Burritos are always a crowd pleaser and these Bean Burritos are made with cupboard staples for a quick and simple budget friendly meal. Just a few other ingredients take these vegan burritos from tasty but basic to WOW. Another Mexican recipe that won't break the bank, but will keep everyone happy.
Vegetarian and vegan food is seriously under-rated and these bursting bean burritos are an excellent example of that. Whilst you might be used to enjoying burritos with shredded chicken or chunks of steak, these burritos get their protein, flavour and bulk from a mix of beans to make a Mexican staple that are great for feeding a crowd.
Bean burritos are about as simple as Mexican food gets - but don't mistake simple for boring, as these are far from it. This chunky bean mix is cooked in a chipotle sauce before it is loaded in to a burrito with loads of other favourite Mexican ingredients and it has plenty of crunch too.
If you are looking for some other black bean recipes to try, then why not try our Chipotle Black Bean Nachos, Chipotle Black Bean Stew or Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos.
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Why you will love it
- Simple Mexican comfort food - This is total comfort food, with plenty of flavour.
- Quick - So simple to make and ready in just 20 minutes.
- Low calorie - There are just 242 calories for a delicious and filling bean burrito.
- Easy to make vegan - This recipe is vegetarian, but it is easy to adapt to make vegan. More on that below.
Ingredients needed
- Onion - You can use brown or red onion for this. Save yourself some time and use frozen onion.
- Garlic - Freshly crushed is best, but you can use ready crushed garlic in a jar if you prefer.
- Mushrooms - You can use any mushrooms you like here. Keep the burritos budget friendly by using plain white mushrooms. However, you could use a mixture like shiitake and oyster, which would give a real mixture of texture.
- Beans - This is the star of the dish. We used a can of mixed Mexican beans, however you can use any beans you like. Chickpeas would make this really budget friendly, and if you cook your own dried beans, then it's even cheaper.
- Sweetcorn - An easy way to bulk out the bean burritos and add some colour too. You can use frozen, fresh or canned.
- Chipotle paste - This adds a real kick of flavour and spice. It has a nice smokiness to it.
- Cumin and Paprika - These add lots of flavour to the bean mixture, but you could use our Fajita Seasoning instead.
- Coriander (cilantro) - Some fresh herbs really lighten it all up. But, I know not everyone is a fan, so you can leave it out if you prefer.
- Tomatoes - This is what makes up the sauce for the bean mixture. Try to use the best quality tinned tomatoes you can, as it really will make a difference. Cheap tomatoes are really watery and it will give you a watery sauce, which isn't what you want.
- Rice - This helps to bulk out the burritos and it's cheap too. You can use white or brown rice. Why not try our Easy Microwave Rice recipe or our Cilantro Lime Rice.
- Lettuce - This adds lots of crunch. You can use little gem, iceberg or romaine.
- Salsa - Use a nice chunky Pico de Gallo. You could use our Restaurant Style Salsa, but that's a little more saucy and will result in messy burritos.
- Slaw - An easy way to add some crunch and colour. Why not try our No Mayo Coleslaw if you want to keep it vegan.
- Guacamole - It's not a burrito without guac, right? Try our BEST Ever Guacamole Recipe.
- Tortilla wraps - This is what holds everything together. You can use store bought, or you can make our Wholewheat Tortillas.
- Chipotle cream - This is optional, but it totally finishes the whole dish off and makes it feel more like a restaurant style burrito. Mix some chipotle paste with Greek yogurt or sour cream and then drizzle it on.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan and add the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes until softened.
Two: Add the beans and sweetcorn and mash them a little so they become a little mushy.
Three: Add the chipotle, cumin, coriander/cilantro and paprika and cook for 1 minute.
Four: Add the tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Five: Make your burritos by adding a little cooked rice and bean mix to a tortilla and then top with some shredded lettuce, slaw, guacamole, salsa and chipotle cream and wrap up in to a burrito and wrap in foil to keep warm.
Health benefits of black beans
Whilst they might not be the first things you think of when you think of nutrient dense ingredients, black beans have lots of great health benefits.
They are a great source of protein, and much cheaper than other protein sources like chicken, beef or fish, which makes this a budget friendly protein packed meal.
They are also loaded with with fibre, folate and potassium (which can help lower blood pressure), as well as helping to lower "bad" cholesterol. The magnesium in black beans also plays an important role in protecting your bones.
What to serve with bean burritos
If you haven't tried our Mexican Coleslaw yet, then you need it in your life immediately! Coleslaw by itself it pretty epic, but our Mexican twist on it just takes it to another level and it is the perfect addition to these easy bean burritos.
These burritos are pretty filling by themselves, but if you want some tortilla chips to serve them with, then try our Baked Tortilla Chips or Air Fryer Chips.
Fries go with everything, right?! Try our Skin on Fries or Air Fryer Potato Wedges.
Storage
Store: These are best eaten straight away, as we like the bean mixture hot. However, if you do have leftovers then you can store them in the fridge, wrapped up, until the next day.
Freeze: These actually freeze well and they are cook for bulk cooking and storing for easy meals. However, if you plan to freeze them then there are some adjustments that need to be made. Just add the bean mixture and rice to the tortillas and wrap them up for freezing. All the other ingredients can be added before serving. You can wrap them up in foil and then store them in freezer bags.
