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Flour tortilla basket filled with beef and beans.

Crispy Burrito Baskets

Chef Alli
Looking for a delicious spin on burritos? You've just arrived! These crispy bowls are easy to bake in the oven and you don't even have to use a mold! Similar to taco salad baskets, this recipe puts a new spin on burritos.
Servings: 4 baskets
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients
 

Refried Beans

  • 2 cups dry beans, I used Fremont Heirloom Beans from 21st Century Bean Processing, Sharon Springs, Ks (if you don't have access to Fremont beans, you may substitute dry pinto beans or your favorite canned refried beans)
  • 4-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. oregano leaves, or to taste
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Seasoned Beef Filling

  • 1 lb. lean ground beef, may substitute any ground meat that you prefer, such as ground turkey or ground venison
  • your favorite taco seasoning

Burrito Bowl Toppings

  • shredded cheddar cheese, or substitute your favorite Mexican type of cheese
  • chopped lettuce
  • diced tomatoes
  • chopped scallions
  • chopped cilantro
  • guacamole
  • taco sauce
  • reserved cooked beans
  • sliced limes

Chipotle Crema

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • minced chipotles in adobo or chipotle sauce, to taste

Burrito Baskets

  • 4 - 8-inch or 4- 12-inch flour tortillas, depending on how you are making and baking the burrito baskets (see below in the instructions for the how-to), warmed
  • cooking spray or vegetable oil

Instructions
 

Cook The Beans

  • Cook the dry beans, covered with broth by 1-inch, (4-6 cups of broth) in an Instant Pot for 28 minutes with a 10 minute natural release; drain well.
    If cooking the beans on your stove top, use a Dutch oven or large pot, covering the beans with broth by 1-2 inches; bring to a low simmer, then cover with a lid. Let the beans cook for 45-55 minutes or until fork tender; drain well.
    **If you don't have time to cook dry beans, use a can of your favorite refried beans.

Make the Refried Beans

  • Reserve a few of the cooked beans for garnishing the burrito bowls.
    Place the remaining cooked and tender beans into the bowl of a food processor, pulsing to combine (mixture will still be pretty chunky and sticky at this point). Sprinkle in the oregano, adding the broth a little at a time, pulsing the food processor as needed, until the refried beans are a smooth and creamy consistency.
    Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; keep warm.
    **If you don't own a food processor, the cooked beans can be mashed using a potato masher.

Make the Chipotle Crema

  • In a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream with a bit of the minced chipotles, tasting as you go. **Keep in mind that the chipotles are very hot and smoky, so don't get too heavy-handed, unless you like spicy!
    Place the prepared chipotle crema into a quart bag, then refrigerate until you're ready to make the burrito baskets.

Make the Seasoned Ground Beef

  • Meanwhile, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no pink remains and the beef is fully cooked throughout (165 degrees F. internal temperature); drain any fats that have accumulated in the skillet. Add the taco seasoning to your preferred taste - I used about 1 1/2 tablespoons. Keep the beef mixture warm.

Make and Bake the Burrito Baskets (You can do this step while the beans are cooking)

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the 8-inch warmed flour tortillas into 4 basket molds that have been well-sprayed with with non-stick spray. Place the molds onto a baking sheet; bake, uncovered, on the center rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove the baskets from the oven; letting the baskets rest for 5 minutes in the molds, then remove to a cooling rack.
  • **If you don't have burrito basket molds, invert a small saucepan onto a baking sheet and cover with foil, wrapping the foil over and down around the saucepan. Place a 12-inch flour tortilla on top of the foil-wrapped sauce pan; brush the tortilla with the oil or spray well with non-stick spray, then wrap the flour tortilla down around the saucepan, pleating it in various spots to fit the saucepan, using your palms to press it down and around the foil securely, without tearing the flour tortilla as you do so.
    Bake, uncovered, on the center rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove the basket from the oven and let it rest on the sauce pan for 5 minutes before lifting it off to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining 3 tortillas.

Assemble the Burrito Baskets

  • Place some of the warm refried beans into the bottom of each burrito basket, spreading it out to the edges. Top with the seasoned and cooked ground beef and a good sprinkling of shredded cheese. Top with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.
    Cut the corner from the bag of prepared chipotle crema, then pipe it over the top of the burrito basket filling. Garnish with chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, and the reserved and cooked beans.
    Add a dollop of guacamole into the center of the ingredients, then drizzle with taco sauce, as desired. Add a couple of sliced limes to one side of the basket. Repeat with the remaining baskets and serve at once. Ole!

Notes

Easy Tips for Making Burrito Bowls in the Oven

  • I found that making the burrito baskets using a metal mold was pretty darn handy and they were very easy to use.
  • However, that’s certainly not your only option for making burrito baskets in the oven. All you need is a 3″ ramekin if you are baking an 8″ flour tortilla; if you are using a 12″ flour tortilla, use a small saucepan.
  • Cover the ramekin or the saucepan with foil; spray the foil with non-stick baking spray, then spray the flour tortilla on one side. Place the flour tortilla on top of the saucepan or ramekin (depending on which you’re using) sprayed side down, then use your palms to gently press the flour tortilla down around the vessel.
  • Now spray the top of the flour tortilla, pressing it down again, this time pressing inwards to with your palms a bit more to mold the tortilla and fold it in around the sides, kind of “pleating” the tortilla as your go. Now bake until golden brown and crispy; remove to a cooling rack after a 10 minute rest when removed from the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 379kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 29gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 1388mgPotassium: 526mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 701IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 116mgIron: 5mg
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