Chicken and Black Bean Freezer Burritos
Chicken and Black Bean Freezer Burritos are tasty, meal prep friendly, and cost effective. What more do you need?!
Raise your hand if you love burritos. Now raise your other hand if you love burritos that are cost effective, packed with healthy ingredients, meal prep friendly, and oh so tasty. Yep, Chicken and Black Bean Freezer Burritos meet all of those categories.
My recipe is adapted from Gina Homolka’s book Skinnytaste Meal Prep (2020). (Amazon link here — not an affiliate link.) The original recipe is great as it’s written, but I’m a lover of black beans, so I doubled that ingredient. I also prefer to use larger wraps so that a larger burrito can be rolled. Other modifications include using more rice to add more bulk at a cheap price and slight adjustments to other ingredients.
Recipe Overview
Another reason to love this recipe? It’s not difficult at all. Place the drained and rinsed black beans along with the diced tomatoes into a slow cooker. Season the chicken, then transfer the chicken to the slow cooker and top with salsa. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Next, shred the chicken and drain the contents of the slow cooker. Mix in the cooked rice, then form the burritos. Quickly heat on a skillet in order to seal the burrito closed.
Meal Prep: How to Freeze and Reheat
Not going to try and hide it… I currently make these burritos every 2-3 weeks so that I have an easy workday lunch. This recipe is great because the burritos will keep for a week in the refrigerator and freeze easily.
To freeze, tightly wrap burritos individually in foil. To reheat, cut burrito in half and place on a paper towel. Heat for 30 seconds, then flip the burrito halves over and heat for another 30 seconds. (Adjust based on your microwave.) The paper towel helps to absorb any excess moisture so the burrito doesn’t become soggy.
FAQs & Tips
Tip #1: How to Wrap the Burrito
This recipe is delicious, but DON’T overstuff the burrito. That’s mistake #1. Mistake #2 is not having a game plan and folding willy nilly. Here’s how I am successful each time:
When you place the mixture on the tortilla, slightly mash it down into a row across the center of the tortilla. Pull up the bottom of the burrito towards the top, then ensure that it is tight when folded over. Next, pinch or fold in the sides so that the mixture can’t fall out. Then roll the burrito over to complete it.
Tip #2: Use the Cheese as Burrito Glue
When wrapping the burritos, I sprinkle the cheese evenly across the burrito. But I especially aim for where the seam will come together. That way, when you briefly heat the burrito on the griddle to seal it, the cheese will act like glue between the two layers, helping to keep it closed.
Recipe Quick Stats
Cost:
Total Recipe Cost = $12.39 · $1.55 per serving
Nutrition:
Servings: 8 Burritos. 1 Burrito per serving.
Calories: 399 kcal · Total Fat: 8.2 g · Sodium: 1562.1 mg · Total Carb: 63.9 g · Dietary Fiber: 22.8 g · Protein: 32.8 g
Listed values for cost and nutrition are estimates only. View how we calculate cost and nutritional data here. View our full cost and nutritional disclaimer here.
Chicken and Black Bean Freezer Burritos
Ingredients
- 30 oz Black Beans (2 cans)
- 10 oz Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles (1 can)
- 16 oz Bonessless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 0.5 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 cup Mild, Chunky Salsa
- 3 cup Cooked Brown Rice
- 8 (10") Wraps or Tortillas (I like Ole Extreme Wellness Wraps)
- 1.5 cup Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
Instructions
- Drain and rinse black beans, then place into slow cooker. Next, place tomatoes on top of the black beans (do not drain).
- Place chicken into slow cooker in a single layer. Season with salt, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne. Top with salsa.
- Cook on High or Low** for 4-6 hours. With about 45-60 minutes remaining on the slow cooker, cook the rice according to package directions in order to yield 3 cups of cooked rice.
- Shred chicken in the slow cooker before draining so it quickly marinates. Drain. Return to the slow cooker and add the cooked rice. Stir until evenly combined.
- Scoop about 1 cup of bean mixture onto a tortilla. Sprinkle with 2-3 tbsp of shredded cheese, then roll the burrito. Place seam side down onto a flat griddle on medium heat for 1-3 minutes or until golden brown in order to seal closed.