How to make a Beefy Burrito

Is a beefy burrito the best burrito out there?

I love burritos! All the good things wrapped up neatly into a soft flour tortilla hug, just ready for my mouth. I love burritos so much that Mike even bought me a double sided tortilla blanket. I love all burritos, but beefy burritos have a special place in my heart.

What is a beefy burrito?

It’s exactly as it sounds: an extra beefy burrito! This particular recipe is Taco Bell’s iconic Beefy 5-Layer Burrito: seasoned beef, sour cream, shredded cheddar, nacho cheese, and beans all tucked inside a double tortilla. Essentially, it’s a beef burrito, but with only the good things. Of course, you can customize this as you wish: feel free to add rice, lettuce, and tomatoes. Burritos should be make the way YOU like them.

The secret to the BEST beefy burrito

The reason why Taco Bell’s 5 layer beefy burrito is so addictive is the double tortilla with melty cheese. Two soft fluffy flour tortillas and a surprise melty nacho cheese layer is seriously next level.

How to make a beefy burrito

1. Cook: Start off by browning the beef, making sure to break it up into very tiny pieces. If you have a potato masher, you can mash the beef up while you’re cooking it. Once the beef is ready, add flour, taco spices, tomato paste, and a bit to the pan, stirring well. Let everything simmer and thicken, then set aside.
2. Assemble: Lay out 4 tortillas and evenly divide the nacho cheese between them spreading the cheese to the edges. Top the cheesy tortillas with the remaining 4 tortillas gently pressing them together.
3. Fill: Now it’s time to fill our double burritos! top each double tortilla with an equal amount of beans, beef, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.
4. Wrap: Tightly, but gently wrap up the burritos (more of burrito wrapping below).
5. Enjoy: Dig in! You can slice them in half, or just go for a crazy bite in the middle a la fake Justin Bieber style. Either way, enjoy the beefiness!

Beefy burrito ingredients

• burrito size flour tortillas – the larger your tortilla, the easier it is to fold neatly into a burrito that doesn’t burst open. If you find the XL 12 inch burrito size tortillas, grab those. If you can’t, regular burrito sized tortillas will work too.
• nacho cheese – gooey nacho cheese is what makes up the layer in-between the two tortillas. If you have a favorite queso recipe, you can make that, or you can buy already made queso at the store. If you’re in a real pinch and you happen to have American cheese at home, that melts down into a good approximation of the melty cheese layer.
• refried beans – refried beans help hold everything together inside your burrito and they add protein, deliciousness, and texture. Make your own or grab a can from the store, either way, make sure they’re warm and spreadable.
• ground beef – the beefy beef in our beef tacos! Lean ground beef is a good choice, you don’t want it too lean otherwise your burrito meat will be too dry. You don’t want it too fat either. We’re going to add a bit of tomato paste and just a touch of flour to the beef too, to give it that signature texture of taco bell’s seasoned beef.
• taco seasoning – you can buy a packet, but it’s super easy to make your own taco seasoning if you have these spices: chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne. We like making our own blend because we can control the salt content – a lot of times, the first ingredient on taco packets is salt.
• sour cream – a thick layer of tangy sour cream is just the right counter point to all the savory flavors of a beefy burrito.
• shredded cheddar – shredded cheddar is the last finishing touch in a beefy burrito!

How to wrap a burrito

The best way to wrap a burrito is to make sure your tortilla is warm and soft. You can lightly toast the tortillas in a dry pan (be careful, if you heat them too much they will get toasty and brittle) but we prefer to heat them in the microwave.

1. Warm the tortilla. Get two paper towels and sprinkle on a bit of water to make them damp, but not soaking. Place the tortillas in between the damp paper towels and microwave for 20-30 seconds.
2. Placement. Make sure the fillings are in the middle of the tortilla, slightly nearer to the side closest to you. Think of a rectangle, where all the fillings stay contained inside a rectangle centered in the middle of the tortilla. The edges should be free of any fillings. You want a good amount of filling, but not too much: an over stuffed burrito will inevitably break.
3. Now it’s time to fold. Fold the sides into the middle, over the fillings. Folding in the sides first ensures that nothing will fall out while you’re eating your burrito. After you fold in the sides, take the bottom of the tortilla and fold it over so it’s covering the folded sides and the filling.
4. Tuck and roll. After you fold in the bottom, it’s time to tuck and roll. Tuck the bottom fold of the tortilla inwards, underneath the filling, then roll while tucking to secure the goods. Continue to roll until the burrito is seam side down. That’s it, rolled up nice and neat and time to eat!

Tips and tricks to making a good burrito

• Don’t over fill
• Warm your tortillas
• Tuck and roll

What to serve with beefy burritos

• Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice
• homemade tortilla chips
• the best guacamole!
• salsa verde

Happy burrito rolling!
xoxo steph

Beefy Burrito Recipe

The iconic Beefy 5-Layer Burrito

Serves 8

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef 85/15 preferred
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 packet taco seasoning ~3tbsp, for best results use recipe below
• 8 large flour tortillas 10" or 12" preferred
• 1 cup nacho cheese warmed, 
• 1 can refried beans warmed, ~16oz
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar

Homemade Taco Seasoning

• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

• Add the beef to a large non-stick pan and cook over medium high heat, breaking up the meat into tiny pieces as it browns. You won’t need any extra oil as browning ground beef renders out enough fat on its own.
  
• After the beef browns and cooks through, add the flour, tomato paste, taco spices, and 1/4 cup water. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from the heat.
  
• While the beef is cooking, be sure to warm up the nacho cheese and refried beans.
  
• Heat up the tortillas by wrapping in slightly damp paper towels and microwaving for 30 seconds. Top half of the tortillas evenly with warmed nacho cheese, spreading to the edges.
  
• Top with the remaining tortillas, gently pressing them together to make a cheesy tortilla sandwich. Evenly fill the tortillas with refried beans, the seasoned beef, sour cream, and shredded cheddar.
  
• Wrap into burritos by folding in the sides, then the bottom of the tortilla, then tucking and rolling. Slice in halves and enjoy while warm!
  

Estimated Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Beefy Burrito Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 513 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 10.3g64%

Cholesterol 65mg22%

Sodium 1071mg47%

Potassium 289mg8%

Carbohydrates 48.6g16%

Fiber 4.9g20%

Sugar 1.2g1%

Protein 26.3g53%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.