Meal Prep Frozen Burritos (Two Ways!)

These meal-prep Frozen Burritos are one of my go-to make-ahead meals either to stock my freezer or for a week of meal prep! They’re loaded with Mexican style rice, fajita veggies, salsa chicken or taco meat, and all of your favorite add-ins. These burritos are filling, loaded with protein and veggies, and so customizable!

Homemade Frozen Burritos for Meal Prep

Is there anything better than trying to plan dinner, then opening your freezer and realizing you have a healthy frozen burrito already ready to go? I don’t think so!

These Freezer Burritos are my go-to meal prep recipe to stock my freezer or for anyone postpartum or if sick or whatnot. They’re incredibly easy to make, loaded with protein, veggies, cheese, and so many incredible burrito mix-ins. This recipe also includes options for salsa chicken and taco meat, so you get some variety too! 

Make these ahead of time and freeze them OR serve them right away for dinner. You can also make a batch, assemble a couple right away for dinner, and save the rest for meal prep. This recipe gives you plenty of options!

Ingredients Needed:

Scroll for the full details. Of course you can make just one version, both, omit ingredients… it’s up to you!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

• Chicken Breast: I use boneless and skinless chicken breast.
• Salsa: I use salsa verde to add flavor and moisture to the chicken, but any type of salsa will work.

Quick Mexican Style Rice

• White Rice and Water: you will need equal parts rice and water to cook rice in the instant pot. I use 2 cups of each! 
• Tomato Paste: tomato paste adds richness and flavor to the rice.
• Seasonings: I use a blend of garlic powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper

Taco Meat

• Ground Beef: use lean ground beef or make sure you drain any excess grease after cooking.
• Avocado Oil: any cooking oil will work.
• Seasonings: we’re seasoning the taco meat with a blend of paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and optional cayenne pepper.
• Salsa:  salsa verde is my preference, but use any salsa you like.

Veggies

• Avocado Oil: or any cooking oil you like.
• Red Bell Pepper, Green Bell Pepper, and Onion: we’re using a classic blend of fajita veggies for these burritos, but feel free to add in any veggies you like.
• Salt and Pepper: with all of the flavor in the meat fillings, you don’t need much for the veggies.

For Serving

• Tortillas: use whatever tortillas you like! 
• Toppings: I use shredded romaine lettuce, diced tomato, shredded cheddar cheese, pickled jalapeños, diced avocado, lime, fresh cilantro, and salsa. I don’t freeze these ingredients!
• Black Beans: be sure to drain and rinse the black beans first.

Let’s Talk Tortillas! 

You can use any tortilla you like for this recipe! Try homemade, flour, corn, gluten-free, etc. My favorite are Siete tortillas which are gluten-free and paleo-friendly.

When it comes to making burritos, size does matter! A bigger tortilla will stand up better next to the filling. We want it to be sturdy and fully wrapped so the burrito can hold its shape. 

I use 10-12” tortillas and they work great!

I’ve tested these with grain-free burrito size burritos and they work if heated properly. If gluten isn’t an issue or you’re making for someone’s freezer, go for whole wheat or regular flour tortillas.

Warming your tortillas for rolling: 

In a skillet: Heat a skillet over medium heat, and warm your tortillas for a few seconds on each side until warm.

In the microwave: Wrap a stack of tortillas in damp paper towels or a damp kitchen towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds, or until warm.

How to Make Frozen Burritos

These frozen burritos look a lot more labor intensive than they actually are! All you need is roughly 30 minutes of hands-on time to assemble these meal prep burritos.

Prep the Fillings

1. Make the rice: Place all of the ingredients into the instant pot and cook on manual pressure for 5 minutes. Release the pressure, then fluff with a fork. You can make this the day before.
2. Make the salsa chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Place into the slow cooker or Instant pot with your salsa. Cook, shred, and set aside. You can make this the day before.
3. Cook the meat: Combine the meat, oil, seasonings, and salsa in a skillet and cook until no pink remains. Set aside. You can make this the day before.
4. Sauté the veggies: Heat oil in a skillet, then add the onions, peppers, salt, and pepper. Cook until soft.

