tucked in so all ingredients are inside the tortilla packet.
- Repeat the previous 2 steps for each remaining burrito.
- Place the burritos in the warm skillet, seam side down. Toast the burritos on all sides until the tortilla is slightly golden brown and crunchy. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use canned or homemade refried beans of your choice. I like to use pinto, black, or Peruvian refried beans.
- My preference is to use cooked leftover Mexican rice. But if you have leftover cooked plain white or brown rice, you could use these here as well.
- I would suggest the following types of cheese for this burrito: cheddar, Monterey jack, pepper jack (for extra spice), asadero, queso Chihuahua, manchego, or a blend of these cheeses.
- I like to use large flour tortillas with a 12 inch diameter for this recipe. You could substitute for whole wheat or a gluten-free flour alternative tortilla, like almond. If you use a smaller tortilla, you will be able to make more, but smaller sized burritos than the recipe calls for here.
- If you keep your tortillas in the fridge, make sure to pull them out and let them come to room temperature before making these burritos. Alternatively, you can heat the tortillas for a couple of seconds on each side in a warm non-stick skillet until they are pliable. Cold tortillas won't be as flexible and will be harder to roll into the burrito shape that you need.
- Crema Mexicana or Mexican cream or crema can be found in large grocery stores near the sour cream. If you can't find Mexican cream, you can substitute for regular sour cream.
- Adjust the amount of chipotle peppers to your spice level tolerance. You can add more if you want a spicier sauce or use less or omit the sauce entirely for a milder burrito.