With lots of vegetables right in the mix and a simple slow cooker method, this Easy Beef Burrito Recipe is an easy family dinner for the little kids and the parents at the table! And, you can simply add the ingredients to the slow cooker in the morning and the burritos are ready to roll come dinnertime.
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!
The beauty of this meal is that there are 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.
Plus, the whole thing cooks in the slow cooker while you’re off doing other things!
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process of making these burritos. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- 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 and then serve any leftovers over rice or make them into burritos to store in the freezer for future meals.
Can I make these ahead?
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!
Best Tips for Success
- 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-sized tortilla 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.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe, so please chime in below in the comments!
Slow Cooker Beef Burrito Recipe with Veggies
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 (optional)
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 ½ 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.
Equipment
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.
Nutrition
This post was first published October 2019.
Is there a way to do this recipe in an instant pot instead?
I haven’t done it this way, but I would guess 8-10 minutes on high, then release manually or naturally. I hope that helps
My 3.5 year old ate these!!! Awesome for the whole fam , thank you!
I made this a few weeks ago, with turkey mince, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots and bell peppers. The whole family enjoyed! I had enough leftover to make 10 more burritos which I wrapped individually in foil and popped in the freezer. These are great for those “oh crap I’ve got nothing in and everyone is starving” moments! Will definitely make again once my freezer stash is gone!
Great recipe with lots of flavor! I used carrots and sweet potatoes and the finished product had a bit of sweetness to it. The kids liked it too, which is a big win! Definitely adding this to the meal rotation. Thank you!
So delicious, east, versatile. I really appreciate the suggestion of a quarter cup of filling. Made perfect burritos for my22m twins. One loved picking his up and biting (and when he had inhaled the whole burrito demanded more filling two more times!) and the other deconstructed. Mom and dad enjoyed it too. Great family and slow cooker meal and lots of leftovers!
I only had cayenne powder and had no idea that it is apparently a LOT spicier than chili powder until I tasted the finished product right now 🙁 Any idea for salvaging it? Maybe another 1lb of ground beef in the slow cooker plain, then combine?
Thank you.
That could help or serve with sour cream mixed in?
Oh man, SO GOOD. I made these for my 3-year-old and me while my husband is out of town, and her first response was “Mama, how did you make dinner so fast?!” Then she took a bite and immediately said “YUM! This is very interesting.” But she destroyed a whole one REALLY quickly! I accidentally used more sweet potato than I had intended, so for my carb-conscious sake, I swapped a cup of the rice for cauliflower rice, used the cheap frozen ground turkey on sale this week at the grocery store instead of beef, and served it with fresh pico and grapes on the side. I also added a teeny pinch of cinnamon to the filling, just because, and it added a nice complexity. This is FOR SURE going in the rotation! How long do they hold in the freezer, out of curiosity? I’m due with kid #2 in August and these would be an awesome “oh God I’m so tired here have a burrito” dinner since my daughter clearly enjoys them – but didn’t know if this batch would hold that long stashed in the deep freeze.
Was the crushed tomatoes replaced by salsa in a previous version? If so, same amount? And if using salsa, are spices still needed? Thanks! Can’t wait to make it.
I haven’t updated this recipe recently but you could use salsa if you prefer and lower the spices a little. Enjoy
So excited to try this ! Just wondering when I put the ground beef in the slow cooker so I separate it a bit and mash it up ?
Yes, do that!
Sounds great but I don’t have salsa at home, is there anything I can substitute for salsa so I can make it tonight?
crushed tomatoes would work
Hello,
Love your recipes! So does my son! Which type of ground beef do you use in this recipe, (i.e., 80/20, 85/15, 90/10, etc)?
Thank you!
I usually use 90/10 but any would work.
The whole family liked this one! I stuffed the filling into a quesadilla to make it easier for my 13 month old to eat and he loved it! Thanks for another great recipe.
I’m so glad to hear that!
Hi Amy, how would you adjust this recipe for an Instant Pot? Thank you!
I think 10 minutes on high with natural release should work!
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!