Assemble the Burritos

1. Fill the burrito: Place a scoop of rice into your desired tortilla, then add either chicken or taco meat along with any other mix-ins you like. 
2. Roll the burrito: Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll the burrito up tightly.
3. Serve or store: Serve right away or flash freeze until hardened, then store in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months.

How to Fold a Burrito

A huge bonus of freezer burritos is their convenience. The key is to be able to warm them and eat them on-the-go if needed. This is only do-able, however, if they’re folded correctly. No one wants a flimsy burrito that falls apart as soon as you try to take a bite! 

Here are my steps for properly rolling a burrito:

1. Warm the tortilla in the microwave or in a skillet to soften it slightly. This makes it easier to roll.
2. Add the filling to the bottom/center of the tortilla. 
3. Fold in the left and right sides of the tortilla first, then wrap it up from the bottom, using your fingers or a spoon to make sure the filling stays in the burrito.
4. Wet your finger and rub a little bit of water on the edge of the tortilla to seal it.
5. If wrapping to freeze: Lay out your foil, wax paper, or plastic wrap in a diagonal. Fold over the foil, plastic wrap, or wax paper that’s underneath to wrap it up tight, then label and store!

What to Avoid in a Burrito Recipe if Freezing

While there are so many ingredients that are fair game for freezer burritos, there are a couple of ingredients you should avoid:

1. Avocado. It just doesn’t freeze well. Instead, serve your reheated burrito with sliced avocado or guacamole!
2. Dairy. Cheese is fine, but I definitely don’t recommend other dairy ingredients like sour cream. They become watery when thawed and can cause your burrito to be soggy.
3. Watery ingredients. Anything that’s more liquid than solid, like salsa, guacamole, lettuce, and raw tomato, should be avoided in the freezer. Again, they get too watery when thawed and that can cause texture problems. Instead, top your breakfast burrito with them once you’re ready to eat!

Wrapping Burritos For The Freezeer

These freezer burritos are the perfect way to plan ahead and keep quick and easy meals on-hand all the time! Here are a few of my best tips for storing freezer burritos!

1. Wrap individually. I wrap each burrito up individually in plastic wrap, wax paper, or foil. This makes it easy to grab one or two at a time for reheating.
2. Roll diagonally. The easiest way for me to wrap up a burrito is to fold it up in the foil at a diagonal. This makes it super easy to wrap and unwrap. 
3. Flash freeze. Freeze the burritos first on a sheet pan until solid before storing them all together.
4. Store in bags. Once the burritos are frozen, transfer them to a larger ziplock bag for longer storage.
5. Label. Date the bags so you know when the burritos were made. This makes it so much easier to keep track of how long they’ve been in the freezer.

How Do I Make My Frozen Burritos Not Soggy?

There are a few things that you can do to prevent the burritos from becoming soggy:

1. Cool the filling slightly. If the filling is way too hot when you add it to the burrito, it can cause the tortillas to become soggy.
2. Pre-cook the veggies. Veggies release a lot of moisture as they cook. If you pre-cook the veggies, you can rid them of any excess moisture before adding them to the tortilla.
3. Drain excess grease. After you cook the ground beef, drain off any excess grease before adding it to the tortilla. The oil can cause the tortilla to get soggy.
4. Go easy on ingredients with high water content. While we’re using salsa in the filling, be sparing if you add any extra salsa or sauce to the burritos. Too much can soften the tortillas.

Serving Suggestions

These burritos are great on their own, but can also be served as part of a larger sit-down meal. I recommend serving them with salsa, guacamole, and hot sauce. 

Try serving them with a side of Easy Homemade Refried Beans, Coleslaw, Mexican street corn salad, Guacamole, Blender Salsa or Avocado Corn Salsa, or even some Roasted Sweet Potatoes seasoned with taco seasoning. 

You can also make them into burrito bowls! Layer everything in an airtight container.

How to Heat Them Up

Frozen Burrito in Microwave: To reheat your frozen burritos, unwrap them and place them seam side down on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 2-4 minutes or until they’re heated all the way through.

Frozen Burrito in Oven or Toaster: Alternatively, place the burritos in a toaster oven and bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes or until heated all the way through.

