Dinner should be easy, fun, and quick, especially during the week. This article will guide you to mastering how to meal prep burritos. I will teach you how to craft these delectable bundles of flavor for a week’s worth of quick and satisfying meals. From protein-packed fillings to vibrant veggies, we’ll explore the art of assembling, storing, and reheating burritos for ultimate convenience.
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7 Tips On How To Meal Prep Burritos For A Flavourful Meal
Burritos are a beloved part of my family’s weekly dinner menu and it’s one of my favorite Sunday dinner ideas. The portable meals consist of tortillas enveloping a delectable mix of cooked proteins like chicken, beef, or beans combined with rice or quinoa, vegetables, and savory seasonings.
I even enjoy meal prepping vegetarian variations for meatless Monday nights. I swap out animal proteins for marinated and my meal prepped tofu, hearty black beans, or seasoned lentils. Loading up with sautéed peppers, onions, corn, and spinach offers a vibrant medley of veggies.
1. Prepping For A Burrito
Before diving into the assembly process, you must have your ingredients ready and prepped. This step sets the foundation for a smooth burrito-prepping experience.
Collect Ingredients
Gather your choice of tortillas, protein, rice or quinoa, roasted vegetables, cheese, beans, and other desired toppings like salsa and guacamole.
Cooking Your Ingredients
A crucial part of prepping your burrito is cooking your ingredients separately. This brings in the depth and richness of the different flavors of your burrito. Each component plays a vital role in constructing a satisfying meal, whether its juicy proteins, fluffy rice, sauteed or roasted veggies:
- Cook your chosen proteins using your preferred method of spicing and seasoning.
- Add your rice or quinoa to a pot and cook.
- Gather, wash, peel, and chop your favorite veggies. I prefer roasting my veggies, which adds a more complex flavor to the burrito. Still, you can sauté the veggies according to your preference.
Cool Ingredients
If you are making burritos to store for a quick meal at a later stage, allow your cooked ingredients to cool down. This will prevent sogginess when assembling the burrito.
Shred Cheese
Shred your favorite cheese and set aside. Ultimately, the best cheese for your burrito is a cheese that suits your taste preference and compliments the ingredients.
Experiment with blending different cheeses to create unique tasting flavor profiles:
- Cheddar cheese is a versatile option that melts well and adds a rich, savory flavor to burritos.
- Monterey Jack cheese is well known for its mild flavor and gooey melting properties.
- Queso Fresco is a crumbly Mexican cheese with a mild, slightly tangy taste, adding a nice texture to the burritos.
- Mozzarella cheese is a neutral cheese that won’t overpower the flavors but adds the melted gooey texture.
Create A Workstation
Clear and clean, and spacious work area where you can easily access all your prepped ingredients. What I usually do is lay down the tortillas nearby for easy assembly. Having your ingredients ready streamlines the burrito-making process and ensures that everything is at your fingertips when needed.
I find that a proactively organized approach sets the stage for a delicious and efficient burrito-prepping session where ingredients can easily be shared among the burritos.
2. The Harmony Of Assembling Your Burrito
Assembling a burrito is an art that combines flavors, textures, and colors to create a delightful meal.
Each layer contributes to the overall experience, ensuring a harmonious blend of tastes with every bite.
- Start by using a tortilla large enough for all the ingredients you want to use.
- Layer your ingredients in the center of the tortilla, ensuring you have enough space around the edges to fold and roll the tortilla.
- Add your chosen protein.
- Add a layer of colorful veggies and top off with cheese.
3. The Secret Of Folding And Rolling Your Burrito
Folding and rolling a burrito might seem like a simple enough task, although getting it just right can make a big difference in how well your burrito holds together and how enjoyable it is to eat:
- First, warm your tortillas to make them more manageable and flexible.
- Fold in the left and right sides of the tortilla over the filling. Once you start rolling, this will prevent the filling from falling out of the sides.
- Starting from the bottom edge, fold it up and over the filling. Use your fingers to tuck the tortilla under the filling as you fold.
- With the bottom edge folded, start rolling the burrito away from you, tucking the filling in tightly as you go. Use gentle pressure to create a snug roll.
- Keep the sides tucked in as you roll and adjust the filling to ensure even distribution. You can also use your fingers to guide the edges inward to prevent spillage.
4. Tight Wrapping Burritos
Are you making burritos ahead of time? Use parchment paper, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap to seal your burrito and keep it fresh, preventing them from sticking together. I’ve discovered that it’s an excellent idea to pack burritos for lunch for school or work for mess-free storage and eating.
5. Freezing Burritos For Quick Meals
You can store your burrito in the refrigerator for three to four days. If you plan to freeze, you can keep the burrito in the freezer for up to 6 months, but it’s better to use them up within 2-3 months.
When freezing, I typically wrap the burritos tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then place them in a sealable freezer bag, removing as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn.
6. Successfully Reheating A Burrito
For a convenient dinner, remove the wrapping from the frozen burritos and reheat. You can reheat burritos in the microwave.
- Time depends on the strength of your microwave.
- Remember to flip halfway through and remember to remove any foil you used to wrap the burrito.
- Use a skillet or toaster oven to give you a crispier burrito.
7. Customize Burrito Toppings
Customizing your burrito with added toppings adds a texture and flavor to complement your meal. I love making fresh salsa, adding some sour cream, fresh guacamole, and chopped cilantro as sides to accentuate the meal.
What’s Better For Burritos: Flour Or Corn Tortillas?
It is more of a personal preference when deciding between flour or corn tortillas and the burrito you aim to create.
Each type of tortilla has its own characteristics which influence the taste, texture, and overall experience of your burrito.
I personally prefer using flour tortillas when making burritos. I find them more flexible, making it much easier to wrap and roll. They are also large, allowing more leeway to get all your ingredients in and still room to wrap and roll your burrito.
Texture
Flour tortillas are softer and more pliable compared to corn tortillas. They have a slightly chewy and doughy texture. Meanwhile, corn tortillas are more delicate and thinner than flour tortillas, with a slightly crumbly texture.
Taste
Flour tortillas have a milder flavor, allowing the fillings to take center stage. Corn tortillas have a distinct corn flavor that can compete with some flavors. However, they complement traditional Mexican ingredients very well.
Size
Flour tortillas are often larger and more flexible, which is why I prefer using them when I want to fold and roll larger burritos.
In contrast, corn tortillas are often smaller than flour tortillas, which might limit the amount of filling you can comfortably add.
Versatility
Because of their flexibility, flour tortillas let me create larger, stuffed burritos with a wider variety of fillings.
Corn tortillas are more commonly used for making tacos and enchiladas and are traditional in Mexican cuisine. They are also naturally gluten-free, making them suitable for people sensitive to gluten or suffering from celiac disease.
Conclusion
Burritos can be a convenient and delicious way to have ready-to-eat meals when you don’t have time to cook up a storm in the kitchen. By following the simple prepping steps, you will be on your way to creating delicious batches of nutritious burritos ready to eat when you need a satisfying meal.
Richmond Howard started Meal Prepify in 2019 and has helped over a million people learn how to meal prep, get better at meal planning, and create a kitchen they love to use. He’s an avid home chef and loves to bbq, grill out, and make awesome food for family and friends. He’s been featured on MSN, Renaissance Periodization, and Good Financial Cents.