Make up a batch of these Green Chile Burritos for supper or to stash in the freezer at a later date. Either way, you’ll eat good and cheap.
Burritos are the spice of life. Well, if they aren’t, they should be. They are one of the easiest, quickest meals to pull together with little work or planning. All the ingredients can be kept on hand in the pantry, fridge, or freezer. Prepared burritos freeze well and reheat easily.
What’s not to love?
I’ve been making a batch of burritos for the freezer on a weekly basis for awhile now. Like these Chicken Fajita Burritos, or Red Burritos with Beef and Beans. They rarely last the full seven days since we grab them for quick meals and snacks.
FishPapa’s eyes have lit up on more than one occasion when I’ve said, “There are burritos in the freezer.”
What do I need to make these green chile burritos?
While certain teenage boys in our home prefer meaty burritos, I find that it’s quicker and easier to make them meatless. With homemade “refried” beans, abundant cheese, green chiles, onions, and a little hot sauce, these babies will rival whatever the local joint can make. Plus, they’re pretty much guilt-free, made of real food and prepared at home.
Here is the ingredient breakdown:
- burrito-sized flour tortillas
- refried beans – you can use canned or try making your own refried beans
- jack cheese – but cheddar cheese would also work
- green chilies
- onion
- hot sauce (optional)
How do you make these green chile burritos?
If you’re not sure how to roll a burrito that will stay together, you can check out my vlog on making burritos. It’s an old video, very homemade, but it does the job.
Are burritos expensive to make at home?
Did I mention that they are also good cheap eats?
Price breakdown:
- dozen tortillas: $1.99
- homemade refried beans: $0.50
- 8 ounces shredded cheese $1.50
- chopped green chiles $0.77
- chopped onion and hot sauce: $0.15 (if that)
One dozen green chile burritos cost a total of $4.91, or $0.41 each. That’s at least half what Taco Bell or Del Taco charge, and this is worlds better in terms of nutrition and taste.
I call that a win.
Can I make these burritos ahead of time?
Assembly is easy, particularly if you’re preparing many burritos at once. If you’re serving a burrito bar, once everyone has served himself, assemble the rest of the burritos, chill, and freeze for easy snacks. You’ll be so glad you did.
I package the burritos in a gallon-size freezer bag. I know some folks prefer to wrap them in plastic wrap or foil, but we’ve never had a problem just stashing them in a bag together. Sometimes a couple stick together, but that’s generally not a problem when you’re feeding a small army. If you prefer, wrap each burrito before stashing in the bag.
How do I reheat these green chile burritos?
As for reheating, we use the microwave, the griddle, or the oven. Nuke each frozen burrito for a minute or two until hot. You might want to flip them on the plate to distribute the cold spots.
If I’m using the griddle (or a hot skillet), I just heat until hot and crispy, turning every once in awhile to prevent burning, about five to 10 minutes, depending on how cold/frozen they are. If I know I’m going to be reheating a bunch, I thaw them for awhile before throwing them on the griddle.
I’ve put frozen burritos in a baking dish in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes and they are good to go.
Real Food Real Easy
Making homemade food easier and more affordable is my passion. Here are some things you can do to make this recipe easier on the wallet:
How to make this cheap:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. For instance, when I see a tortillas, I buy a lot. The same goes for jack cheese. In some ways jack is a specialty item around here, so I shoot for buying it at less than $3/pound.
- Do a price comparison. I know that ALDI is the best place to buy ingredients like whole wheat tortillas when there isn’t a great sale elsewhere. I keep track of prices so that I know who has the best deal where.
Tools I use to make this recipe easy:
This is a pretty straight-forward dish. You don’t need any fancy equipment. However, having some good basic kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I like to use in this recipe.
- box grater or food processor – for shredding cheese
- large ice cream scoop – This is great for evenly portioning burrito filling.
- deli wrap – I use deli waxed paper to wrap each burrito if I’m going to be freezing them.
