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When you want tacos but also want burritos – the struggle is real! What I love to do is make taco stuffing, but then roll it around inside a burrito with all the usual taco toppings. It’s the best of both worlds and makes for a great DIY family dinner. If you have little kids and want a fun meal to switch things around, these taco burritos are worth a try!
What is a taco burrito?
These beef burritos are made of all of the usual ingredients you would find in a ground beef taco, but rice is added and everything is rolled in a flour tortilla. They only take 30 minutes to make and they are loaded with amazing flavor!
How to make taco burritos
There are two parts to making the taco burritos: first, cooking the taco, and second assembling the taco meat into a burrito.
Cook the taco stuffing
To cook the taco stuff, I start with lean ground beef and season with with chili powder, garlic and cumin. That alone is a ton of flavor for the taco stuffing. But a trick I learned from my mom (who is Lebanese, by the way, and is definitely no expert in Mexican cooking) was to add prepared salsa to the taco stuffing. Mom nailed it with that one, and I’m telling you, it really makes the taco stuffing juicy, flavorful and more nutritious with the extra servings of vegetables.
Mix the salsa with the seasoned ground beef, and the taco stuffing is ready for the taco burritos!
Assemble the burritos
Now’s the fun part! And if you’re having a DIY family style dinner, the recipe is pretty much done. Just serve the taco beef with your favorite toppings, extra salsa, some brown rice and tortillas for optional burrito making.
If you’re going through with the burrito making though, you’ll want to lay a tortilla flat on a cutting board, add cheese as the first layer. Then the remaining layers can be whatever you’d like. Just be sure to add another layer of cheese on top of everything to help bind the burritos.
I use soft taco tortillas instead of standard burrito tortillas since this is technically a taco burritos recipe. But any size tortilla is fine.
Roll that up, place it on a skillet with the seam side down for a couple minutes until it gets warm and crispy on the outside. I like to turn it on all its sides so it’s equally crispy on all the edges.
Tips for making taco burritos
- Avoid using salsa with too much liquid. Since we’re looking for burritos with a crispy exterior, I recommend draining extra liquid from the salsa if it has a lot of water. I also suggest draining the fat from the beef after it’s cooked if it releases too much liquid. This keeps the tortillas from getting soggy.
- Skip the tomatoes and salsa if you’re freezing. The tomatoes tend to have a high water content so they will release liquid when thawed and result in soggy taco burritos. This is true for any other water-based vegetables you want to include in the burritos.
- Warm the tortillas before stuffing and rolling. I recommend putting the tortillas in a stack on a large foil, add a few splashes of water and then wrapping tightly in the foil. Warm them up in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes. This makes the tortillas softer, more pliable and easier to roll and fold.
- Don’t overstuff the burritos. Easier said than done, I know. But you want to be cognisant of how many ingredients you’re adding so that you can manage to wrap the burrito…and keep it wrapped! Try to also keep the ingredients together in one line in the center of the burrito.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a taco and a burrito?
The main difference between the two is the size – tacos are smaller and are generally a lighter snack, where as burritos are larger and are made with rice for a more hearty meal. Burritos are rolled in a flour tortilla which are larger and more pliable and tacos tend to have corn shells, soft or hard.
What’s the best beef to use in this recipe?
I would suggest that you use a lean ground beef to reduce the fat content. Where possible I always try to by locally reared beef as well, it tastes so much better as well as being better for the environment.
What so you serve with Beef Taco Burritos?
These taco burritos are hearty enough to serve by themselves, but you could easily serve them with more Mexican sides for a bigger feast. Salsa, corn on the cob and tortillas and guacamole would all work really well.
I love how easy and convenient these taco burritos are. I’m sure they’re going to be a huge hit in your home!
For more Tex Mex recipes:
- Zucchini Enchiladas
- Plant Based Tempeh Tacos
- Taco Salad Meal Prep
- Salsa Black Bean Burger
- Shrimp Fajita Bowls
- Mexican Street Tacos
- Baked Chicken Tacos
- Grilled Fish Tacos
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Beef Taco Burritos recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
I created this blog post first on July 19, 2017. I am updating it today to include improved new step-by-step images!
Beef Taco Burritos
Video
Ingredients
Taco stuffing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup prepared salsa
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Burritos Assembly
- Cooking spray
- 6 flour tortillas
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Brown rice
- Cabbage
- Diced tomatoes
- Red onions
Instructions
Taco stuffing
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, then add ground beef, season with salt and pepper and cook and crumble until completely browned. Drain any grease.
- Add salsa, chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin and stir to combine until fragrant. Transfer the taco stuffing to a dish.
Burritos Assembly
- Lay one tortilla on a flat surface, then layer with cheese, then brown rice, taco stuffing, cabbage, tomatoes and red onions. Add on more layer of shredded cheese on top.
- Starting at that end, roll the tortilla up, folding in the sides.
- Use the same large skillet used to cook the taco stuffing and spray with cooking spray. Place the burrito on the skillet with the seam side down. Gently turn the burrito to the other side after 2 minutes and continue to turn until it is golden and crispy on all sides.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Serve warm with guacamole, salsa and sour cream, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Instead of prepared salsa, you can add tomatoes to the taco meat, or skip this part of the recipe all together.
- Feel free to adjust the spices to your preferences.
- Feel free to adjust the toppings for the burrito to your preferences.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Great flavor & so easy for a quick meal!
These beef taco burritos look so yummy!