Defrost: You can defrost them in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: To reheat them, take them out of the foil and put them on a plate and microwave for 1 minute, until heated through.
Frequently asked questions
As mentioned above, beans have lots of nutritional benefits. These bean burritos are filling and low in calories too. You could also add some bell peppers for a nutrition boost.
Our recipe has just 242 per serving.
Yes, you could make the bean mixture in advance and then keep it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. You would then just need to reheat the mixture and assemble the burritos.
Yes, you can easily double this recipe. Just make sure you have a pan big enough to cook everything in.
As long as you use gluten free tortillas and make sure there is no cross contamination, then these can be gluten free.
If you leave out the chipotle cream, or use a vegan yoghurt, then these can be vegan.
These are a delicious meat free meal and really aren't missing meat. However, you could add leftover shredded chicken if you wanted to.
They are both served in large wraps. However, a burrito is usually the main filling (in this case beans) and some rice. Whereas fajitas will have vegetables in them. Why not try our Vegetable Fajitas too!
More Mexican recipes
If you’ve tried this black bean burrito recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Bean Burritos
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 8 Mushrooms - sliced
- 1 Onion - sliced
- 300 g (1.5 cups) Mixed Mexican beans - canned; drained
- 100 g (0.66 cups) Frozen sweetcorn
- 2 teaspoon Chipotle paste - (less if you like it less spicy)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 4 tablespoon Fresh coriander (cilantro) - chopped
- 200 g (7 oz) Chopped tomatoes - canned
- 200 g (1 cups) Brown rice - cooked
- Lettuce - shredded
- Salsa
- Mexican Coleslaw
- Guacamole
- Chipotle Cream (optional) - (chipotle paste mixed in to Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche)
- 4 Whole wheat tortilla wraps
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a large pan and add 1 Onion, 2 Garlic clove and 8 Mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes until softened.
- Add 300 g Mixed Mexican beans and 100 g Frozen sweetcorn and mash them a little so they become a little mushy.
- Add 2 teaspoon Chipotle paste, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 4 tablespoon Fresh coriander (cilantro) and 1 teaspoon Paprika and cook for 1 minute.
- Add 200 g Chopped tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Make your burritos by dividing 200 g Brown rice and bean mix to 4 Whole wheat tortilla wraps. Top with some shredded Lettuce, Mexican Coleslaw, Guacamole, Salsa and Chipotle Cream (optional). Wrap up into a burrito and wrap in foil to keep warm.
Notes
- Make sure you have a tortilla that is big enough for all the filling. There is nothing worse (when it comes to burritos anyway) than struggling to wrap up your burrito. Try to use one that is at least 12 inches. If you can only find smaller ones, you can make bean tacos.
- Only remove the tortilla wraps from their packet just before you construct the burrito. Keeping them in their packet until the last minute keeps them fresher and easier to wrap.
- To fold the burrito up, tuck it in at the sides first, and then fold the tortilla over the fillings and roll it closed. Roll your burrito inside a piece of foil or parchment to keep the fillings contained.
- To make these gluten free, use gluten free tortillas.
- Add a squeeze of fresh lime over the bean mixture before serving. This will add some freshness and really bring all the ingredients to life.
- If you wanted to add some cheese, then some mature cheddar or feta work well.
- Once the burrito is folded, you can heat it in a skillet to make it a bit crispy.
- You can also use this mixture to make burrito bowls with, and skip the wraps.
Shaina Joshi
My Hubby and kids would love these and I need some more awesome recipes like this so that I can make awesome and yummy food at home only. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with all of us. Best of luck for your future recipes.
Kayleigh
I don't often eat Mexican food but when I do i LOVE IT! Nachos are my favourite
Jess
This looks absolutely amazing! Burritos are one of my favourite things but they go a bit soggy when I take them to work. Any tips? This made me so hungry I would love to have them for my lunches.
Louise
I love a good burrito, but I've not had one in ages! I think I'll have to have a go at making these one day this week as they look super scrummy. I just need to get rid of this flu first so I can actually taste them!
Louise x
Demeter
Okay, I am always up for some burritos! Love all the fresh ingredients, especially the mushrooms!
Diana
I haven't had burritos in a very long time, and what's more surprising is that I've never tried making them at home. Will have to try your recipe as looks very delicious!
Sarah
These look delicious - I'm loving the flavors packed into each burrito! Will definitely have to make some this week!!
Tania
Such a great recipe and a definite crowd please! I just wish I were in that crowd to enjoy this tasty looking dish! Many thanks for the recipe.
Laura
Great idea, and perfect timing. My boys were getting tired of the usual baguette sandwiches for their school lunch and ask to have wraps or tortillas. I was running out of ideas, so these are perfect.
Veronica
My husband is one of those people that would say this would need some meat. But I am going to give them a try and see if he notices. We eat meat with every meal and we really need to cut back on it.
Jess Gabbots
These look really good and my kids love our local burrito place (they deliver too which is dangerous). I'm still seriously broke from Christmas, so some more cheap meals like this would be fab. I love that you can freeze them too xx
Caroline
These would be good with some eggs and bacon in them for breakfast.