Breakfast Burrito Recipe

This simple Breakfast Burrito Recipe is healthy and high protein. Filled with beef, beans and spicy rice, this easy burrito can also be made vegetarian or vegan. This is a quick and easy meal that you can prepare right in the morning or ahead of time. Freezer friendly recipe!

Believe it or not, I first tried burrito in 2019, when I was 19. It was love at first bite. I still remember that night at Chipotle, back in Los Angeles. After more than 25k steps, that day I was so hungry that I couldn’t wait make it until the sushi place I had reserved for the night. So I stepped into the first restaurant on my way, which turned out to be a Chipotle. Not knowing what to order and extremely ravenous, I got myself a huuuge burrito. Oh my gosh, it was SO GOOD that ever since then burrito has become one of my favorite dishes. Here at home we love it so much that we make it for lunch, dinner and even breakfast!

What’s in breakfast burritos? The ingredients

This easy breakfast burrito recipe only calls for a handful of simple ingredients. Besides rice, black beans and ground beef, you can customize it according to your own preferences. Or make it vegan, if you use plant based meat alternatives. Read further to learn all the details.

• Brown rice. For a healthier burrito, I like using wholegrain rice, seasoned with smoked paprika and chili to make it more flavorsome. You can replace with any other type of rice, such as basmati rice or white rice, seasoned to your likings.
• Black beans. This easy breakfast burrito recipe recommends canned black beans because they are more convenient. As an alternative you can also cook your own beans at home, but it will require more planning.
• Lean ground beef. Whenever making healthy burritos, I prefer 95% lean ground beef, but any fat percentage is fine. If you follow a vegan diet, replace with plant based ground beef or sausages, tofu, tempeh or seitan.
• Stir-fry vegetables. A mix of chopped onion and red pepper will make your beef burrito more delicious and satisfying. Feel free to include extra veggies such as diced tomatoes.
• Seasonings. Smoked paprika, garlic powder and cumin are added to the meat while cooking. Together with salt and pepper, the seasonings will give your beef burrito plenty of taste and flavor.
• Tortillas. These healthy breakfast burritos are wrapped in whole-grain tortillas, but you can use any other type of tortilla such as white flour wraps or low carb options.

Optional ingredients

This simple breakfast burrito recipe leaves you plenty of freedom when it comes to fillings. From shredded cheese to guacamole and pico de gallo, be sure to customize the meal to your own preferences. Here are some ideas for you.

• Shredded cheese
• Guacamole or avocado
• Pico de gallo
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Crunchy pieces of tortilla chips

Vegan and vegetarian breakfast burritos

Do you follow a plant based diet? Here is how to make vegetarian breakfast burritos, easy and healthy. The base recipe remains the same as the one you can find down here, but you will want to replace ground beef with vegan meat alternatives. Here at home we like using Beyond Beef or Heura ground beef; they are so delicious that taste even better than regular meat. Besides the meat, be sure to replace shredded cheese and sour cream with dairy-free options, in case you add any of these.

High protein breakfast burrito – low calorie

Cut calories and load up on protein for the day by replacing beef with ground chicken or ground turkey. White meat is naturally low in fats, and is perfect to make a delicious filling. Besides meat, a clever way to make high protein burrito is swapping out flour tortillas for protein wraps or egg white wraps (homemade easy recipe here). And if you are looking for more recipes like this, I recommend giving my protein burrito bowl a try!

Low carb breakfast burritos

Make keto burritos by swapping out regular wraps for low carb tortillas, such as almond flour or egg white wraps (here’s how to make them at home). The second ingredient which must be replaced is brown rice. Here there are two options, either using keto alternatives such as konjac rice, or omit the rice completely. You can add more meat, instead. Depending on whether you follow a low carb or completely keto diet, consider leaving in or leaving out the black beans. They do have some carbs, but not as many as rice.

How to make breakfast burrito at home

Prepare the fillings. Cook the brown rice according to package directions, making sure to add any spice and seasoning you like. In the meanwhile, drain and rinse canned black beans. Set aside while you prepare the beef.

Cook the beef. Start by heating the olive oil in a large skillet, over medium heat to prevent it from burning. When hot, add to the pan the chopped onion, the diced red peppers and sauté until the vegetables have softened. Add lean ground beef, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook until the beef is browned, then adjust with salt and pepper to your likings.

Assemble the burritos. Place the tortilla wrap over a plate, then fill with cooked rice, black beans and meat stir fry. If you desire, add now additional ingredients such as shredded cheese, guacamole and pico de gallo. Fold the sides of your wraps in, then roll it up tightly into a burrito. Serve warm, or place in a food container and store for later.

How to store homemade burritos?

These are meal-prep friendly breakfast burritos. You can make a batch on Sunday night and set aside to have healthy high protein breakfasts for the week. Here is how to store them to preserve freshness and taste.

First of all, let them cool completely at room temperature in case that the fillings are still warm. Once they have cooled, wrap the beef burritos individually to prevent them from falling apart and place in an airtight food container or in zipper bags.

• In the fridge, they will stay fresh for up to 3 days if kept in a sealable food container. Reheat in pan, air fry, or bake in hot oven before serving.
• In the freezer sealed in zipper bags, they will last for a maximum of 2 months. In case you freeze breakfast burritos, I recommend taking them out the day before serving and keeping in the fridge to thaw. The next day you can reheat them in a pan or in the oven, until warm and tasty.

Tips for the best breakfast burritos

• Flavor your rice with additional spices, seasonings and sauces such as chili flakes, garlic powder and hot sauce. Whenever preparing healthy beef burritos at home, we like filling them with Mexican brown rice. It’s spicy, and it pairs very well with beans and beef.
• Prefer brown rice and wholegrain tortillas to make a healthy breakfast burrito. Besides this, I also recommend preparing the filling with lean ground beef to cut saturated fats and calories. As an alternative you can also choose ground chicken or turkey to add plenty of protein to your meal with few calories.
• Include extra ingredients, such as shredded cheese, avocado and pico de gallo. They will add plenty of taste and create an irresistible combination of textures. My favorite foods are low fat cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole and crunchy pieces of tortilla chips.
• When folding, place all ingredients in the center of your tortilla to leave space around the edges. When you are ready to wrap it, fold in the sides first, then roll tightly from the bottom up. This will ensure your beef burrito remains compact and does not fall apart when eating.

What to serve burritos with?

• Low calorie French fries
• Simple potato fritters
• Air fry zucchini fries
• Homemade protein chips