This Freezer Vegetarian Burrito is an easy veggie-packed freezer meal that you can have ready when you need it for busy work or school days.
In this recipe
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Why you should always have burritos in your freezer
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Veggie Burrito Filling
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Swaps and substitutions for Freezer Burritos
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How to pack and store freezer burritos
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How to reheat frozen burritos
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What to serve with these burritos
Having homemade burritos in the freezer is always a good idea for those time-crunching meals. I’ve made chicken versions of freezer burritos before, but this veggie-stuffed version is another great option!
There are many advantages to making your own burritos, and they always get better than a store-bought frozen burrito, which tends to be short on fillings. I load this with cilantro lime rice, peppers, corn, black beans, salsa, and some cheese to pull it all together. Assemble, wrap in foil and freeze. Dinner is waiting and ready when you are!
Why you should always have burritos in your freezer
Frozen burritos are an excellent item for your freezer. I like to make a bunch of these every few months and have the whole family help fill and wrap the burritos. My kids love helping me measure and wrap the ingredients in foil.
If you’re ever pressed for time, it’s nice to know you have a supply of delicious and filling meals right in the freezer!
Veggie Burrito Filling
I divided my fillings into three different layers for these burritos.
First rice. Rice is important in a burrito in my opinion, but especially important in a frozen burrito because it helps absorb extra water so you don’t end up with a soggy burrito. For this layer, I’ll make a plain cilantro rice.
Second, peppers and onions! For this version, I chopped the peppers and onions and sautéed them in a little oil until soft and lightly charred.
Third, a blend of flavors like corn, black beans, tomatillos, and salsa are added to tie it all together! The key to this layer is to season it well and cook long enough to cook out the water in the salsa and tomatillos so you don’t end up with a watery burrito.
Swaps and substitutions for Freezer Burritos
Each layer is quite flexible. Feel free to play around with the exact ingredients in each layer.
- Skip the cilantro if that’s not your thing.
- Try quinoa or brown rice to switch it up.
- Use almost any pepper in your market, including poblanos or jalapeños for a spicier mix.
- Swap out the black beans for pinto beans.
- Use cherry tomatoes instead of tomatillos.
- Avoid ingredients like sour cream or avocado-based fillings, as these things don’t reheat well and will brown in the freezer. Stack them on top when you’re ready to eat the burritos.
- Add scrambled eggs and turn them into breakfast burritos
How to pack and store freezer burritos
The key to wrapping a good burrito is to heat the tortilla first so it’s nice and flexible. To reheat, wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds. Then add your fillings to the bottom third of the tortilla.
Fold the edges in and over the filling, then roll up the tortilla, being careful to apply some pressure so the burrito is in a tight cylinder. This holds the burrito together and also keeps the ingredients inside tightly sealed.
Once you’ve rolled the burrito, transfer it to a piece of heavy-duty foil and roll tightly in the foil. It’s ready to freeze! You can freeze them individually or put all the burritos in a freezer safe bag. They taste best when eaten within 3 months, but have a shelf life of up to 6 months.
How to reheat frozen burritos
There are two ways to reheat frozen burritos.
Oven method: Simply place the burrito (in the foil) in an oven preheated to 400°F. It needs to bake for about 45 minutes, then you can remove the foil and continue baking until the filling is warmed through and the tortilla is crisp, maybe an hour total. While this takes a long time, it’s completely worry-free, and you can do chores or work while your dinner heats up.
Microwave method: Remove the foil from the burrito and defrost in the microwave until thawed, about 7 minutes per side, depending on your microwave. Then place the thawed burrito in a skillet over medium-low heat and sear the burrito for a few minutes to crisp up the tortilla. YUM!
What to serve with these burritos
I keep my burritos simple since they are packed with so many veggies. I usually serve them with sour cream and guacamole, but you can’t go wrong with hot sauce or any type of salsa if you want. Tortilla chips are always a good accompaniment. Use them to pick up leaking fills!
Vegetarian Freeze Burrito
ingredients
For the cilantro lime rice
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1 1/2 cups white rice
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2 tablespoon chopped coriander
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1/2 fresh Lime, juiced
For the frozen burrito
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2 tablespoon olive oildivided
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3 sorted peppers, chopped
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1 red Onionchopped
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1 teaspoon Saltdivided
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1 teaspoon chilli powder
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2 cups corn gritsfrozen or fresh
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1 (15 ounce) can black beansdrained and rinsed
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4 tomatillolesspeeled, washed and chopped
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1 Cup salsa
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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8th big (12 inches) flour tortillas
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16 ounces peppermint or Cheddar cheese
Serve
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sour creamTo serve
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guacamoleTo serve
method
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Prepare Cilantro Lime Rice:
Place the rice in a fine sieve and rinse well with cold water and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with 1 inch of cold water and heat over medium-high heat. Once the rice is simmering, give it a stir, turn the heat down, and cover.
Cook until rice absorbs water and is tender, 15-20 minutes. There may be excess water which you should drain by leaving a gap between the lid and pot and then pouring the remaining water down the sink.
Place back on the stove, cover and let the rice steam for 5 minutes. Stir in the coriander and lime juice. Put aside.
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Cooking onions and peppers:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, paprika, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and chilli powder. Cook until vegetables begin to caramelize in spots and soften, about 15 minutes. Pour vegetables into a bowl and set aside.
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Cooking Black Bean Mixture:
Wipe out your pan, add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil along with corn kernels, black beans, tomatillos, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cumin.
Cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomatillos start to break down. Use the back of a fork to mash them lightly.
Add the salsa and continue cooking until the mixture is dry and no visible liquid remains, maybe another 3-4 minutes. Then remove from the heat and place in another bowl.
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Set up your burrito assembly station:
Tear off 8 pieces of aluminum foil large enough to wrap a stuffed burrito. Place them at one end of your counter, making room for the tortillas, then the rice, pepper, cheese, and black bean mixture.
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Assemble burritos:
Wrap a stack of flour tortillas in a damp paper towel. Microwave them for 20-30 seconds until warm and pliable. Place the stack next to the slide.
Take one tortilla off the stack and leave the rest wrapped. Place it on a piece of foil.
Then, in the bottom center portion of the tortilla, add 1/3 cup cooked lime rice, 1/3 cup the pepper mixture, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and 1/3 cup the black bean mixture. Leave space at each end.
Fold each end partially over the filling, then take the bottom part of the tortilla, fold it over the ends and roll up tightly until all of the filling is encased.
After shaping, wrap the burrito in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Repeat with all burritos.
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Freezing Burritos:
Transfer burritos to a freezer safe plastic bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months, but ideally consume within 3 months.
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To reheat frozen burritos:
To reheat a burrito in the microwave, unwrap it from the foil and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Defrost in microwave for 7 minutes per side or until burrito is completely thawed.
Transfer the burrito to a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and cook 3-4 minutes per side or until the burrito is nice and crispy.
To reheat, preheat in an oven to 400°F. Place the wrapped burrito on a baking sheet and straight into the oven for 45 minutes. Remove and unwrap the burrito. Back in the oven for 10 minutes for a crispy tortilla.
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Serve burritos:
Serve burritos with sour cream and guacamole.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 890 | calories |
| 31g | Fat |
| 123g | carbohydrates |
| 32g | protein |
