This Vegetarian Burrito is made with healthy pantry ingredients, comes together quickly, and has so much flavor. It’s a staple meatless recipe that’s perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
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You know those weeks where you don’t have time to grocery shop, but your family still needs to eat? Or when you just want to clean out the pantry? Let me introduce you to my favorite pantry clean-out recipe – vegetarian burritos.
Other healthy pantry recipes I’ve shared include this Spicy Southwest Skillet, Quinoa Fried Rice, Almond Granola, and Energy Balls, to name a few.
These family-friendly burritos are so flavorful you won’t believe the main ingredients are leftovers and pantry ingredients.
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- Healthy pantry ingredients – It’s very likely you have everything right now in your kitchen to make these burritos.
- Super easy to make – Everything gets made in one pan and then folded into a burrito.
- Affordable – If you’re looking for cheap healthy recipes, then this rice and beans burrito should go to the top of the list.
- Vegetarian – You won’t even miss the meat in this high-protein plant-based burrito.
- Versatile – Use whatever ingredients you have on hand to get creative with flavors.
- Can be made ahead of time – The rice and beans mixture can be made up to 5 days in advance for easy veggie burritos all week. I’ll give more meal prep tips below.
Ingredients
- Leftover cooked brown rice – many vegetarian burrito recipes use cilantro lime rice. This is good, but I like to keep it simple by using leftover brown rice and adding some extra flavor.
- Onion, jalapeno, and garlic – this trio is the flavor foundation.
- Taco seasoning – I always reach for my homemade Whole30 taco seasoning when making this recipe. You can also use store-bought packets.
- Black beans – Beans add protein and fiber. I always seem to have an extra can of black beans in my pantry, but pinto or any bean will work.
- Salsa – I use a medium salsa to keep the filling family-friendly but use your favorite salsa to switch up the flavors and heat.
- Lime juice – A squirt of lime juice and a handful of cilantro adds a delicious fresh flavor to the rice filling.
- Flour tortillas – I find the large burrito shells work best to hold the filling. However, use whatever size you have available.
Cooking Tips
Turn this into a vegan burrito – It’s easy to keep this burrito dairy-free with vegan sour cream and vegan cheese.
Make a burrito bowl instead – If you want to skip the tortilla, scoop the filling into a bowl and add your favorite toppings. Creating a veggie burrito bowl is especially helpful if you want a gluten-free option.
Switch up the beans – Black beans, pinto beans, or any bean will work in this vegetarian burrito.
Increase the heat – Use extra chili powder or sprinkle in a little bit of chipotle powder or cayenne to spice up the filling. You can also use hot salsa or a dash of hot sauce to add heat.
Add more vegetables – Saute some chopped bell peppers or mushrooms. You can also use frozen corn in the filling. This plant-based burrito is delicious with any vegetables you need to use up.
Add shredded chicken or beef – I know I’m singing the praises of this meatless burrito, but I won’t stop you if you want to add meat! This Mexican shredded chicken, shredded beef, or pulled pork is fantastic with this black bean and rice filling.
Use quinoa – swap the rice for quinoa for extra protein and fiber.
Supplies
- Large skillet
- Spatula or a large spoon
- Meal prep containers to store the filling.
- Souper cubes to freeze the filling.
How to Make a Vegetarian Burrito
- In a large pan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and jalapeno and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant.
- Stir the minced garlic in with the onion and pepper, then cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the taco seasoning and salsa into the skillet, cook for another 1-2 minutes or until it gets hot and starts to bubble.
- Add the black beans and cooked rice to the salsa mixture and cook until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir the mixture a few times as it cooks.
- The last thing to do is stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Remove the rice and bean filling from the heat.
- To make the burrito, start by laying a burrito shell flat and spread a tablespoon of sour cream over the top. Spoon 1/2 cup of rice and bean mixture into the center and top with taco cheese, avocado, and other favorite toppings.
- Fold in the sides and roll-up.
How to Store the Recipe
To store
You can make the black bean and rice filling up to 5 days ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
When ready to serve, heat the filling in the microwave and continue with making the vegetarian burrito.
How to Freeze
You can free the burrito filling ahead of time. Portion out using 1-cup silicone trays (like Souper cubes) or freezer containers or bags and freeze up to 3 months.
When ready to serve, place the rice and bean filling into a microwave-safe container and heat for 2-3 minutes or until hot. Continue with making the burrito.
Vegetarian Burrito (Black Beans and Rice)
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Cooking spoons or spatual
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 jalapeno seeds removed and chopped
- 2 medium cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup medium or hot salsa
- 1 15-ounce can of black beans drained
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 5 burrito-style tortilla shells
- sour cream
- taco cheese
- avocado slices
Instructions
- In a large skillet or pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and jalapeno and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant.
- Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the taco seasoning and salsa, cook for another 1-2 minutes or until it gets hot and starts to bubble.
- Stir in the black beans and rice into the salsa mixture and cook until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir the mixture a few times as it cooks.
- Stir in the cilantro and lime juice.
