With lots of vegetables right in the mix and a simple slow cooker method, this Easy Beef Burrito Recipe is a healthy family dinner that little kids and the parents at the table will enjoy.
Beef Burrito Recipe
We regularly have Mexican foods on Tuesday nights, so this Slow Cooker Beef Burrito Recipe is now firmly in our family dinner rotation. You can get it going in the morning, it makes plenty for dinner and lunches the next day, and it’s super versatile. and yummy!
Easy Slow Cooker Dinner
The beauty of this meal is that there is a nice amount of vegetables right in the mix so you don’t have to worry about making additional sides, and those veggies add lots of flavor and moisture (and nutrition). They blend in though, so there aren’t big chunks to raise alarm bells. And the whole thing cooks in the slow cooker while you’re off doing other things!
How to Make Beef Burritos Step-by-Step
Here’s a look at the process of making these burritos.
- Assemble your veggies. (photo 1)
- Place the vegetables into a food processor. (photo 2)
- Grind until finely chopped. (photo 3)
- Gather your spices. (photo 4)
- Add to a slow cooker along with the beef, salsa, and spices. (photo 5)
- Cover and cook. (photo 6)
TIP: I like the smaller size of tortillas meant for fajitas since they are often a more proportional size for kids. You can use larger burrito-size if you prefer.
How to Make Homemade Burritos
Once you have the filling ready, this is how to assemble the burritos.
- Stir in prepared rice. (photo 1)
- Place some into the center of each tortilla. (photo 2)
- Sprinkle with cheese and warm briefly. Fold in the sides. (photo 3)
- Roll up. (photo 4)
- Place onto a sheet pan if you plan to reheat them later. (photo 5)
- Serve with whatever simple sides you like! (photo 6)
Easy Beef Burrito Recipe for Kids
My 10 month old likes to feed herself the filling of these burritos, which again is pretty messy, but at least it makes her happy! And my older daughter loves picking up her beef burrito and eating it like a grown up! Nutrition-wise, there is iron and protein from the beef, Vitamins A and C and fiber from the veggies, and fiber and complex carbs for balanced energy from the rice and tortillas.
What can I do with the leftovers?
This recipe makes a decent amount of filling, so I use it to make 8 burritos, then serve any leftovers over rice or make them into burritos to store in the freezer for future meals.
Make-Ahead Burritos
You can make the rice a few days ahead, or even store the filling or prepared burritos in the freezer until you’re ready to make this dinner. They hold together decently well without cheese, though everyone in my family loves these with cheese, so do add it if you can. Serve these burritos with salsa or sour cream for dipping and try not to stress if your toddler takes it apart and eats it in components. Because they very well might!
Tips for Making the Best Beef Burritos
- Serve any leftovers over rice or make them into burritos to store in the freezer for future meals.
- You can make the filling ahead of time and/or make the whole recipe ahead and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve.
- Use mild salsa to keep the flavors mellow enough for the kids.
- Try not to overfill your tortillas to ensure that they are easy to roll up
- I like the smaller size of tortillas meant for fajitas since they are often a more proportional size for kids. You can use larger burrito-size if you prefer.
- Prepare your rice ahead of time or use purchased precooked rice.
- Serve some of the filling alongside cut up strips of tortilla for little kids.
I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe, so please chime in below in the comments!
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If you want to make these vegetarian, try using 2 cups rinsed and drained black beans or pinto beans instead of the ground beef.
Ingredients
- 6 cups roughly chopped veggies such as carrots, onion, sweet potato, and/or butternut squash
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fully cooked short grain brown or white rice
- 8 fajita-size tortillas (or medium tortillas about 8 or 10 inches)
- Salsa, sour cream, or guacamole
Instructions
- Place the bell pepper or carrot, onion, sweet potato, and garlic into a food processor.
- Grind until finely chopped.
- Add to a slow cooker along with the beef, crushed tomatoes, and spices.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours.
- Stir in prepared rice and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Place about 1/2 cup into the center of each tortilla.
- Sprinkle with cheese and warm for about 10-15 seconds in the microwave.
- Roll up into burritos, folding the sides in and then rolling up. Serve warm with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole as desired.
Notes
Store the leftover filling and use as a topping for rice as burrito bowls. Or make additional burritos and wrap individually in plastic wrap or foil and store in the freezer. Remove from wrapping and reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, turning halfway through.
Serve any leftovers over rice or make them into burritos to store in the freezer for future meals.
You can make the filling ahead of time and/or make the whole recipe ahead and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve.
Use mild salsa to keep the flavors mellow enough for the kids.
Try not to overfill your tortillas to ensure that they are easy to roll up
I like the smaller size of tortillas meant for fajitas since they are often a more proportional size for kids. You can use larger burrito-size if you prefer.
Prepare your rice ahead of time or use purchased precooked rice.
Serve some of the filling alongside cut up strips of tortilla for little kids.
This might be a dumb question, but do you cook the ground beef before putting it in the slow cooker?
Not dumb and no, you don’t need to precook it!
We used carrots, butternut squash, and red peppers as the veggies. I made two versions, one with ground turkey and one with beyond meat. We didn’t use the slow cooker but the stove top pan. My one and a half year old could not stop eating it!! He didn’t really care for the tortillas but more of the filling which is the good part.
I’m so glad to hear that!