Vegetarian · 25 Minutes · Freezer Friendly
The Best Bean and Cheese Burritos Recipe: Easy Mexican Food at Home
Seasoned refried beans and two kinds of melty cheese, rolled tight and crisped golden in a skillet. Better than takeout, and they freeze beautifully.
- 25 minutes
- Makes 8
- Freezer friendly
- Printable card
Golden and crisp outside, creamy beans and stretchy cheese inside.
These bean and cheese burritos are proof that the simplest Mexican food is often the best. Refried beans get three minutes in the pan with onion, garlic and cumin, then roll up with cheddar and Monterey Jack and crisp in a skillet until golden outside and gooey inside.
They are vegetarian, ready in 25 minutes and made from pantry staples. Below you will find the recipe scaled from 4 to 16 burritos, homemade refried beans without lard, how to freeze and reheat them, and seven more of our best burrito recipes.
Save the pin for your next burrito night.
What Makes These the Best Bean and Cheese Burritos
A bean and cheese burrito has two main ingredients, so each one has to count. Four small things make all the difference.
Seasoned beans, not straight from the can
Three minutes with onion, garlic, cumin and chili powder turns plain refried beans into a filling that tastes like it came from a taqueria.
Two cheeses
Cheddar for flavour, Monterey Jack for the stretch. Together they melt into every bite instead of sitting in a clump.
Rolled tight, crisped seam side down
Starting seam side down seals the burrito shut, and the skillet gives the tortilla a golden, crackly outside. Crispy outside, gooey inside.
Freezer friendly by design
Bean and cheese burritos are the easiest burritos to freeze. Make a double batch and you have 16 lunches ready to go.
Bean and Cheese Burritos Recipe
The Best Bean and Cheese Burritos
Seasoned refried beans and two melty cheeses, rolled tight and crisped golden in a skillet.
How many burritos?
Ingredients
- 1 can2 cans3 cans4 cans vegetarian refried beans, 16 oz cans
- 1½ tsp1 tbsp1½ tbsp2 tbsp oil
- ¼ small½ small1 small1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1122 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp1 tsp1½ tsp2 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp½ tsp¾ tsp1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp¼ cup6 tbsp½ cup salsa or water, to loosen
- 1 cup (4 oz)2 cups (8 oz)3 cups (12 oz)4 cups (1 lb) shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack
- 481216 large 10-inch flour tortillas
- 1½ tsp1 tbsp1½ tbsp2 tbsp oil or butter, for crisping
- Optional: salsa, sour cream, guacamole and lime wedges
Instructions
Season the beans
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and soften the onion for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and chili powder for 30 seconds, then stir in the refried beans and salsa. Warm for 3 to 4 minutes until smooth and spreadable.
Warm the tortillas
Warm the tortillas for 20 to 30 seconds each in a dry skillet, or wrap the stack in a damp towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Warm tortillas fold without cracking.
Fill each tortilla
Spread about 1/3 cup of beans in a line just below the center of each tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border, and top with 1/4 cup of cheese.
Roll tightly
Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in both sides, then roll away from you as tightly as you can. Set each burrito seam side down.
Crisp in a skillet
Heat a little oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the burritos seam side down for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn and cook 2 minutes more, until golden and crisp and the cheese has melted.
Serve
Cut each burrito in half and serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole and lime wedges.
What You Need
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How to Roll a Burrito That Stays Shut
Beans in a line below the center, cheese on top, a skillet heating on the side.
A burrito that splits in the pan is almost always overfilled or rolled loosely. Warm tortillas, a modest filling and a tight roll fix both.
Do not overfill
About ⅓ cup of beans and ¼ cup of cheese fills a 10-inch tortilla. More than that and it splits when you roll it.
Leave a border
Keep 2 inches clear at the sides and bottom. That is the flap that seals the burrito.
Fold, tuck, roll
Bottom flap up and pulled back snug against the filling, sides folded in, then roll away from you, keeping it tight.
Seam side down, always
Whether you are crisping, baking or freezing, the seam goes down so it cannot unroll.
Homemade Refried Beans (No Lard)
Canned vegetarian refried beans work perfectly, but homemade takes ten minutes and tastes fresher. This version uses oil instead of lard, so it stays vegetarian.
Quick refried beans from canned pinto beans
Makes enough for 8 burritos.
