Freezer-Friendly Black Bean Burrito Filling
A budget-friendly, big-batch black bean burrito filling that’s smoky, hearty, and built for the freezer. Use it for burritos, bowls, quesadillas, or nachos—then stash extra portions for fast weeknight meals.
This is the kind of filling that makes your future self feel taken care of: cheap ingredients, big flavor, and it reheats like a dream. Make one pot, portion it out, and you’ve got burrito nights on standby for weeks. It’s also easy to scale up or down depending on your budget and freezer space.
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Servings
6
Ingredients
Base
- •1 Tbsp cooking oil (vegetable, canola, or olive oil)
- •1 medium yellow onion, diced
- •3 cloves garlic, minced
Spices
- •1 Tbsp chili powder
- •1 tsp ground cumin
- •1 tsp smoked paprika
- •1/2 tsp dried oregano
- •1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- •1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- •1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Filling
- •2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- •1 cup frozen corn
- •1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel-style), with juices
- •1/2 cup water or low-sodium broth
- •1 Tbsp tomato paste (optional, for richer flavor)
- •1 Tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime)
- •1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook 4–5 minutes, or until softened.
- 2
Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more, stirring.
- 3
Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne (if using), salt, and pepper. Stir and toast the spices for about 30 seconds to wake up the flavor.
- 4
Add the black beans, frozen corn, diced tomatoes with green chiles (with juices), water or broth, and tomato paste (if using). Stir to combine.
- 5
Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and the flavors meld.
- 6
For a thicker, more scoopable filling, mash some of the beans (about 1/3 of the mixture) with the back of a spoon or a potato masher, then simmer 1–2 minutes more.
- 7
Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro (if using). Taste and adjust salt or lime as needed.
- 8
To freeze: Cool completely, then portion into freezer bags or containers (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups per bag). Flatten bags for quick thawing, label, and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Nutrition calculated automatically from ingredients.