Beef and Bean Burritos
This recipe guides you through making hearty beef and bean burritos, perfect for a satisfying meal. It involves cooking ground beef with aromatic spices and Mexican tomato sauce, heating refried beans with cheese, then assembling these fillings into warm flour tortillas. The burritos are kept warm and finished with more sauce and cheese before serving, offering a comforting and flavorful dish.
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet For cooking beef and onions.
- 1 Saucepan For heating refried beans.
- 1 Large Baking Dish For warming assembled burritos.
- 1 Microwave For warming tortillas.
- 1 Box Grater If using block cheese instead of pre-grated.
Ingredients
Main
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Three 7-ounce cans Mexican tomato sauce I use El Patobrand or enchilada sauce
- One 28-ounce can refried beans
- 3/4 cup grated Cheddar plus extra for sprinkling
- 12 burrito-size flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 to 180 degrees F.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onions until softened. Then add the ground beef and cook until the beef is cooked through. Add the cumin, chili powder, oregano and salt and stir to combine. Pour 2 cans of the Mexican tomato sauce into the meat and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Add a little water if the mixture gets too dry.
- Meanwhile, heat the refried beans in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cheese, and stir it in till its melted. Remove from the heat.
- Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 1 minute, and then spread a small amount of beans on each tortilla. Add a small amount of the meat. Fold over the ends of the tortilla, and then roll them up. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Then place them in a large baking dish, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven.
- When ready to serve, drizzle the remaining can of tomato sauce over all of the burritos and sprinkle with more grated Cheddar. Return to the oven for a couple of minutes just to melt the cheese.
- Sprinkle the tops with the cilantro leaves and serve immediately to the fork-bangers in your life. They'll kiss you and hug you. Repeatedly.
Notes
Ensure you drain any excess fat from the ground beef after browning to prevent the burritos from becoming greasy. For an elevated flavor, consider using a good quality, smoky chili powder and fresh ground cumin. If Mexican tomato sauce isn't readily available, a good quality red enchilada sauce is a perfect substitute. To prevent tortillas from tearing when rolling, make sure they are adequately warm and pliable. A quick pass over an open flame or a dry skillet can also warm them beautifully, adding a slight char. For a richer flavor profile, sauté the onions until deeply caramelized before adding the beef. A pinch of cayenne pepper could be added to the meat mixture for a subtle kick, or a dash of liquid smoke for depth.