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A golden-brown grilled cheese burrito with a crispy, lacy cheddar crust and a rich, warm beef and rice filling.

Grilled Cheese Burrito

Rebecca Blumer
Recreate the ultimate grilled cheese burrito at home with seasoned beef, fluffy Spanish rice, creamy queso, smoky chipotle mayo, and a crisp, golden cheddar crust seared to perfection.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dinner
Cuisine Tex Mex Cuisine
Servings 6 servings
Calories 796 kcal

Equipment

  • Nonstick skillet
  • Saucepan
  • Small bowl

Ingredients
 

Spanish Rice

  • 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 3/4 c. uncooked basmati rice rinsed
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 c. low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 c. tomato sauce

Seasoned Beef

  • 1 tbsp. neutral oil
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth

Chipotle Mayo

  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1/4 c. mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp. chipotle sauce from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Assembly

  • 6 (10") flour tortillas
  • 1/2 c. store-bought or homemade queso divided
  • 1 c. red tortilla chips broken into large pieces
  • 8 oz. cheddar shredded (about 1 1/2 cups), divided
  • Sour cream and hot sauce for serving

Instructions
 

Spanish Rice

  • Rinse the basmati rice, then melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir in the rice, garlic powder, salt, and onion powder until the grains are coated. The rice should look glossy and evenly seasoned before any liquid goes in.
  • Pour in the chicken broth and tomato sauce, bring the mixture to a boil, then cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. When it is ready, the liquid will be absorbed and the rice will be tender but still separate rather than sticky.

Seasoned Beef

  • Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, and cook while breaking it into small crumbles until browned throughout. Look for fully cooked beef with no pink remaining and crumbles small enough to sit neatly in the burrito.
  • Drain the excess fat, then stir in the cumin, chili powder, kosher salt, onion powder, paprika, and chicken broth and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes. The beef is ready when the liquid reduces and the filling looks moist but thick enough to stay put instead of running.

Chipotle Mayo

  • Whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, chipotle sauce from the can of chipotle chiles in adobo, and kosher salt in a small bowl until smooth. The finished sauce should look pale orange and silky, with no streaks of sour cream left behind.

Assembly & Grilling

  • Warm the flour tortillas briefly until pliable, then place one tortilla on your work surface and spread some queso in the center. The tortilla should feel soft and flexible, not cool and stiff around the edges.
  • Add the Spanish rice over the queso, top with the seasoned beef, drizzle with chipotle mayo, and finish with broken red tortilla chips in that order. Keep the filling centered and compact so the edges stay clear enough to fold.
  • Fold the left and right sides inward, pull the bottom edge up and over the filling, and roll tightly into a burrito. A properly rolled burrito will feel firm and evenly packed, without loose ends or filling pushing through the seam.
  • Set a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, scatter some shredded cheddar directly into the pan, and place the burrito seam-side down on the melting cheese. Once the cheese turns golden and sticks to the tortilla, the burrito should feel stiff enough to flip without sagging.
  • Turn the burrito and brown the second side, then serve with sour cream and hot sauce. The outside should be crisp and deeply golden, while the center stays hot, creamy, and crunchy.

Notes

Cheese selection: Freshly grated cheddar from a block melts cleaner and browns more evenly than pre-shredded cheese containing anti-caking starches.
Skillet tip: Use a strictly nonstick skillet over medium-low heat so the outer cheese crust adheres to the tortilla instead of sticking to the pan.
Make-ahead prep: Store the fillings separately in the refrigerator and assemble right before cooking to keep the tortilla chips and cheese crust perfectly crisp.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.

Nutrition

Calories: 796kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 31gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 1079mgPotassium: 350mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 450IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 350mgIron: 4mg
Keyword cheesy beef burrito, copycat burrito, grilled cheese burrito
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