Beef Burritos with Cilantro-Lime Rice, Guacamole, and More

These beef burritos can be made for weeknight dinners, special occasions, to-go lunches, and plenty more. Each one is made by filling a tortilla with cooked seasoned ground beef, cilantro-lime rice, shredded cheese, black beans, homemade pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream, then rolling the tortilla to form your burrito, ready to be eaten.

Ingredients

The following are the ingredients for 6 burritos.

• Tortillas – 6 large tortillas
• Ground beef – 1 lb lean ground beef
• Cilantro lime rice – 1 1/2 cup cilantro-lime rice (see note below on how to make it)
• Canned black beans – 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained
• Shredded cheese – 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• Sour cream – 1/3 cup sour cream
• Guacamole – 3/4 cup guacamole (or substitute with mashed avocado with a pinch of salt and lime), see note on how to make the guacamole.
• Pico de gallo – 1/2 cup pico de gallo (see note below)
• Salt – 1/2 tsp kosher salt for the ground beef, plus more to taste
• Pepper – 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• Chili powder – 1 tsp chili powder
• Cumin – 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• Paprika – 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• Garlic Powder – 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• Oregano – 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• Tomato Paste – 2 tbsp of tomato paste
• Water – 3/4 cup water
• Oil – 1 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or light olive oil). You don’t need oil if using an 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef (only if using 90/10 or 95/5).

Note 1. Cilantro-lime rice. Make the cilantro-lime rice. To 1 and 1/2 cup of warm cooked rice, add 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp of lime juice, 1 tsp lime zest, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and a pinch of salt.

Note 2. Pico de Gallo. To make pico de gallo, finely dice tomatoes (preferably roma or plum) to get about 1/2 cup, white onion (about 2 tbsp finely diced), and cilantro (about 2 tbsp finely chopped or minced). Add a pinch of salt and half a tbsp of lime juice (or to taste). You can also add finely diced jalapeño or serrano pepper to taste, if you want a bit of heat.

Note 3. Guacamole. You can use this recipe to make a bigger batch. Or, to make the amount needed for this recipe, can use 2 medium avocados, mash them, and then add a pinch of salt, 1/2 tbsp of lime juice, fresh cilantro (1 tbsp finely chopped/minced), onion (1 tbsp finely diced), and optionally, tomato (about half a tomato finely diced).

How to Make It

Step 1. Cook the ground beef. To a frying pan, over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add the beef and sauté, breaking it down with a spatula. Once the beef is no longer pink, and the water it released has evaporated, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and tomato paste, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Turn the heat down to medium and add two-thirds cup of water. Cook until the liquid has mostly disappeared (about 7 more minutes), stirring occasionally.

Step 2. Get everything ready to assemble the burritos:

1. the cooked ground beef,
2. the cilantro lime rice,
3. the shredded cheese,
4. the drained canned black beans
5. the pico de gallo,
6. the guacamole,
7. the sour cream, and
8. the tortillas.

Step 4. Fold the bottom end of the tortilla over the fillings, then the sides over that, and finally roll forward until you form the burritos.

Freezer-friendly burritos: If you want to make freezer-friendly burritos, skip the pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole. Increase the cheese to 1/3 cup per burrito. Then, once you remove it from the freezer and reheat it, slice it in half and add the guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, and pico de gallo, or serve them on the side.

The cross-section shows how packed each burrito is with lots of different textures. Each bite is hearty, rich, earthy, sweet, and more.

If you make these beef burritos and you love them, let me know below in a review. Also, tell me all about the occasion and what additional dishes you served them with (if any) in the comments.

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