Frozen Burrito in Air Fryer: Preheat your Air Fryer to 400°F. Place frozen burritos into the air fryer. Air Fry for 15 minutes, flipp every 5 minutes.Gently transfer to a plate, top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

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Meal Prep Freezer Burritos

These meal-prep Freezer Burritos are one of my go-to make-ahead meals either to stock my freezer or for a week of meal prep! They’re loaded with Mexican style rice, fajita veggies, salsa chicken or taco meat, and all of your favorite add-ins. These burritos are filling, loaded with protein and veggies, and so customizable!

• Author: Lexi
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Meal Prep

For Salsa Chicken:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1–8 ounce jar salsa verde

For Mexican Rice:

• 2 cups jasmine or long grain rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste

For Taco Meat:

• 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
• 1 tablespoon oil of choice
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons salsa, you can use salsa verde as well
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

For Veggies:

• 2 teaspoons avocado oil, more if needed
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 white onion, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

To Assemble:

• 8–10 homemade tortillas, corn tortillas, flour tortillas (if making for non-gluten-free friends), or my favorite Siete tortillas (Siete tortillas are gluten-free and paleo-friendly!)
• 1–2 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or cheese of choice
• 1/3 cup pickled jalapenos
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1–14.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 cup salsa of choice
• Fresh cilantro

Make the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken:

1. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Place in a slow cooker and add 2 cups of salsa verde, or just enough to coat the chicken. Set slow cooker to 4 hours on high (or Instant Pot for 18 minutes). Shred and set aside.

Make the Rice:

1. Place all ingredients in your instant pot. Secure the lid and using the “MANUAL” setting, set the Instant Pot to 5 minutes on high pressure.
2. Once five minutes is complete, let the Instant Pot slowly release pressure for at least 10 minutes. Turn the valve to release the remaining pressure after 10 minutes. Slowly take off the lid and fluff with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. *If you do not have an Instant Pot, check below for stove-top directions!

Make the Taco Meat:

1. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat, and add beef, spices, and salsa. Sauté until all of the meat is cooked and no pink remains. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Make the Sautéed Peppers and Onions:

1. Add oil to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add in peppers, onions, salt and pepper. Let cook until peppers are soft and onions are translucent. Set aside in a bowl until ready to assemble.

Assemble:

1. Place rice on the desired tortilla. Add either chicken or taco meat and any other add-ins you want!
2. Fold in the sides, and then roll.
3. Either serve right away or wrap individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil tightly. Let freeze individually on a sheet tray, and once frozen place in a bag for long term storage, up to 3 months. These will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months!

To Reheat:

1. Microwave: To reheat your frozen burritos, unwrap them and place them seam side down on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 2-4 minutes or until they’re heated all the way through. Oven or Toaster: Alternatively, place the burritos in a toaster oven and bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes or until heated all the way through.

   Air Fryer: Preheat your Air Fryer to 400°F. Place frozen burritos into the air fryer. Air Fry for 15 minutes, flipp every 5 minutes.Gently transfer to a plate, top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Notes

1. Mexican Style Rice on the Stovetop: Place 2 cups of rice, 2 cups of water and sea salt in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down heat and simmer on low until all of the water has dissolved. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Taste before setting aside until ready to assemble! Store the rest of the rice in a airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-6 days. Rice should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
2. Tortillas: I use 10-12” tortillas and they work great! I’ve tested these with grain-free burrito size burritos and they work if heated properly. If gluten isn’t an issue or you’re making for someone’s freezer, go for whole wheat or regular flour tortillas. Warming your tortillas for rolling: In a skillet: Heat a skillet over medium heat, and warm your tortillas for a few seconds on each side until warm. In the microwave: Wrap a stack of tortillas in damp paper towels or a damp kitchen towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds, or until warm.

3. What to Avoid in a Burrito Recipe if Freezing: While there are so many ingredients that are fair game for freezer burritos, there are a couple of ingredients you should avoid:

   1. Avocado. It just doesn’t freeze well. Instead, serve your reheated burrito with sliced avocado or guacamole!

   2. Dairy. Cheese is fine, but I definitely don’t recommend other dairy ingredients like sour cream. They become watery when thawed and can cause your burrito to be soggy.

   3. Watery ingredients. Anything that’s more liquid than solid, like salsa, guacamole, lettuce, and raw tomato, should be avoided in the freezer. Again, they get too watery when

Keywords: Frozen Burritos