- Lay a burrito shell flat and spread a tablespoon of sour cream over the top. Spoon 1/2 cup of rice and bean mixture into the center and then top with taco cheese, avocado slices, and any of your favorite burrito condiments. Roll up and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Other Vegetarian Recipes
Have you tried this Vegetarian Burrito recipe yet? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it.
Christine Smith says
I like this mixture of black beans and rice….served in a bowl, no tortilla wrap..no cheese, add a dollop of sour cream! yum!!!
Sarah @ Feed My Family says
We had these for dinner tonight and though my husband was skeptical of the no meat he deemed them to be delicious. I mixed the rice and black bean mixture in the pan and then filled the burritos and it seemed to work fine.
Heather says
I am enjoying reading all of your recipes. They are so practical in taste, ease, and nutrition. As I am trying to learn how to count calories, it is so helpful to have you lay that out for me and give me an idea of where to start.
I was wondering about this recipe. It seems like it would be easier to assemble the burritos and then pull them out for a packed work lunch. Is there a reason you separate the ingredients instead of freezing them assembled?
Tammy says
I think at first I was a little afraid of the mixture making the burrito soggy. However I will try to freeze it assembled and update this post if it works. Thanks Heather!
Kyle says
Please let me know how these turn out if frozen as a full burrito (even if you have to drain most of the moisture from the black bean mix before applying. I’ve been trying to decide on a few good meals that I could make once per week and freeze, then reheat each day along with some fresh diced fruit/veggies from the fridge.
I’m thinking your (frozen) breakfast sandwich with some melon, (frozen) bean & rice burrito (with a bit of stewed chicken and diced peppers) for lunch, and then making a nice salad for dinner with either flank steak or grilled chicken. Throw in some almonds and a post workout shake consisting of milk/oats/protein and I think I’ve got a good basic outline.
Alana says
I have made chicken burritos with salsa and cheese in them and frozen them and they turned out great when reheated. I also made some with scrambled eggs for breakfast and they were good as well although I used them all within a week.
Christine says
Hi, I made these burritos last weekend, they are sooo yummy! I assembled, and wrapped them individually and tossed them all in a ziploc. Tonight they came to the rescue after a very hectic day. I set my oven to 400, popped them in for about 10 minutes (flipped them towards the end) and they came out perfect. The wraps became a little crunchy but I personally liked it better that way, not soggy at all.
Tammy says
Thanks for the tips! Glad you like them. They are for sure a fav in our house too.
Jessie says
Sounds good!
Courtney says
I made these today. I had a hard time finding a low cal wrap or burritos shell. I found one at wegmans with 90 calories per wrap. I was very excited. I made them without the cheese. They are still great but next time I will try a low calorie sour cream ( if there is such a thing). Thanks again…also I’m a beginner cook so I’m adding to my spice rack too :o)
Tammy says
I agree I also had a really hard time finding a healthy low cal burrito. I actually searched online for a brand and found the La Tortilla Factory brand and the only store that had it was Tops Supermarket in my area. I am still searching though so maybe I will find more. I think the 90 calorie one is good too I will have to check that out.
Mary says
Try Tam-x-ico’s brand tortillas – they have a low carb wheat (made with whole wheat flour) tortilla that I always use. They’re 90 calories, 4.5g fat, 4g fiber, 9g total carbs. These are always at Tops in the dairy section, I can never seem to find them at Wegmans on a regular basis. They’re not the larger size though but they work for me! 🙂
Tammy says
Thanks Mary! I will surely look for these.
Tabby says
These look GREAT! I just saved them to my “must make” list!
Sharon M says
I’m so glad I found your site. I’m trying to lose baby fat and you’ve inspired me to get back into counting my calories, and with easy simple meals that are practical for a busy family.Thank You Thank You.
One thing I wanted to pass on to others is this glass water bottle I bought at mighty nest: http://mightynest.com/shop/travel-beverage-bottles/water-bottles/glass-water-bottles-22oz It shows the measurements on the side so you know if you’re getting in your 8 cups of water a day. I’ve already seen a difference in my appetite when I drink more water.
Tammy says
You can do it mama! Remember slow and steady wins the race. Thanks for sharing about the water bottle that looks great. I will check it out. Stay in touch!
blueviolet says
That’s practically custom made for me!
Tammy says
They were so delish!
Laura Jane @ Recovering Chocoholic says
Looks good. Great for the freezer.
Carolyn Leslie says
YUM! Sounds dee-lish…
JD says
Yum. This is my kind of meal. I think hubs would eat it, though he’d ask where the meat was. 2.5yo – maybe. 5yo picky pants – prob not. But 3/4 ain’t bad!
Tammy says
You can surely throw some chicken or lean ground turkey/beef to make hubs happy 🙂 that would be yummy.
Carol says
M 18 year old daughter loves these but says they would be even better with chicken in them!
Tammy says
She is right! They are awesome with chicken. I have added my shredded chicken a couple times. Thanks for popping over.
theMRS. says
So Excited I saw your thread on Sits. I am have been getting a LOT better at menu planning and shopping. HOWEVER, it seems everything that is fast/easy is so bad for you. Excited to look around some more!
♥ theMRS.
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