- 2 cans pinto beans, 15 oz cans, drained, liquid saved
- 2 tbsp oil
- ½ small onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp, to taste salt
- ⅓–½ cup saved bean liquid or water
Soften the onion in the oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, add the garlic and cumin for 30 seconds, then add the beans and ⅓ cup of the saved liquid. Simmer for 3 minutes, then mash with a potato masher, adding more liquid until it is thick but spreadable. Season with salt at the end.
How to Freeze and Reheat Bean and Cheese Burritos
A tray of rolled burritos ready for the freezer — lunch sorted for weeks.
Roll the burritos but do not crisp them. Let them cool completely, wrap each one tightly in foil or plastic wrap, and freeze in a labelled freezer bag for up to 3 months. Freezing them flat on a tray for an hour first stops them sticking together.
| Method | How | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| MethodMicrowave | HowUnwrap, wrap in a damp paper towel and heat for 1½–2½ minutes, turning halfway | Best forFastest; softer tortilla |
| MethodOven | HowUnwrap, bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes from frozen, turning once | Best forCrispiest; best for a batch |
| MethodAir fryer | HowUnwrap, cook at 350°F for 10–12 minutes from frozen, turning halfway | Best forCrisp and quick for one or two |
| MethodSkillet | HowMicrowave for 1 minute to thaw, then crisp in a skillet 2 minutes per side | Best forTastes freshly made |
Freezing for one? Bean and cheese burritos are one of the best individual freezer meals for one — take one out in the morning and it is lunch by noon.
7 More of Our Best Burrito Recipes
Once you can roll a bean and cheese burrito, the fillings are endless. Every one of these is vegetarian and uses the same folding and crisping method.
Black bean and rice burritos
Black beans warmed with cumin and lime, cilantro rice, corn and cheese. Heartier than bean and cheese, and just as easy to freeze.
Sweet potato and black bean burritos
Roasted sweet potato cubes with black beans, smoked paprika and a little cheese. Sweet, smoky and filling.
Breakfast egg and potato burritos
Soft scrambled eggs, crispy diced potatoes, cheese and salsa. See our guide to making breakfast burritos for the freezer for the full method.
Veggie fajita burritos
Strips of peppers and onion charred in a hot pan with fajita spices, rolled with refried beans and cheese. Add sour cream and guacamole.
Spinach, mushroom and cheese burritos
Sautéed mushrooms and wilted spinach with garlic, folded into melted Monterey Jack. A lighter, greener burrito.
Smothered enchilada-style burritos
Bean and cheese burritos laid in a baking dish, covered in red enchilada sauce and more cheese, and baked at 375°F for 20 minutes. Eat them with a fork.
Burrito bowls
Every filling from this page over rice with lettuce, salsa and avocado — no tortilla needed. The easiest way to feed a picky crowd.
What to serve with burritos
Mexican rice
Tomato-simmered rice is the classic partner.
Street corn salad
Charred corn with lime, chili and a little cheese.
Pico de gallo
Fresh tomato, onion, cilantro and lime to cut the richness.
Chips and guacamole
Because a burrito night needs a crunchy starter.
Bean and Cheese Burrito FAQs
How do you keep burritos from falling apart?
Warm the tortillas first so they bend without cracking, do not overfill them, and roll them tightly with the sides tucked in. Then cook or store them seam side down so they cannot unroll.
What is the best cheese for bean and cheese burritos?
A mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack. Cheddar brings the flavour and Monterey Jack melts smoothly and stretches. A Mexican-style shredded blend works too.
Are refried beans vegetarian?
Not always. Traditional refried beans are often made with lard, so check the label for vegetarian refried beans, or make them at home with oil using the recipe on this page.
Can you freeze bean and cheese burritos?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Cool them completely, wrap each one tightly in foil or plastic wrap, and store them in a freezer bag. Reheat from frozen in the microwave, oven or air fryer.
How do you reheat frozen burritos?
Unwrap, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes, turning halfway. For a crisp tortilla, bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes or air fry at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Can I use black beans instead of refried beans?
Yes. Drain a can of black beans, warm them with the onion and spices, and mash about half of them so the filling holds together.
How many burritos does this recipe make?
Eight large burritos from two cans of refried beans and two cups of cheese. Use the size buttons on the recipe card to make 4, 12 or 16.
Can I make them in an air fryer?
Yes. Brush the rolled burritos with a little oil and air fry at 375°F for 6 to 8 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and crisp.
More Make-Ahead and Bean Recipes
Stocking the freezer? These are next.
Season the beans, warm the tortillas, roll them tight and crisp them seam side down. That is all it takes to make bean and cheese burritos better than any drive-through.
Pin these bean and cheese burritos so they are ready for your next busy weeknight or freezer prep day.
