Chili Cheese Burrito
Are you familiar with the many pleasures of the chili cheese burrito? The warm, lightly spicy chili, the melty cheese, the comforting heft of it all loaded into a crispy flour tortilla?
If you were a teenager or a burrito lover in the nineties (and especially if you were both), you might recall Taco Bell’s Chilito, the (original?) chili-and-cheese-in-a-tortilla combo. It was beloved — please see the Change.org petition to bring it back and the Chili Cheese Locator, which helps you find Taco Bell locations that still serve it.
But now, the wait is over. The Chili Cheese Burrito has been with you all the while.
That is: you can make your own, with ease, in the non-fluorescent glow of your very own kitchen. And you should. Your family will love the rich flavors of this hearty meal, and you’ll love the taste of nostalgia.
Another beautiful thing about this recipe? It makes 10 burritos, which seems like a lot, but it’s not much added work and they can be frozen and reheated for last-minute or on-the-go meals.
10 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, divided, plus more as needed
1 jalapeño, seeded, diced small
1 medium white onion, diced small, divided
1 pound L&B 90% Lean Premium Ground Beef
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons L&B Chili Powder
2 teaspoons L&B Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon L&B Garlic Powder
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 15-ounce can refried beans
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
10 10-inch flour tortillas
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Sour cream, for serving
Green Tabasco, for serving
Directions
- To make the chili: In a Dutch oven, heat 2 teaspoons of grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the jalapeño and half of the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and salt. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook until browned, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off the excess fat if necessary.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder and tomato paste. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Stir in the refried beans, pinto beans and beef broth until well combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the chili.
- Bring the chili to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover partially and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the chili from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
- To fill the burritos, scoop a half-cup of chili onto each tortilla. Sprinkle it with a pinch of white onion and 2 tablespoons of cheese. Fold the bottom of the tortillas over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll up the burrito.
- To fry the burritos, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cooking in batches, place burritos seam side down in the skillet and cook until browned and crispy, 1 minute. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Repeat with the remaining burritos, adding more oil as needed.
- Serve the burritos hot with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream and green Tabasco on the side.
- Note: If you don’t want to fry and eat all of the burritos at once, you can wrap the burritos in aluminum foil and freeze them for later. Instead of frying, heat the burritos in the microwave until warmed through, about 1 ½ minutes per side.
