Southwest Beef And Bean Burritos Recipe

1. Prepare produce

Dice the onion and red bell pepper small. Mince the garlic. Chop the cilantro and set aside. Drain and rinse the black beans; set aside.

2. Brown the beef

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, about 5–7 minutes until browned with no pink remaining. Drain excess fat if desired, leaving about 1 tablespoon fat in the pan for flavor.

3. Softly sweat vegetables

Add the diced onion and red bell pepper to the beef. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

4. Season and simmer

Stir in the chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Cook 30 seconds to bloom the spices. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring. Pour in the diced tomatoes and the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add the drained black beans and reduce heat to medium-low.

5. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 6–8 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly and most liquid is absorbed. If mixture becomes too dry, add up to 2 tablespoons additional broth or water. Stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro off the heat and taste; adjust salt/pepper as needed. Keep warm.

6. Warm tortillas

Warm the flour tortillas to make them pliable: microwave stack of tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel for 20–30 seconds, or heat individually in a dry skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side.

7. Assemble burritos

Lay one warm tortilla flat. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the beef and bean filling down the center of the tortilla (adjust to size of tortilla). Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup shredded cheese, a small handful of shredded lettuce, 1–2 tablespoons salsa, and 1–2 tablespoons sour cream or crema. Add optional avocado/guacamole and pickled jalapeños if desired.

8. Fold burrito: fold the two sides toward the center, then fold the bottom up over the filling and roll tightly to close. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

9. Optional crisping

For a crisp exterior, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with a light coat of oil or butter. Place assembled burrito seam-side down and cook 1–2 minutes until golden, then flip and brown the other side 1–2 minutes.

10. Serve

Slice in half if desired and serve immediately with extra salsa, sour cream, and lime wedges.