This Beef Burrito Recipe is simple yet delicious made with grilled flank steak, red onion, cilantro, mozzarella cheese, red or green salsa wrapped and rolled in a flour tortilla.
Burrito is easy to make and very flavorful with moist and juicy grilled beef.
Beef Burrito is my favorite Mexican dish paired with Spicy Margarita drink. I like it simple with flank steak seasoned only with salt. When it comes to burrito, I am not a big fan of marinated meat.
When I moved to the SouthWest, I thought I would find the best beef burrito here, I was wrong. The Midwest has better burrito in my opinion.
My former co-workers kept telling me to go to mom and pop restaurants to find authentic Mexican dish instead of the big franchise Mexican restaurants.
Burritos sold here are either made with marinated beef or ground beef which doesn’t even come close to grilled burrito in the Midwest.
That is the reason why I would rather make my own.
There’s nothing hard about making burritos. Also, I prefer it without beans or the Mexican rice. I would rather have these two ingredients on the side.
Jump to:
What beef to use for burrito
When making beef burrito my favorite cut of meat to use is flank steak. It is a tough beefy meat but when cooked properly is very tasty. It is lean and great for grilling.
Skirt Steak is cheaper and tougher than flank steak. If you like your meat rare or medium, then this cut will be good for burrito. It is also beefy with an intense flavor.
Tri-tip Steak is another choice, it is lean and tasty. I’ve never used it for burrito but if cooked properly then I can’t see why not.
How to make this recipe
Burrito is a versatile Mexican dish. You can keep it simple with ingredients listed or fill it with other ingredients like beans and rice. Don't overfill though, or you'll have a hard time wrapping.
(1) Some stores keep the underside of flank steak with a thick layer of fat. I trim more than ½ of the fat and leave some as it adds so much flavor and keeps the meat moist when grilling.
Grill it quick in high heat and sear both sides then slice and dice against the grain.
(2) Chop the red onions. I love a lot of red onion and cilantro so you can prepare more if you like.
(3) Wash and chop the cilantro.
(4) Use shredded mozzarella or whatever cheese you prefer.
(5) You can add store-bought red or green salsa to the filling before rolling burrito or serve it on the side. Even without the salsa, I enjoy my burrito with just red onions, cilantro and cheese.
(6) You can also add refried beans or Mexican-style rice. I serve this on the side together with tortilla chips.
Note: If preparing burrito for a big crowd, serve it buffet style. They can make and wrap their own burrito. It is much easier for you and they are able to choose the ingredients they like.
Warm tortilla in the microwave covered with damp paper towel or cloth for 15 seconds or until warm then place it in a tortilla warmer container to keep warm. You can also use your slow cooker, set to low.
2 ways to wrap burrito
Use store bought or homemade flour tortilla. If you like to make everything from scratch, check out my delicious and easy HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS WITH BUTTER with a link below.
(1) Lay flour tortilla on a flat surface. Place filling (not a lot) flank steak, red onion, cilantro, mozzarella cheese and some salsa if you like just below the center of tortilla towards you.
Fold the the tortilla towards filling, then fold the 2 sides and roll tightly.
(2) The other way to wrap burrito, add the filling closer to one side (right or left), then fold tortilla towards filling and fold the left side over filling and roll tightly. The right side will be open.
You can do whichever is easier for you.
Warming instructions
Warm burrito in the microwave for about 20 seconds or until warm depending on your microwave’s power.
You can also cover burrito with a damp paper towel before warming in the microwave.
Can I prepare ingredients a day in advance
Yes, you can. Grill flank steak to medium and dice. Also, prepare all other ingredients and store in a well sealed container in the refrigerator.
Of course, flank steak is great straight off the grill but if it’s easier for you to make it in advance, it works too.
When ready to make, warm flank steak briefly on a hot skillet with oil then make your burrito. You can also warm tortilla in cast iron or stove top before making burrito.
More Delicious Mexican Dish to Try
Homemade Flour Tortillas with Butter
How to Cook Canned Refried Beans
Cheesy Refried Bean and Rice Burrito
Easy Guacamole Recipe
Pork Carnitas Recipe
Recipe
Beef Burrito Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 pounds flank steak seasoned with salt, grilled and diced
- 1 large red onion or more chopped
- 1 bunch of cilantro or more washed and chopped
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 8 - 10 24 oz medium size flour tortilla
- store-bought red or green salsa optional
Instructions
- Trim some fat on the underside of flank steak and generously season with salt.
- Grill and sear quickly on high heat depending on your preference (rare, medium or medium-well).
- Slice and dice flank steak against the grain.
- If you like, warm tortilla in the microwave covered with damp paper towel or cloth for 15 seconds or until warm.
Wrap Burrito
- On a flat surface, lay flour tortilla. Place just enough filling (not a lot) flank steak, red onion, cilantro, mozzarella cheese and some salsa if you like just below the center of tortilla towards you. Note: Too much filling will be hard to wrap.
- Fold the the tortilla towards filling, then fold the 2 sides and roll tightly.
- Serve with red or green salsa, tortilla chips, refried beans or Mexican-style rice. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you like bigger burrito, use the 20 oz 8 count large flour tortillas.
- If you love red onion, cilantro or cheese, you can add more to my recipe. I do.
- You can serve all the ingredients buffet style for big gatherings.
- To keep flour tortillas warm place, it in a plastic tortilla warmer container wrapped in a damp paper towel or cloth or in a slow cooker, set to low.
- Store leftover burrito in an airtight container for about 3 days in the refrigerator and warm in the microwave for 20 seconds or until warm. You may also wrap burrito in a food saver or in heavy foil and freeze for a month. Thaw in fridge and warm in the microwave.
Leave a Comment