Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos are the perfect quick and easy meal! Made with refried beans, super simple seasoned rice, and sharp cheese, this is the perfect vegetarian meal for busy nights or on the go.
Here on HNL, we are firm believers that homemade burritos are the gift that keeps on giving.
Make some for dinner, and you're a winner. Freeze some for later, and you can feast on burritos whenever your heart desires. And I don't know about you, but my heart desires burritos very, very often. With 18 grams of protein per serving, who could blame me?!
Like my Black Bean and Quinoa Freezer Burritos, these Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos are fabulous for meal prep. But what sets these apart is that they're a copycat of the Taco Bell version—without all the processed stuff.
Yes, this recipe has all the creamy, cheesy goodness of a Taco Bell cheesy bean and rice burrito, and while it takes a little more effort than going to the drive-thru, I’m pretty confident that it’s worth it. These are guaranteed to be a hit!
What's in this Recipe
There are three main components in play today. You'll find all the specific quantities in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, but here's a quick overview of everything you'll need for your burritos.
Seasoned rice
- Long grain rice --> I used basmati rice, but another brown or white rice is fine.
- Salsa --> Use your favorite tomato-based salsa.
Chipotle sauce
- Sour cream and mayonnaise --> The base of our creamy, zippy, smoky chipotle sauce.
- Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce --> Finely minced so it blends in smoothly with the rest of the sauce ingredients.
- Lime juice --> For some tangy flavor and to thin the sauce out a bit.
- Salt and pepper --> To taste.
Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos
- Refried beans --> You can certainly use store-bought, but I love using our homemade Refried Beans or Refried Black Beans.
- Shredded Tex Mex cheese --> We're using this in place of nacho cheese sauce. Monterey Jack cheese or even cheddar cheese will work too, if you prefer.
- Large flour tortillas --> If you prefer a more petite burrito, you can substitute smaller soft flour tortillas. You’ll be able to make a few extra then.
How to Make Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos
First things first, cook the rice according to the package directions. Then, remove it from the heat and stir in the salsa. Easy peasy.
While the rice cooks, add all of the chipotle sauce ingredients to a bowl and stir everything together until it’s smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. We're making a smoky riff on the classic jalapeno sauce, so feel free to dial up the heat if you like.
To assemble the burritos, start by spreading the refried beans on one side of the tortilla. Add the rice, followed by the chipotle sauce and shredded cheese.
Roll the burrito by folding the left and right sides over the filling; about one or two inches on each side is good. Then, start rolling the bottom up, tucking the sides in as you go.
To toast the cheesy bean and rice burritos, set a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and brush the bottom with olive oil. Place the burritos seam side down in the pan and toast for 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Tips for Perfect Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos
Master your folding game (or not)
Folding burritos seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes despite all your best efforts, you just can’t get them to hold together. If this seems to be your lot in life, just wrap the folded bean burritos in foil and eat them that way. The foil will hold everything together and keep you from making a mess.
Garnish with gusto
The cheesy bean and rice burrito at Taco Bell is an exercise in restraint. Yes, Taco Bell has eleventy-billion topping options, but here, we’re just using cheese, rice, beans, and chipotle sauce. That said, if you usually customize your order, you can do that at home too by adding onions, tomatoes, lettuce, or fries. (Okay, don’t add fries—but that is an option on the Taco Bell menu.)
Don’t overdo it
Overfilling your burritos is a surefire way to have them burst open when you bite into them. Use the photos above as a guide for how much filling to add to each burrito if you don’t want to measure each component.
How to Make These Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos Your Own
- Upgrade the rice: Use this Instant Pot Mexican Rice for a more traditional version of Mexican rice.
- Or swap out the rice: For a boost of protein, swap the rice for cooked quinoa. Stir in the salsa to give it flavor.
- Use whole beans: Not a fan of refried beans? No problem! Substitute Instant Pot Pinto Beans or Instant Pot Black Beans.
- Make cheesy bean and rice burrito bowls: Layer the rice at the bottom, followed by the beans, chipotle sauce, and cheese. You can toast tortilla strips in the oven for a fun topping, or add shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeños, corn, etc.
- Make them vegan: The Taco Bell cheesy bean and rice burrito is not vegan, but this recipe is easy to veganize. Use vegan sour cream, mayo, and cheese instead of dairy; if you’re using store-bought refried beans, make sure those are vegan as well.
Storing + Reheating Burritos
Wrap your burritos tightly in foil, and you can store them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months. They can be reheated in the foil in a 350ºF oven until warmed through, or you can remove the foil and heat them in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel.
If you freeze these burritos, I recommend letting them thaw in the fridge before reheating them according to the instructions above. They’ll reheat more evenly if they’re thawed first.
Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos
Ingredients
Seasoned rice
- 1 cup long grain rice I used basmati
- ½ cup salsa Use your favorite
Chipotle sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce finely minced
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos
- 15 ounce can refried beans or 1 ¾ cups homemade refried beans
- 6 ounces shredded Tex Mex cheese
- 6 large tortillas
Instructions
Seasoned Rice
- Start by making the seasoned rice. Cook the rice according to package directions (I combine the rice with 1 ¾ cups water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed).1 cup long grain rice
- Remove the rice from the heat and let it cool slightly, then stir in the salsa.½ cup salsa
Chipotle sauce
- While the rice is cooking, make the chipotle sauce. Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, minced chipotle, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary.½ cup sour cream, 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, 1 Tablespoon lime juice, salt and pepper to taste
Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos
- To assemble the burritos, start by spreading a scant ½ cup refried beans on one side of the tortilla. Add the rice (I aim for about ¾ cup of rice per burrito, but you can do more or less), followed by a couple of spoonfuls of the chipotle sauce. Top with shredded cheese, and then roll up your burrito.15 ounce can refried beans, 6 large tortillas, 6 ounces shredded Tex Mex cheese
- If you’d like to toast your burritos, heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Brush the bottom of the skillet lightly with olive oil, and then place the burritos, seam side down, in the pan. Toast for 3-5 minutes on two sides, until golden.
- Serve the burritos with extra chipotle sauce if desired.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
- Note - less is more when it comes to rolling burritos, so don’t over fill them. I made this recipe into 4 large burritos, but you can certainly make 6 slightly smaller ones instead.
Jack
These were PERFECT for a cold fall night, and I popped some in the freezer for future meals.
The sauce was so easy to make and delicious.