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This Grilled Cheese Burrito recipe takes your fast food favorite to the next level! This homemade version has all the cheesy goodness you love but with less oil, fresh ingredients, and more flavor. It’s a Taco Bell copycat recipe you’ll love!
Why Make Grilled Cheese Burrito
Skip the drive-thru and make this Taco Bell grilled cheese burrito at home! It’s cheaper to make from scratch, and you can load it up with your favorite ingredients as much as you want.
- Easy to customize. Control the spice level, swap the proteins, or add more cheese. Better yet, add guacamole, red pepper dip, or nacho cheese sauce.
- Meal-prep friendly. Make it ahead of time and reheat it to enjoy!
- Ultimate comfort food. Classic burrito + the gooeyness of grilled cheese = cravings satisfied!
Ingredients Needed
- Ground beef. I recommend using 80% lean ground beef for the best balance of flavor. After browning, you can drain any excess grease to make your burrito less greasy.
- Fire roasted tomatoes. You can use canned or make your own at home with my recipe. In a pinch, you can also use tomato sauce.
- Tomato paste. Helps thicken the sauce.
- Chipotle peppers. Use chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
- Onions. I like to use red onions, but white or yellow onions will also work.
- Honey. Adds a hint of sweetness to the chipotle sauce. Swap with maple syrup.
- Rice. Use long-grain white rice like jasmine rice or basmati rice.
- Seasoning blend. We’re using garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. If you want a milder version, skip the chili powder.
- Sour cream. Make the chipotle sauce smooth and creamy.
- Shredded Cheese. Use a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese or shredded Mexican cheese.
- Tortillas. Use large flour tortillas.
- Lime juice. Squeeze on the burrito filling before rolling.
- Fresh cilantro. Mix it in with the rice or top it before serving!
Steps To Make This Recipe
Step One. Mix the seasonings together in a small bowl. They will be used in the rice and ground beef.
Step Two. Add the rinsed rice, water and can of fire roasted tomatoes and 1 tsp of the homemade taco seasonings to the seasonings. Stir well, place on medium/low heat. Let the rice simmer on low, covered for about 18-20 minutes. Stir often throughout to ensure the rice doesn’t burn!
Step Three. Make Chipotle sauce. Add all the ingredients to a small food processor. Blitz everything together.
Step Four. Give it a taste, add more honey or more cilantro lime juice, or any adjustments you need.
Step Five. Make the ground beef! Add the beef to an oiled pan, add the diced onions and leftover taco seasonings. Simmer on medium for about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste in, cook for another few minutes or until the beef is cooked through.
Step Six. Assemble the burritos. Warm the flour tortillas in a microwave or on a dry skillet until they are pliable. Fill the burrito with a spoonful of rice, followed by ground beef, and add a layer of chipotle sauce in the center. Fold the sides of the tortilla over the filling, then roll it up tightly from the bottom. Grill the burritos in melted cheese, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
What To Serve With Grilled Cheese Burritos
This copycat Taco Bell recipe is packed with flavor and incredibly satisfying on its own! This loaded burrito is the perfect grab-and-go meal for busy days, whether I’m heading to work or hitting the road. When I’m craving a little something extra, I love pairing it with fresh avocado corn salad, Mexican street corn casserole, or crispy fries for the ultimate combo.
Other Mexican Recipes To Try
Recipe Tips
- Fluff the rice with a fork and let it cool for a few minutes before assembling to prevent steam from making the tortilla soggy.
- Don’t overfill the burrito. Keep fillings in the center and leave room around the edges to fold neatly without bursting.
- Cook the rice in chicken broth instead of water to add more flavor to the rice.
- To store leftovers, wrap each burrito in a foil or plastic wrap. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the burritos in an air dryer or skillet over medium heat to make it crispy again.
If you loved this recipe let me know! Also, follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for even more fun recipes to make you feel good from the inside out. Thanks for being here.
Grilled Cheese Burrito
Equipment
- large non stick skillet
Ingredients
Taco Seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Rice
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 2 cup water, more if needed
- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes, 14.5 oz
- 1 tsp prepared taco seasoning, from above
Chipotle Crema
- ½ cup sour cream
- lime juice
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
Ground Beef
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ⅓ cup red onion, diced
- large burrito size flour tortillas, for serving
Instructions
- Mix the seasonings together in a small bowl. They will be used in the rice and ground beef.
- Start the Rice. Rinse it well. Add the rinsed rice, water and can of fire roasted tomatoes and 1 tsp of the taco seasonings. Stir well, place on medium/low heat.
- Let the rice simmer on low, covered for about 18-20 minutes. Stir often throughout to ensure the rice doesn’t burn! If it needs 1/4 cup more water, add it. Sometimes rice can need extra liquid depending on the brand.
- Make Chipotle sauce. Add all the ingredients to a small food processor. Blitz everything together. Give it a taste, add more honey or more cilantro lime juice or any adjustments you need.
- Make the ground beef! Add the beef to an oiled pan, add the diced onions and leftover taco seasonings.
- Simmer on medium for about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste in, cook for another few minutes or until the beef is cooked through.
- Assemble the grilled cheese burritos
- Prepare the Tortillas. Warm the flour tortillas in a microwave or on a dry skillet until they are pliable.
- Fill the Burritos. Add a spoonful of the rice, followed by ground beef and drizzle the chipotle sauce over.
- Roll the Burritos: Fold the sides of the tortilla over the filling, then roll it up tightly from the bottom.
- Grill the Burritos in cheese. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Sprinkle some cheese (about 1/4 cup of cheese) directly onto the heated skillet. Place the burrito on top of the cheese (seam side down) and cook until the cheese is golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Serve the grilled cheese burritos warm with extra sauce on the side to dip in and enjoy! Feel free to top with salsa.
Notes
- Fluff the rice with a fork and let it cool for a few minutes before assembling to prevent steam from making the tortilla soggy.
- Don’t overfill the burrito. Keep fillings in the center and leave room around the edges to fold neatly without bursting.
- Cook the rice in chicken broth instead of water to add more flavor to the rice.
- To store leftovers, wrap each burrito in a foil or plastic wrap. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the burritos in an air dryer or skillet over medium heat to make it crispy again.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