Green Chile Burritos
Ingredients
- 12 burrito-size flour tortillas
- 3 cup Refried Beans
- 8 oz jack cheese (shredded) you can use cheddar, too (2 cups)
- 1 7-ounce can green chiles (chopped)
- ½ onion finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- On a flat working surface, lay out a tortilla. Spread ¼ cup beans in a line down the center. Sprinkle on a small handful of cheese. Sprinkle a spoonful of chiles over the cheese as well as a teaspoon of onions. Add hot sauce to taste.
- Roll up the tortilla over the filling, tucking in the sides as you go.
- Continue until all the burritos are filled and rolled.
- The filled burritos can be placed in a ziptop freezer bag and frozen. Or you can heat them and serve them right away. We like to heat them on the griddle, turning to crisp all sides.
Notes
Promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
Nutritional values are approximate and based on 1 burrito.
Alison
Made these last night!!!! So.super.good! So simple, so cheap????
I came away with enough to feed 7kids two adults with 14 leftover for the freezer and 6cups of healthier retried beans! Thanks for all you do ????
Jessica Fisher
Thank you for letting me know. Makes my job easier. 🙂
karen
One more thing….if you are making spicy and mild burritos, rub a dab of hot sauce on the outside of the spicy ones. Then it’s easy to grab the right one!
Jessica Fisher
Great suggestion. Thanks!
karen
I love having a stash of burritos in the freezer. I usually toss everything together in a bowl then fill the burritos. We like rice, black beans, chicken, onions, and fire roasted corn (from Trader Joe’s). Add salsa or any leftover bits and bobs and you’re ready to go.
Jessica Fisher
I wish my people liked corn in things…. I might just make a batch for myself like that. And yes, mixing it all together does make it easier, depending on your fillings. I wanted to even out the chiles and onions, so I chose the layer method here. But, with my chicken, bean, and cheese ones, I mix it all together.
Sandra
I really love the chicken, bean and cheese recipe. Last time I made them I added corn and brown rice. It’s a family favorite!
Jessica Fisher
So glad to hear it!
Hilarie
Thanks for the info re: the truncated feed. Several of the blogs I follow have started doing that lately, and I wondered why. I’ll be honest, I don’t have time to click over to all of them, but I’m still following you and will click over whenever it grabs my interest. Thanks for all you share with us!
Jessica Fisher
Thank you so much for your kind words and support. It’s not a decision I take lightly. I, too, am not a fan of truncated feeds. Know that I am committed to making the content worth your extra click. Please let me know if you have any suggestions in that area. 🙂
Michelle K
I keep saying that I’m going to do this and never have. I think it’s time to get off the stick and do it already!
JessieLeigh
These sound super tasty! In fact, I could go for them for lunch– they’d be a great, meatless treat.
Jessica Fisher
I was tempted to have one for breakfast. LOL
Jessica
Thanks jessica for your blogs. I love them both. I wish I could make a lot of the foods you write about but I have A super picky eater with texture issues. I have made your brownies over and over. Delish. I will try this for my husband the Mexican lover. Thanks again for the blogs.
Jessica Fisher
Let me know how it goes over!
sheila
I’m putting the pinto beans to soak right now!
Have a great weekend Jessica.
Sheila
Jessica Fisher
Bon appetit! A lot of commenters on the bean post said that the omit the soaking section. I’ve noticed that the longer I soak, the less gassy the beans are. TMI? I dunno, but that was a helpful discovery for me. 🙂
Cathy @ Chief Family Officer
Just curious – what size tortillas do you use? I’m partial to the handmade flour tortillas at Trader Joe’s, but am afraid they’d be too small for burritos. Do I *have* to use burrito-size tortillas? Thanks!
Jessica Fisher
Ha! If you want it to roll into a burrito, yes, get the burrito-size. These were Trader Joe’s “no-added sugar”. 🙂 They tend to be more fragile than Costco’s that are rife with preservatives. So be it. If you don’t care if the burritos aren’t well-shaped go for the handmade. They are yummy, but I use them more for fajitas….
Cathy @ Chief Family Officer
Thanks, Jessica! I’ll give those no-added sugar ones a try. (Been enjoying your updates on that foray, by the way!)
Carla
I’ve also used fajita or taco sized tortillas and rolled them into the foil (or plastic wrap), not folding the tortilla. The insides don’t fall out because the tortilla holds it in. I hope that makes sense. 🙂