Burritos are the perfect make-ahead meal for a quick and convenient grab-and-go option. Whether you need a hassle-free lunch for the office, a breakfast on busy mornings, or a no-fuss dinner solution, these freezer burritos have got you covered. You can even customize the ingredients to suit your taste or create variety in your meals. Here's all you need to know to successfully prep your tasty burritos!
What Kind of Tortillas You Need
You're going to want to steer away from corn tortillas for your freezer burritos. The reason is that corn tortillas are not very pliable and break quite easily when trying to wrap your burrito. Have no fear though, you do have options and are not confined to your standard flour tortillas (unless you want to be!). Flour tortillas are going to be extremely easy to work with, but you can also go for whole wheat tortillas, almond flour tortillas, or even cassava flour tortillas.
Some tortillas (especially alternative flour ones) come in the freezer section. Either way, to get the most pliability out of your tortillas, you can heat them in the microwave for 10 seconds before placing them on a square sheet of foil. This will help them to become more flexible and slightly sticky, allowing them to seal and hold their shape better when rolled into the burrito shape. If you are only making a couple of burritos, feel free to heat them in a skillet on medium to medium-high heat before adding your filling and wrapping your burritos.
Make sure your tortillas are big enough to wrap into an actual burrito, so that means you'll need to skip the small tostada-size tortillas here and opt for 10-inch tortillas for the perfect size. If you are wanting to prepare ginormous burritos, you can go even bigger than the 10-inch ones, but for the sake of meal prep, you can stick to the 10-inch.
Types of Burritos
The great thing about burritos is that when it comes to toppings, the possibilities are *almost* endless. You will want to make sure you don't use ingredients that will get too soggy when being reheated from frozen, like salsa, fresh tomatoes, avocados/guacamole, sour cream, and fresh lettuce. However, there are plenty of other ingredients you can choose from.
So what makes a good grab-and-go burrito? Alongside ingredients and tortillas that withstand the reheating process, a key rule of thumb is to include a protein. Whether you opt for savory ground beef, chicken, succulent carnitas, flavorful sausage, eggs, or a vegetarian alternative like tofu, a protein source ensures a satisfying meal. Vegetarians and vegans need not worry, as the combination of rice and beans creates a complete protein powerhouse.
Breakfast burritos
For a good breakfast burrito, you can make a scramble with scrambled eggs, bell peppers, sautéed onions, and cheese. Feel free to make any variations to this like adding breakfast sausage, bacon, hash browns or diced breakfast potatoes, sautéed mushrooms or spinach, or any other veggie combination you would like to add. Goat cheese and cheddar cheese are fantastic options for cheeses to include in your breakfast burrito. Feel free to also add rice and beans to your breakfast burrito - you make the rules here! For your make-ahead breakfast burritos, it's important to make sure your eggs are scrambled and not cooked over easy - so the over-easy eggs don't overcook and ruin the flavor or texture of your burrito when reheated.
Lunch / Dinner burritos
Black beans and rice are a dynamite combo for your classic burrito with any type of protein you would like. Monterey jack cheese and cheddar go great with your classic burrito recipe but feel free to get creative and add feta to make a Mediterranean-style burrito. Remember to adjust the filling amounts and ingredients to your preference. Refried beans can be a wonderful addition to make-ahead freezer burritos, providing a tasty and satisfying component to the overall flavor profile.
If you're opting for ground beef, try cooking it in tomato paste before adding it to your tortilla, or add spices like cumin, chili powder, and salt to your mixture. Check out our recipe for Grab and Go Burritos here.
Okay, so now you've got your toppings.... now what? Here's how to build your burrito:
1. Heat your tortillas in the microwave for about 10 seconds to make them pliable. This step prevents them from tearing when you assemble the burritos.
2. Add your filling into the center of the tortilla, in a line and making sure not to overfill; leaving some space around the edges to prevent the filling from spilling out when folding.
3. Roll the burrito: fold the sides of the tortilla over the ends of the filling, and then roll your burrito tightly from one end to the other. Make sure it is tightly wrapped to prevent air from getting in and freezer burn.
4. Wrap and store: wrap each burrito tightly with plastic wrap or foil to prevent them from freezer burn and to keep their shape.
5. Freeze: Place the wrapped burritos in the freezer and store them for future use. They can typically be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
6. Reheat and enjoy: When you're ready to eat, remove the burrito from the freezer and unwrap it. Reheat the burrito in the microwave, oven, or on a stovetop griddle until it's heated through.
Technically you can store your burritos in the fridge for up to 3 days, but they will keep their texture and flavor better if stored in the freezer.
Once you reheat your burrito, enjoy it as-is or top with hot sauce, sour cream, salsa, or avocado. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and flavors to keep your burritos interesting. Once you master this grab-and-go burrito recipe, you'll have a delicious meal ready whenever you need it. Enjoy the convenience and simplicity of theseHomemade Grab and Go Freezer Burritos!
