A super flavorful black bean burrito recipe made with red bell pepper, onion, kale, green chiles, black beans, cilantro rice, and jalapeno ranch. This recipe makes two burritos and comes together in about thirty minutes.

As I’m leaning into adding more veggie-heavy recipes onto the blog this year, this black bean burrito recipe is the first fully vegetarian option I’m posting. It’s absolutely packed with flavor (there are black beans, green chiles, kale, cilantro rice, and a creamy ranch-inspired jalapeno sauce), and comes together in about thirty minutes. I focus on small batch recipes, so this particular recipe makes two black bean burritos. It’s one of those easy meals that can definitely be doubled or tripled if needed!

These aren’t your typical black bean burritos, but they are really delicious, and packed with a variety of nutritious ingredients. You can absolutely customize these to fit your taste preferences (add some hot sauce, make them vegan by omitting the jalapeno ranch, use your favorite taco seasoning blend, etc.). This is one of those great recipes that is delicious as is, but can absolutely be adjusted to fit your taste!

A woman's hand holding two halves of a black bean burrito.

Ingredients

For the Black Bean Burritos:

2 tsp. Avocado Oil or Olive Oil
1/2 cup chopped Yellow Onion
3/4 cup chopped Red Bell Pepper
Homemade Taco Seasoning: (or 2 tsp. of your favorite taco seasoning)
- ½ tsp. Cumin
- ½ tsp. Mexican Oregano
- ½ tsp. Kosher Salt (plus more to taste)
- ¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp. Smoked Paprika
- ¼ tsp. Chili Powder
- ⅛ tsp. Cayenne Pepper (optional)
1 clove Garlic, minced
3/4 cup (1/2 can) drained Black Beans
3 cups chopped Kale
4 oz. Green Chiles
fresh Lime Juice, to taste
1 tsp. Hot Sauce, to taste (optional)
Salt, to taste
1 cup Cooked Rice (white rice or brown rice)
1 tbsp. finely chopped Cilantro
Jalapeño Ranch (ingredients and recipe follows)
2 large Flour Tortillas (burrito-sized)

Ingredients to make black bean burritos with kale and onions laid out on a flat surfaced and labeled.

For the Jalapeño Ranch:

1/3 cup Sour Cream (or Plain Greek Yogurt)
1 tbsp. Mayonnaise (like Duke’s or Hellmann’s)
1 tsp. fresh Lime Juice
1/2 medium Jalapeño, finely chopped – (optional)
2 tbsp. finely chopped Cilantro
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh Parsley (or 1 tbsp. Dried Parsley)
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh Chives (or 2 tsp. Dried Chives)
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh Dill (or 1/2 tsp. Dried Dill)
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt, plus more to taste

Ingredient Notes and FAQs

Avocado Oil

Why Avocado Oil? Avocado oil has a neutral flavor, so I prefer it for these black bean burritos. Olive oil, vegetable oil, or another oil will work, though!

Homemade Seasoning Blend

This is just a simple blend of seasonings that I love to use for vegetable-forward recipes and pasta alike. If you want to swap the Italian seasoning for either dried basil or dried oregano, that totally works! You can omit the crushed red pepper if you aren’t a fan of the heat, too.

Kale

Curly kale works really well in these burritos, but Lacinato kale (also called Dinosaur Kale or Tuscan kale) works great, too. Remove as many of the thick stems from the leaves as you can, then chop the leaves before cooking. You can also use “Juicing Kale” or shredded kale that can usually be found near the bagged salads in the produce section.

Cilantro Rice

I love keeping leftover rice on hand to throw into burritos, wraps, or whatever. You could definitely use leftover rice for this recipe, or a microwavable rice to keep this recipe quick and easy! This cilantro-lime rice is really quick and easy to make, as it is just rice mixed with fresh cilantro. It’s perfect for these burritos, but feel free to experiment with different flavored rices like Spanish rice, Mexican rice, or whatever you love.

Flour Tortillas

Burrito-sized tortillas are best for these wraps, as they’re big enough to fit all of the ingredients securely without stuff spilling out of them. Feel free to use standard flour tortillas, whole wheat tortillas, or these Jalapeno Cheddar Wraps! Or whatever you love. 🙂

Jalapeno Ranch

I think the jalapeño ranch is one of the best parts of this burrito, but I’m all about sauces (and making them from scratch!) If you’re trying to save time (or not buy a bunch of additional ingredients), I’ve heard great things about the Whataburger Jalapeño Ranch that can be found near the salad dressings at most grocery stores!

