Burritos with Black Beans and Quinoa Recipe

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This Burrito with Black Beans and Quinoa Recipe is a healthy and yummy main dish with ooey-gooey cheese, tomato, cilantro, & sour cream!  Easy to make-ahead, wrap individually, and eat whenever!

Quinoa and Black Bean Burritos are a scrumptious eat-with-your-hands family dinner!  They are packed with protein and fiber, but also ooey-gooey cheese, tomato, cilantro, and sour cream!  The ‘meat’ in this recipe is a flavorful taco-seasoned quinoa, black bean, and cauliflower filling.  I mean, could it get any healthier!?  But yet, it tastes like a burrito, it looks like a burrito, and it oozes like a burrito!

These Quinoa Black Bean Burritos are also such an easy Meal Prep idea because you can prep them entirely ahead and wrap them individually in foil.  Then toss them into the oven to warm through and enjoy! Such an easy recipe to already have made for a busy week Taco Tuesday theme night!

And….they are a great way to use ingredients from your pantry!  Click here to get more pantry dinner ideas and  Pantry Must-Haves for Quick & Easy Dinners!

Protein and Fiber! 

We all know that protein and fiber are important, but do you know if you’re getting enough each day?  With a certification in Nutrition and Healthy Living, I pay attention to this!  It’s recommended that Women get at least 25g of Fiber and 46 grams of Protein per day (for the average sedentary woman).

I try to keep my carb intake down, so I generally eat a high protein diet.  However, when I checked my daily fiber intake, I was only at about 15g and was really surprised!!  Track your Fiber for a day or two and see how you stack up. 

1 cup of cooked quinoa has 8g of complete protein and 5g of fiber.  Black Beans have a whopping 15g of protein and 15g of Fiber in 1 cup!  Both are a great source of healthy protein and fiber!

Other Black Bean and Quinoa Recipes I love:

• Black Bean Taco Bowls
• Quinoa and Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Lemon Dressing – Turn this one into a Quinoa Black Bean Salad by swapping the chickpeas with black beans!
• Mushroom Quinoa Risotto
• Slow Cooker Brazilian Black Beans

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

No Special Equipment Needed

Nothing special for this one! Just a small-medium pot with lid for the quinoa. You also need a large skillet/frying pan for making the filling. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.  It comes with a glass lid, which is perfect for watching your dinner cook!

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

Fridge and Fresh Ingredients

• Cauliflower florets (small pieces) – The cauliflower acts as the ‘ground beef’ in this recipe. You can also substitute sweet potatoes that has been cut into small diced pieces and roasted to cook through first.
• Shredded Cheddar cheese – Feel free to substitute with your favorite shredded cheese or blend.
• Sour Cream – This is a garnish so if you don’t want it, you can eliminate it or substitute in plain greek yogurt.
• Fresh Cilantro – Fresh cilantro adds a beautiful vibrant flavor. However, if you are one of those that think it has a bitter taste, simply eliminate.
• Tomatoes – I used on the vine tomatoes, but beefsteak, plum, or even grape tomatoes will work.

Pantry Ingredients

• Uncooked White Quinoa – there are different varieties of uncooked quinoa widely available, but for this recipe, I find that the white quinoa works better than red quinoa for blending into the filling. You can substitute with white rice.
• Olive Oil – This is for cooking the cauliflower. Use any cooking oil that you prefer, such as vegetable or coconut.
• Black Beans, canned – You can substitute kidney beans, chickpeas, or any other canned beans that you have on hand (with the exception of green beans that can become mush. You can also use dry black beans, just be sure to cook them thoroughly before adding them to the filling.
• Taco Seasoning – Use whatever your favorite taco seasoning blend is, either in a packet or a jar.
• Chili Powder – While much of the base flavor will come from the taco seasoning, extra chili powder really dials up the flavor.
• 10″ Flour tortillas – Bring these to room temperature right before using.

Optional Ingredients (Not Included in Recipe)

• Red Bell Peppers – You can dice up and add red pepper to the filling.
• Scallions (green onions) – These are great for a mild onion flavor in the filling or as a garnish.
• Red Onion – Finely diced and cooked in the filling or added at garnish.
• Fresh Corn – You can add fresh corn cut from the cob or sweet corn straight from the freezer to the filling right at the end. Simply mix it in and turn off the heat.
• Cayenne Pepper or hot sauce – If you like your burritos spicy, then add a teaspoon or two of Cayenne!
• Lime – a Squeeze of fresh lime juice over top before you roll the burrito is delicious.
• Avocado Slices – Yep, the options are endless!

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps for these Burritos

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge. (Full recipe below)

Quinoa

I love quinoa in this recipe because it just perfectly melds with the other ingredients and absorbs the taco seasoning.  It’s also a superfood that’s much healthier than using rice.  That said, you could certainly swap the quinoa for rice if you prefer.  

Start by rinsing one cup quinoa thoroughly in a strainer, then adding the rinsed quinoa to the water with the salt. Bring the water to a simmer, then turn it down to the lowest setting and cover. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Then turn off the heat, but leave the cover on for another 5 minutes.

Prep the cauliflower

I love adding cauliflower to this recipe for 3 reasons:

1. It is your main vegetable and makes this a balanced meal.  That means it brings the vitamins and nutrients that you would not be getting from the other ingredients.
2. It balances out the calories and carbs from the quinoa and black beans.  Without the cauliflower, you would need to add more quinoa and beans.
3. It provides the ‘meaty’ texture that we usually have in a burrito from the beef.  

You can leave the cauliflower out if you want, but you will have less filling and therefore, less burritos.  You will want to add another ½ can of beans and another 2 cups of quinoa for 10 burritos.

Cut the cauliflower florets into small pieces.  You want these to blend into the filling not be too big in the burrito.  

Prep the rest of the ingredients

Shred the cheese.  Dice the tomato.

Cook Your Burritos with Black Bean and Quinoa Recipe

To a large pan/skillet on medium-high heat, add the oil and then the cauliflower florets. Cook for 5 minutes until they are browned.

Drain the black beans of any excess liquid and add them to the cauliflower in the pan. Then add 2 cups water and bring to a simmer.

Add the quinoa and stir to combine.  Add the taco seasoning and chili powder. Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed (depends on how salty your taco seasoning is).

Assemble!

When you are ready to assemble, warm your tortillas. I like to give them a light grill in a pan, but you can also warm them in the microwave.

Lay the tortilla on a flat surface and add ½ cup of the Quinoa Black Bean filling towards the bottom.  Add the other toppings…Cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream.

Then roll the burrito by first folding over the bottom of the tortilla over filling. Then fold in the sides and roll it up.  You can serve it now or if you want to store and reheat later, place on a square piece of aluminum foil on a diagonal, towards the bottom point. Roll it up and then fold the sides under.

ENJOY!  😍 Carrie

Burritos with Black Bean and Quinoa Recipes FAQs

Check out the web story for this Vegetarian Burrito Recipe!