Freezer Burritos with Beans, Rice, and Cheese

Consider this a sign: it’s time to make a big batch of freezer burritos with beans, rice, and cheese! Just pop these make-ahead burritos into the microwave for a fast, hearty, and healthy lunch (that just happens to be vegetarian and packed with plant-based protein, if that’s your thing!). They are CHEAP to make, EASY to assemble, and they taste amazing. It’s easy to adapt these to be vegan, or even add other things to them like shredded chicken.

These freezer burritos are super simple, packed with cooked rice, black beans, and shredded cheese. I always use my recipe for black beans and rice for the base of this. I’ll use the whole batch – or any leftovers I have – to make into these burritos and my future self is always VERY thankful when I realize I have meals ready to go in the freezer!

What kinds of beans, rice, and cheese, or other ingredients, can I add to freezer burritos?

You can really use any kind of cooked rice you want – plain, cilantro lime brown rice, Mexican rice, whatever! And any favorite recipe for black beans you want – even plain black beans out of the can will work, but I like a little flavor in mine. Pinto beans, or refried beans, or even baked beans with chorizo will also work great here.

And for the cheese – guess what? Again, any kind will really work! It’s a great way to use up what you have in the fridge. I always prefer Monterey Jack cheese because it melts so nicely. But cheddar, mozzarella, a mix of shredded Mexican-style cheeses, or any other kind of melty cheese will be just fine. And you can easily use a plant-based cheese substitute for a dairy-free/vegan version (or just omit it!).

As for other ingredients? Go ahead and throw that leftover Mexican shredded chicken, carnitas or pulled pork, or chopped up steak into the burritos. Sautéed peppers and onions, pickled jalapeños, or leftover Mexican roasted zucchini will all be great additions.

I hope you are getting the impression that these freezer burritos are INCREDIBLY versatile and can be made with what you have on hand. Please consider this a base recipe for you to enjoy as is, or put your own spin on!

Ingredients needed for freezer burritos

• Tortillas – I really like the burrito-sized tortillas labeled as “super soft.” It makes them easy to roll. Feel free to use what you want – a low carb, gluten-free, whole wheat, or other size will be fine. Keep in mind – a smaller tortilla will yield more burritos and take a shorter time to microwave, but a bigger one will be heartier. A pop in the microwave can help them be more malleable.
• Black beans – I always use my recipe for black beans for this, but any kind will do, or drained and rinsed plain canned black beans are fine as well.
• Cooked rice – Again, any kind will do. I like using cilantro lime rice. Pre-cooked frozen rice will be fine as a shortcut!
• Cheese – I prefer shredded Monterey Jack cheese because it melts well. Any melty shredded cheese will work, or a vegan/dairy-free substitute. It can be omitted if you like.
• Other optional ingredients – sautéed veggies, pickled jalapeños, leftover shredded or chopped meat, etc.

How to make freezer burritos

First, assemble the burritos – layer the cooked rice, black beans, and cheese on a tortilla. Wrap into a burrito by rolling them halfway, tucking the sides in, and finishing rolling. At this point, you can eat them as is, or continue to prepare them for freezing!

I like to wrap the burritos in a paper towel. Then, I place the paper towel wrapped burritos in a labeled zip-top bag. The paper towel makes it easier to reheat. For extra protection so they last longer in the freezer, you can wrap them in plastic wrap individually over the paper towel.

Then, place the zip-top bag with the burritos in the freezer. When you are ready to reheat them, you will place the whole thing still wrapped in the paper towel into the microwave! More on that below.

How to reheat homemade freezer burritos

Just pop the burrito, still wrapped in the paper towel, on a plate into the microwave. The paper towel will help absorb some of the moisture from the burrito and create a steamy environment to reheat it, which will help prevent the tortilla from drying out or getting too hard.

I usually microwave mine on high for 3 minutes, then unwrap and heat more in 30 second increments as necessary. You can use a meat thermometer to check inside to make sure it’s hot enough. I recommend erring on the side of less time – if you overheat them, you run the risk of the tortilla becoming tough and the paper towel sticking.

Sometimes, the tortilla will get a bit tough with reheating. Usually it’s a small enough amount that I just don’t eat that part. To prevent this from happening, you can experiment with microwaving on 50% power for a longer period of time, or you can consider making smaller burritos so it takes less time to heat up.

Let it stand for a minute or two after reheating as it will be quite hot!

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