Beef Bean Burritos Salsa (Print version)
Flavorful burritos combining seasoned beef, black beans, melted cheese, fresh salsa, and warm tortillas.
# What you need:
→ Beef Filling
01 - 1 lb ground beef
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tsp ground cumin
06 - 1 tsp chili powder
07 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
08 - ½ tsp salt
09 - ¼ tsp black pepper
→ Beans
10 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
11 - ½ cup water
12 - ½ tsp ground cumin
13 - ½ tsp chili powder
14 - ¼ tsp salt
→ Assembly
15 - 4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
16 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
17 - 1 cup shredded lettuce
18 - 1 large tomato, diced
19 - ½ cup sour cream
→ Salsa
20 - 2 medium tomatoes, diced
21 - ¼ red onion, finely chopped
22 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
23 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
24 - 1 tbsp lime juice
25 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
02 - Add ground beef to the skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
03 - Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine black beans, water, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Mash beans lightly with a fork and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
05 - In a bowl, combine diced tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
06 - Warm tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave until pliable.
07 - Spread one-quarter of the beans onto each tortilla. Top each with one-quarter of the beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, and a dollop of sour cream.
08 - Fold the sides inward and roll tortillas tightly. Serve immediately with additional salsa and sour cream if desired.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- You can have dinner on the table in 40 minutes, making it perfect for weeknights when you're hungry but pressed for time.
- The flavor combination of cumin and smoked paprika in the beef is addictive, and once you nail it, you'll keep making these.
- Everyone can customize their own burrito with exactly what they want, so there's no arguing at the table.
02 -
- The beans need that light mashing to create a creamy interior; if you leave them whole, they scatter and make the burrito fall apart when you bite into it.
- Warming the tortillas is non-negotiable because a cold tortilla will crack and split, but overheating them makes them brittle, so aim for warm and tender.
- The order of layering matters: beans first create a moisture barrier so the tortilla doesn't get soggy from the hot beef, then everything else stacks neatly.
03 -
- If you're using pre-shredded cheese, toss it with a tiny pinch of cornstarch to prevent clumping, but hand-shredded cheese melts much more smoothly.
- Keep a damp kitchen towel draped over your tortillas while you work so they don't dry out and become brittle between assembly.