Home > Dinner > Healthy Burrito Healthy Burrito November 4, 2019 | No Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. The best Healthy Burrito recipe is loaded with seasoned rice, roasted veggies, cheese, cilantro, and fresh lime. Serve these delicious burritos with fresh salsa, ripe avocados or guacamole, sour cream, and another drizzle of lime. Can burritos be healthy? You bet! My goal for this recipe was to create a burrito that is healthy, yet still loaded with flavor and textures. These burritos start by using a better-for-you whole wheat tortilla. The meat typically found in burritos is replaced with nutrient-dense veggies and protein-packed black beans. And finally, we add fresh herbs (cilantro) and plenty of spices to season everything instead of an unhealthy sauce. How to make the healthiest burrito We start by making the rice and roasted veggies for these burritos. Once all the components are cooked, it’s easy to assemble the burritos. Rice: The rice is seasoned with a few spices, simmered in broth, and cooked until tender and fluffy. Brown rice can be used instead of white rice to further boost the nutrition of these burritos. Roasted vegetables: Toss a medley of vegetables with olive oil and a delicious seasoning blend and then roast until crisp tender. Feel free to use whatever veggies you like best; just make sure they’re chopped small, so they’ll fit in the tortilla nicely. Assembly: Load tortillas with the seasoned rice, roasted veggies, drained and rinsed black beans, Cheddar cheese, and fresh cilantro. Cook: Once assembled, these healthy burritos can be eaten immediately or frozen for a meal at a later time. Healthy Burrito variations While technically not a burrito, make a lettuce wrap with all the filling components (rice, veggies, black beans, cheese), or simply serve everything over rice instead of in a tortilla. For additional protein, add in some shredded seasoned rotisserie chicken. The chicken could also replace either the rice or beans. Swap out mushrooms, yellow squash, zucchini, or cubed butternut squash to replace one of the veggies in the veggie blend. Cut the kernels off any leftover cooked corn on the cob and add with the black beans. Or, add in some frozen corn (defrost and add in with the black beans). Make the Healthy Burrito filling into a salad instead. Add all the toppings to a bed of lettuce and drizzle the cilantro lime dressing from this BBQ chicken salad recipe right on top. Toppings Healthy Burritos are great on their own, but the toppings take them from good to wow! Use your favorite burrito toppings; below is what we typically use: Additional fresh cilantro Squeeze of fresh lime (the acid really balances everything out!) Scoop of guacamole or sliced ripe avocado Sour cream (we use fat-free) Salsa or chopped cherry tomatoes Freezing Healthy Burritos When we make Healthy Burritos, we eat them fresh for dinner and then freeze the rest for a quick and healthy future lunch. To freeze: Tightly wrap completely cooled burritos in plastic wrap and then foil. Label and freeze in a large airtight container. To cook: Take the burritos straight from the freezer, unwrap the plastic and foil, and then microwave for 1-3 minutes per side until thawed and heated through. (One step further: to get the tortilla crispy, you can brown the edges in a skillet). The Kitchn has a lot of helpful tips on freezing and thawing burritos. More healthy vegetarian meals Healthy Tacos with black beans and corn Vegetarian Fajitas with the best easy sauce Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl reader favorite recipe! Vegetarian Chili with the best seasoning mix Pesto Vegetable Bowls roasted veggies with couscous and pesto FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Healthy Burrito 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe The best Healthy Burrito recipe is loaded with seasoned rice, roasted veggies, cheese, cilantro, and fresh lime. Serve these delicious burritos with fresh salsa, ripe avocados or guacamole, sour cream, and another drizzle of lime. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Healthy Burrito 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe The best Healthy Burrito recipe is loaded with seasoned rice, roasted veggies, cheese, cilantro, and fresh lime. Serve these delicious burritos with fresh salsa, ripe avocados or guacamole, sour cream, and another drizzle of lime. Course Dinner, Main Course, Vegetarian Cuisine Mexican, Vegetarian Keyword Healthy Burrito Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 6 minutes Total Time 21 minutes Servings 4 -6 Calories 348kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $6.93 IngredientsRoasted Vegetables▢ 1 cup sweet red pepper, cut into small 1/2 inch pieces▢ 3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small 1/2 inch cubes▢ 1 cup red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes▢ 2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeno▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder▢ salt and pepperRice▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: olive oil, minced garlic▢ 1/2 tablespoon chili powder▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin▢ 1 cup uncooked white rice▢ 2 cups chicken broth or waterAssembly▢ 1 can (15 ounces) black beans drained and rinsed▢ 12 whole-wheat tortillas▢ Fresh cilantro and fresh lime juice▢ Sour cream and salsa for dipping▢ Optional: avocados or guacamole, for serving InstructionsROASTED VEGGIES: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut all the veggies into pretty small pieces, no bigger than 1/2 inch cubes. Add the 1 cup diced pepper, 3 cups sweet potato, 1 cup onion, and 2 tablespoons jalapeno to a very large sheet pan (full-sized sheet pan; 15x21 inches) or 2 smaller sheet pans. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Toss and spread in an even layer (overlapping veggies will steam, not roast). Bake for 15 minutes, flip and stir, bake for another 10-15 minutes or until veggies are crisp tender. Remove and let cool to room temperature.SEASONED RICE: Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to a small saucepan. Add in the 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin. Season to taste with salt and pepper, I add 1/4 teaspoon each). Stir and cook for 30 seconds to a minute. Add in the rice and stir (without any liquid) for 1 minute. Mix in 2 cups chicken broth or water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until rice is cooked through and water is absorbed. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork. Let cool to room temperature.BURRITO ASSEMBLY: Warm tortillas in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to make them more pliable (optional). To the bottom half of the tortilla, add 1/4 cup cooked rice, 1/4 cup drained and rinsed black beans, 1/3 cup of the roasted veggies, and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Add a few sprigs of cilantro and a drizzle of lime juice and then fold up the burrito. To fold up, fold the side over the bottom 1/3 of the tortilla (right on top of the filling). Pull the filling back toward the bottom third of the tortilla. Make two folds on either side of the large fold. Now tightly roll. As you roll, use the tips of your fingers to tuck and press all the filling into a tight cylinder. Either cook (see next step) or wrap in parchment paper and then foil; freeze.TO COOK FRESH: Spray all sides of the burrito with cooking spray. Place the burrito, seam-side down, into a large skillet on medium heat and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and enjoy immediately with an optional side of extra salsa and low-fat sour cream. Serve optionally with guacamole or avocado and additional lime/cilantro as desired.TO COOK FROZEN: Remove foil. Microwave burrito in the parchment paper for 1 minute and 30 seconds, flip and then microwave another 1 minute and 30 seconds. Remove, let cool and enjoy with toppings, or crisp the edges in a skillet by following the directions in step 4. Nutrition FactsServing: 6servings | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.9g | Protein: 10.6g | Fat: 9.1g | Sodium: 520.6mg | Fiber: 11.9g | Sugar: 6.2g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