I tested this recipe quite a few times before I finalized it, to be honest. Most recipes I can confidently re-test only twice, but this one really escaped me for some reason. I think because I wanted to keep these as vegetarian burritos, but also as easy black bean burritos. To do that, I wanted there to be lots of flavor, but not an overwhelming amount of ingredients. If that makes sense? So last week was my final test, and I absolutely love this final version.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Make these Vegan Black Bean Burritos: Omit the jalapeno ranch dressing, and use your favorite salsa instead! You can also find vegan versions of sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and mayonnaise as substitutions for the recipe, too.
Make these Dairy Free Burritos Omit the sour cream from the Jalapeno Ranch sauce, and add a little more lime juice (for added acidity and to thin it out).
Meal Prep: The black bean mixture is great for meal prep, too. You could double the recipe, then use it for these burritos, or in quesadillas, on top of salads, or in burrito bowls throughout the week.

Directions

How to Make this Black Bean Burrito Recipe

Step One: Make the Cilantro Rice. Cook your rice according to the package instructions. Once the rice is cooked and slightly cooled, stir one cup of rice with one tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro. Set aside. (Bonus Tip: Cooking rice in half vegetable broth / half water adds a lot of flavor! I also add salt and butter to my rice before bringing it to a boil, too).

A mini food processor full of ingredients to make jalapeno ranch dressing.

A mini food processor full of jalapeno ranch sauce.

Step Two: Make the Jalapeno Ranch. While the rice is cooking, place all of the jalapeno ranch ingredients into a mini food processor. Blend until smooth, then season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chopped red bell pepper and onions coated with seasoning cooking in a pan.

Chopped red bell pepper and onions coated with seasoning cooking in a pan and being stirred with a wooden spatula.

Step Two: Cook the Onions and Peppers. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet (preferably non-stick) over medium heat. Add chopped onions, red bell pepper, and the seasoning blend. Stir to mix together, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion and pepper are slightly softened.

A large skillet full of cooked onions and peppers, and black beans, kale, green chiles, and spices.

A wooden spatula stirring a black bean and kale mixture together in a large skillet.

Step Three: Add More Flavor. Add garlic, black beans, chopped kale, and green chiles to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 4-5 minutes until the kale is wilted and the beans are slightly softened.

Step Four: Season to Taste. Stir in lime juice and hot sauce (if using), and season the bean mixture with salt to taste.

A woman's hand spooning cilantro rice into the middle of a large tortilla.

A woman's hand spooning black beans over cilantro rice in the middle of a large tortilla.

Step Five: Build the Burritos. Divide the cilantro rice down between the flour tortillas, spreading a line of rice down the center of each tortilla. Top with the black bean mixture.

A woman's hand spooning jalapeno ranch sauce over a black bean and rice mixture in the center of a large tortilla.

Drizzle a generous amount of Jalapeño Ranch over the black bean mixture.

A woman's hands folding up a black bean burrito.

Step Six: Fold the Burritos. Fold the sides of the tortilla inward, then roll the tortilla up, tightly enclosing all of the ingredients in the middle of the tortilla.

A woman's hands rolling up a black bean burrito.

A woman's hands holding two burrito halves over a ceramic plate, showing the contents of the burrito.

Once the burrito is tightly wrapped, cut it in half (if you like).

Step Seven: Serve. Serve with extra jalapeno ranch dressing for dipping, and enjoy!

Make these Black Bean Burritos Yours!

Customizing these Burritos: To customize your black bean burritos, consider adding some protein-packed ingredients like grilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu for a heartier meal. You can experiment with different types of beans such as pinto beans or black refried beans to switch things up. You can also use any vegetables that you have on hand, like corn, poblano peppers, red onion, or spinach (instead of kale) into your burritos. Don’t be afraid to get creative and make these burritos your own by adding your favorite toppings and ingredients!

Two black bean burrito halves stacked on a ceramic plate.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Storing: Leftover burritos can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. If storing the ingredients separately: The cooked cilantro rice can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The black bean mixture can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but only for about three days.

Reheating: To reheat the burritos, place them seam side down in a non-stick pan (fitted with a lid), and reheat them over low heat, flipping over a couple of times so they heat through evenly, until they’re warm.

More Small Batch Vegetarian Recipes

What to Serve with Black Bean Burritos

Tortilla Chips and Salsa (or Homemade Guacamole)
Trader Joe’s Mexican Style Roasted Corn
Simple Salad with a Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette

Cocktail Pairings

If you need to increase the amount you want to make in the recipe card, there is a little slider bar near the “servings” portion on the recipe card if you’re on desktop, or if you’re on your phone, touch the number of servings on the recipe card (it will be a number, and colored dark red). You can adjust the slider bar that way instead of doing the calculations on your own! 🙂

If you make these Black Bean Burritos and love them, please leave a comment and / or star rating below! You can also share them on Instagram and tag me, or use the hashtag #aflavorjournal so I can see them! If you have any questions about the ingredients or how to make them, send me an email so I can help out.

xx Sara