Name: Leftover Beef Burritos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 200g Rice; 1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil; 1 Red Onion (Finely Diced); 3 Cloves Garlic (Crushed); 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin; 3 teaspoons Smoked Paprika; 1 teaspoon Chilli Powder; Pinch Chilli Flakes (Optional); 0.5 teaspoon Oregano; Pinch Salt and Pepper; 250g Leftover Roast Beef (Sliced or Shredded); 100ml Beef Stock; 400g Tinned Chopped Tomatoes; 2 tablespoons Tomato Puree; 400g Tin Kidney Beans (Drained); 6 Tortilla Wraps (Corn or Flour); Grated Cheese, soured cream, salsa, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes (to serve – optional)

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Leftover Beef Burritos are a fantastic way to use up leftover roast beef. Easy, quick, and awesome even if you’ve only got a little bit of beef!

I really like Mexican food. Enchiladas are a big fave (probably because of the crazy amount of cheese we put on them!) but I love nachos, tacos, and fajitas too.

I love that style of eating where you just put plenty of ingredients and dips on a table and everyone helps themselves. It’s a fantastic social kind of eating and means that you can all have something slightly different, to suit your tastes, without missing out on eating together as a family.

It’s a great way for families to eat, and it’s good fun, which can make family dinners less stressful.

Burritos with leftover roast beef are no different. We all have slightly different fillings and the kids love to layer theirs up and roll them for themselves.

Don’t get me wrong, Leftover roast beef burritos are messy, but really amazing family food, and a fantastic way to use up leftover roast beef.

leftover beef burritos, wrapped in foil, cut in half and stacked on plate.

What is a Burrito?

A burrito is a Mexican dish, typically with meat, rice, and beans wrapped in a flour or corn tortilla wrap.

They are popular in Tex-Mex style restaurants and at street food style vendors, because they are easy to eat, and make a great takeout.

What Do You Put in a Burrito?

I tell the kids that a burrito is basically a chilli, in a wrap.

process shots - hot to make leftover beef burritos/.

You can put lots of different things in them really. This Family-friendly burrito recipe is fairly simple with leftover roast beef in a chilli type sauce, rice, beans, and some extras.

But, you can also get burritos with pork, chicken, lamb, halloumi, roast veg, and even sausages!

How Do You Roll a Burrito?

Tightly, and carefully.

I leave about an inch on either side clear, so I just pile my filling into a line in the centre with a gap. Then, I fold that empty inch in, towards the filling, and roll, as tightly as I can.

Then, for the kids, I wrap the Beef burrito tightly in foil and fold over each end.

Next, I carefully cut the Beef and cheese burrito in half, and roll down (or rip) the foil. This just makes it easier for them to hold and eat, without it falling apart.

You don’t have to wrap your burrito at all, or you can use baking paper, or beeswax paper if you have it.

See a video of a burrito roll here.

How to Make a Burrito with Leftover Roast Beef

I make Shredded beef burritos.

So, I basically leave the leftover roast beef in the fridge overnight, then the next day, I shred it with my fingers.

Once it’s cold, it’s quite easy to just peel thin strips away, like pulled pork. You can also use a sharp knife to slice it though if you prefer.

Then, because your beef is already cooked, it just needs warming through in a sauce.

leftover beef burrito filling in frying pan, rice, cheese and warps surrounding.

I use onions, garlic, chilli flakes, cumin, paprika, chilli powder, and oregano for flavour, tinned tomatoes and stock to simmer it all away, and tomato puree to thicken it up. Simmer until you’ve got a thick, spicy sauce, and your beef is boiling hot before stirring through the kidney beans.

You should cook your rice while your beef is simmering too.

Then, it’s all about putting it together.

What Rice Should You Use in a Burrito?

I use regular white rice, but you could use Mexican rice, brown rice, or anything else that you like really. A Burrito with rice is super flexible. Use what you’ve got, or what you like!

Are Leftover Beef Burritos Spicy?

With chilli flakes, chilli powder, and paprika, these Leftover beef burritos are a little spicy. But, they are also family-friendly, so not too much. You can skip the chilli flakes if you want a milder Burrito with beef.

Do Leftover Beef Burritos Need Cheese?

When I make my Easy burrito recipe, I add loads of cheese to mine, so do Robyn and Jim. I grate the cheese finely so that it melts into the rice and meat.

Michael doesn’t like cheese though so doesn’t add any to his burrito. He seems to enjoy it as much as we do.

So no, your beef burrito doesn’t need cheese…but personally, I recommend a good mature cheddar!

What Should You Serve with a Leftover Beef Burrito?

A Burrito with beans and rice is a fab meal because it’s all there in the wrap. You can add salad, soured cream, guacamole, tomatoes, onions, whatever you want.

leftover beef burritos, wrapped in foil, cut in half on plate.

Then, you can serve with nachos, salad, other dips, maybe garlic bread. But, you don’t have to. You can totally eat a leftover roast beef burrito on its own and still be nice and full.

More Leftover Beef Recipes

I love cooking with leftovers, so have a few recipes for using up leftover roast beef! Some of my favourites are:

Leftover Beef Burritos

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4.6 from 10 reviews

Author: Donna
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 Burritos 1x

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