Description
These Easy Beef Burritos come together in just 30 minutes, offering a flavorful and satisfying meal perfect for busy weeknights. Ground beef is seasoned with a blend of spices and simmered with tomato puree and beef stock to create a rich filling. Served with warm tortillas, Mexican-flavored rice, fresh salsa, black beans, and melted mozzarella cheese, these burritos can be served straightaway or crisped up in the oven or a pan for extra texture.
Ingredients
Meat and Spice Mixture
- 2 tsp Sunflower oil
- 500 g Beef mince
- 1 Onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp Mild chilli powder
- 1 tsp Sweet smoked paprika
- 2 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Dark brown sugar
- 3 tbsp Tomato puree
- 1 Beef stock cube, undiluted and crumbled
- 100 ml Boiling water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Assembly
- 4 Large tortillas
- 250 g Microwave rice pouch, Mexican-flavored if possible
- 200 g Fresh salsa, refrigerated
- 400 g Black beans, drained and rinsed
- 125 g Grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Brown the Beef: Heat the sunflower oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the beef mince and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned all over.
- Add Onion and Spices: Stir in the chopped onion, mild chilli powder, sweet smoked paprika, ground cumin, and dark brown sugar. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the onion softens and the spices are fragrant.
- Simmer the Filling: Mix in the tomato puree, crumbled beef stock cube, boiling water, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir everything well, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the mixture thickens. Check occasionally and add a splash more water if it becomes too dry.
- Prepare Tortillas and Rice: While the meat simmers, heat the tortillas and microwave rice pouches according to their package instructions.
- Assemble Burritos: Place the warm tortillas on a flat surface. Divide the cooked rice, meat mixture, fresh salsa, black beans, and grated mozzarella evenly onto each tortilla. Roll them up tightly to enclose the filling.
- Optional Crisping Methods: You can serve the burritos immediately as they are, or for added texture, choose one of the following methods:
- Oven Crisping: Preheat an oven to 200℃ fan (220℃ conventional, Gas Mark 7, or 400°F). Wrap each burrito in foil and bake for 10 minutes until the exterior starts to crisp.
- Pan Frying: Heat 2 tsp sunflower oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Fry the burritos on all sides until they are golden and crispy, about 3–4 minutes per side.
Notes
- You can substitute black beans with pinto or kidney beans if preferred.
- For a spicier kick, increase the chilli powder or add chopped jalapeños to the filling.
- If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use corn tortillas instead of wheat flour tortillas.
- Leftover burritos can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for longer storage.
- To make the burritos vegetarian, replace beef mince with plant-based mince or cooked lentils.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired