Winter vegetable freezer burritos! A healthy, flavorful meal prep-friendly burrito recipe that you can make ahead of time and pop in the oven whenever you need a quick and satisfying meal. With vegan and vegetarian options!
When Josh and I were updating our kitchen earlier this year (kitchen update post coming soon!), I was reintroduced to the freezer aisle at the grocery store. My siblings gave me this toaster oven / air-fryer for Christmas, so anything I could make in it (without any kitchen tools!) was fair game. I bought some frozen burritos and, while I loved the idea of them (just bake, serve with salsa and sour cream, and dinner is done), I didn’t love the burritos themselves. So the idea for these winter vegetable freezer burritos was born!
Full disclosure that these freezer burritos take longer to make than most of my recipes. There are a few steps involved, but while the rice is cooking and the sweet potatoes are roasting, you can get started with the winter vegetable medley, which is where all the flavor is. That being said, your time spent cooking has a huge payoff: twelve (!), totally done-for-you meals, ready to be reheated whenever you need a quick and healthy lunch or dinner.
Freezer Burrito Fillings
While I think these fillings work really well together, you can always adapt to your preferences by using different vegetables, types of cheese, and bean varieties. I like using the refried beans (these are my favorite) because they help the fillings stick together, but they can be skipped if you choose!
The shredded chicken is totally optional for a vegetarian or vegan version. And the cheddar cheese (I used grass-fed Kerrygold!) can be swapped out for any dairy-free cheese you like.
Tortillas for Freezer Burritos
Let’s talk tortillas. You’re going to want 10-inch tortillas (burrito size) for this recipe so that it can hold all the fillings. Remember the goal is for each burrito to be a complete meal, so we want to get as many vegetables in there as possible without overstuffing! I used the Siete Foods burrito-sized tortillas, but these gluten-free tortillas come with a fair warning: you must heat them before rolling (as the package states), otherwise they will crack.
If you don’t want to use Siete tortillas, any burrito-sized tortillas will work! Choose the ones you like the best.
How to Roll These Freezer Burritos
There are lots of great burrito rolling tutorials online, but I found this video to be very to the point. If it’s your first time making burritos, don’t overthink it too much! The first few may look a little wonky but I promise you’ll get better as you keep going.
Once one burrito is filled, simply place it on a clean counter or plate with the seam side down (to keep it rolled) and continue on with the other burritos. Repeat until all twelve are filled.
Once all the burritos are rolled, you’re going to roll them again, this time in either foil or parchment paper (do not use wax paper since it cannot be heated in the oven). To be honest, aluminum foil would be easier because it stays in place without the need for tape, but I opted to use parchment paper because that’s what I had. If you’re going the parchment paper route, simply use some tape around the entire burrito because the tape (maddeningly) will not stick to the parchment paper itself.
Reheating the Freezer Burritos
To prevent these freezer burritos from getting freezer burn, you’re going to want to do two things 1) make sure the fillings are relatively cool before freezing and 2) place the wrapped burritos in an airtight container (like a Ziploc or Stasher Bag) before storing in the freezer. Simple.
To reheat these burritos from frozen, you can either microwave for 4-6 minutes (remove the foil or parchment first!) or bake for 30-40 minutes (with the foil or parchment on) until completely cooked through. To get the outside crispy, simply pan-fry in a lightly oiled skillet for a few minutes on each side after microwaving or baking. And don’t forget to serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or fresh cilantro!
If you tried these Winter Vegetable Freezer Burritos or any other recipe on Loveleaf Co. let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for all the easy recipe ideas!
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Winter Vegetable Freezer Burritos
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Winter vegetable freezer burritos! A healthy, flavorful meal prep-friendly burrito recipe that you can make ahead of time and pop in the oven whenever you need a quick and satisfying meal. With vegan and vegetarian options!
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 cup of uncooked brown rice
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 15 oz, see notes)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Winter Vegetable Medley
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1–2 small chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped + 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 bunch of kale, destemmed and finely chopped
- 1 (15-0z) can black beans, drained
Assembly
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cook the rice according to package instructions.
- Arrange the cubed sweet potato evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- While the sweet potatoes are roasting, start the winter vegetable medley. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a bit of oil to coat the pan and then add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Sauté until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cumin, chili powder, salt,, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce (start with less and work your way up!), maple syrup, and lime juice. Stir so that everything is well mixed. Add the chopped kale and drained black beans and stir again. Turn the heat down to low.
- Once the sweet potatoes are roasted, add them to the skillet with the other vegetables. Give everything a good stir and season to taste with more salt if needed. Remove from heat.
- When the rice is done, make the burritos. Lay one tortilla on a flat surface and add the following ingredients horizontally, slightly below the center line: 2-3 tablespoons refried beans, 1/4 cup cooked brown rice, 1/4 cup vegetable medley, 2 tablespoons shredded chicken (optional), and 2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese. Fold the bottom edge upwards to meet the top half of the tortilla and then pull the tortilla back to tuck in the ingredients. Fold the right and left sides of the tortilla towards the center and then roll! Here’s a great video tutorial. Set aside, with the seam side down to hold together the burrito while you repeat the process.
- Wrap the burritos. Get out 12 sheets (11 inches x 15 inches) of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Wrap each burrito in the paper or foil. If using parchment paper, fasten with a piece of tape around the entire burrito (the tape won’t stick to the paper itself). Allow the burritos to cool and then put the wrapped burritos inside of an airtight container like a Ziploc bag or Stasher bag to prevent freezer burn.
- To reheat from frozen. To microwave, remove the foil or parchment paper and microwave on a plate for 4-6 minutes, turning halfway through. To bake, keep the foil or parchment paper on (remove the tape!) and bake in a 400 degrees F oven for 30-40 minutes, or until completely cooked through. To get the outside crispy, simply pan-fry in a lightly oiled skillet for a few minutes on each side after microwaving or baking. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or fresh cilantro!
Notes
Feel free to swap in butternut squash or another winter squash for the sweet potatoes. You’ll need about half a small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (15 oz).
Most of the spiciness comes from the chipotle peppers! Use one pepper for a less spicy burrito filling or bump it up to two if you like things hot. The adobo sauce is the sauce that comes in the can with the peppers.
Freezer burritos will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Keywords: freezer burritos, meal prep burritos, sweet potato burritos, frozen burritos
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Ally says
Hi Meghan – so happy to hear you’re enjoying them! I file this one under “rewarding recipes” ;))
Karen says
Oh, my goodness! I made and froze a batch of these yesterday and have just enjoyed the first one for dinner – microwaved for 5 minutes any then toasted a little in a sandwich press. Completely delicious and so worth the preparation time. Thank you!
★★★★★
Ally says
So happy to hear, Karen! Love the sandwich press idea!