Freezer Burritos (Meal Prep, Make-Ahead)

Freezer Burritos: Easy Meal Prep with Make-Ahead Fillings

Ready for a freezer stocked with make-ahead, meal prepped freezer burritos? If you’ve ever tried to prepare burritos the traditional way, you know the struggle. Few things are more frustrating than misjudging your filling and tearing a wrap -- or, worse yet, batch- prepping  a dozen room-temperature burritos, freezing them, and ending up with soggy tortillas, too little or too much filling, uneven reheating, or a freezer drawer taken over by bulky foil packages.

There is a better way. By shifting to building your fillings for homemade frozen burritos into Souper Cubes 1-cup freezer trays you can freeze your filling in perfect portions. This ensures you have the exact right amount of filling every time, giving you a much easier, mess-free wrapping experience. You end up with a variety of your favorite freezer breakfast burritos and meal prep burrito fillings ready to put into a tortilla. This allows you to make sure you never see a soggy tortilla again and your freezer stays organized. Your future self will be so happy that you made your morning routine easier.

Why Meal Prep Burritos in Souper Cubes?

Perfect Portions, No Mess  

Freezing your fillings in a uniform cube means you never have to guess the right amount of filling. Whatever filling combination you decide, only go up until the fill line to ensure every single burrito gets the same portion, eliminating any assembly issues.

Batch Once, Eat for Weeks

Instead of spending each day making burritos, spend an afternoon cooking and building burrito cube fillings. Preparing the filling in advance will allow you to take the stress of what to cook and give you some time back.

Make-Ahead Burrito Fillings

Before we get to the technique, you need a roadmap. To make batch cooking efficient, choose fillings that share common ingredients (like beans, cheese, and spices) to drastically cut down your grocery list and prep time. Here are a few freezer-friendly burrito filling recipes, including make ahead breakfast burritos, that freeze great and can be used with a 12- or 13-inch tortilla. All of these suggested burrito fillings are designed to be assembled and frozen in a Souper Cubes 1-cup freezing tray. It's up to you if you want to create layers or toss all the ingredients together and fill the wells of your Souper Cubes 1-cup trays.

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

• The Ultimate Breakfast Burrito - Add ⅓ cup scrambled eggs (cooked slightly soft so they don't overcook later), 2 tablespoons crispy crumbled bacon or breakfast sausage, ⅓ cup diced home fries or hash browns, and ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese into your Souper Cubes tray.

• The Southwest Veggie Scramble - Combine ⅓ cup soft scrambled eggs, ⅓ cup black beans, 2 tablespoons diced green chiles (canned), and ⅓ cup shredded pepper jack cheese into each well of your Souper Cubes 1-cup tray.

Freezer Burrito Meals

• Refried Pinto Bean, Rice & Cheese - Mix ⅓ cup creamy refried pinto beans, ⅓ cup rice, 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños, and ⅓ cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese into each well of your Souper Cubes 1-cup trays.

• Sweet Potato & Corn - Combine ¼ cup roasted cubed sweet potatoes, ¼ cup rinsed black beans or shredded chicken, 2 tablespoons roasted corn, 1 tablespoon jalapeños, ¼ cup shredded cheese, and a squeeze of lime juice into each well of your Souper Cubes 1-cup tray.

• Chicken, Rice & Bean - Add ¼ cup shredded rotisserie chicken, ¼ cup seasoned Mexican rice, 2 tablespoons black beans, 3 tablespoons sautéed bell peppers and onions, and ¼ cup shredded cheese into each well of your Souper Cubes 1-cup tray.

Step-by-Step: How to Build Freezer Burritos

The magic of this system relies on freezing your filling into uniform, perfectly portioned cubes. This allows you to either build your burritos immediately for long-term storage or keep the fillings loose to save space. Here’s how you make your freezer meal burritos and breakfast burritos.

1. Fill Your Souper Cubes Portioned Silicone Trays 

Spoon your ingredients into Souper Cubes 1-cup silicone freezer trays between ½ cup and 1 cup lines in the wells of the trays. Shoot ideally for about ¾ cup full. Press down to remove air pockets, and make sure the portion is the right size to roll up in the wrap. If you put into much filling in the well, it won't fit in the wrap and the contents will leak out. If you don't put enough filling in, your ratio of filling to wrap will be off. Cool slightly before freezing to avoid ice crystals.

2. Freeze Your Silicone Trays 

Place a labeled lid on the tray and freeze until completely solid.

3. Store In Freezer  

If you plan storing your cubes, then wrapping your burritos later, you can leave your frozen burrito filling in the trays or you can transfer it to a freezer-safe bag for efficient storage and easy access. Typically, a half-gallon bag will hold four 1-cup portions. If you plan to keep your burrito cube fillings in the freezer for more than 3-4 months, consider transferring each 1-cup cube into a Souper Cubes pre-cut 6” x 10” vacuum sealed bag for optimal freshness. Alternatively, if you plan to store your burritos with the tortilla wrapped around, move on to step 4.

4. Select Your Tortillas  

We recommend using a large 12- or 13-inch flour tortilla (often labeled as "burrito size" or “large”) for frozen 1-cup fillings. Anything smaller, like taco-sized 8-inch tortillas, won't leave you enough room to securely wrap around the cube. Flour tortillas are essential because corn tortillas will crack and break during the folding and freezing process.

5. The Perfect Cube Roll 

Pop a frozen filling cube out of your silicone tray and place it directly in the center of your tortilla. To ensure a tight, leak-proof wrap around a rigid cube, fold the left and right sides of the tortilla tightly over the ends of the block first. Then, pull the bottom flap up and over the cube, tucking it tightly underneath, and roll the entire burrito forward.

6. Wrap and Label for the Freezer

If you decide you want to freeze the burrito with both tortilla and filling, wrap each assembled burrito tightly in a square of parchment, then heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Alternatively you can place it in our Souper Cubes vacuum seal bags for longer term use. This prevents the tortilla from drying out and shields it from the harsh freezer air. Use a permanent marker to write the burrito type on the foil or bag and the date to make sure you are eating the oldest ones first.

Two Ways to Store Your Burrito Stash

Once your meal prep burritos are prepped, you have two excellent choices for how to organize them in your upright or chest freezer depending on your current space availability.

The Full Assembly

If you prefer zero morning prep, wrap your fully assembled burritos in foil and stack them together inside a large gallon-sized freezer bag or an organized freezer bin. This keeps them localized so you can quickly grab one on your way out the door.

Cubes Only

If your freezer is tight on space, do not assemble the burritos yet. Instead, pop the frozen filling cubes directly out of your silicone trays and file them tightly inside a zippered freezer bag (like bricks).

For longer term storage place in Souper Cubes 6”x10” pre-cut vacuum seal bags. They will stack flawlessly and take up half the space of fully assembled burritos. When you are ready to eat, simply pull out one filling cube, place it on a fresh tortilla, fold it up, and head straight to the heating process!

How to Reheat a Frozen Burrito

Nobody wants a burrito that's molten hot on the outside but icy in the center. In order to make sure this doesn't happen, you need to follow some simple guidelines. Since we are using solid, frozen 1-cup cubes of filling we need to make sure the middle thaws and the outside doesn't get soggy or overcooked. Here are the best instructions for how to reheat a burrito, including breakfast burritos.

The Microwave Method (Fastest)

For Fully Assembled Burritos

1. Remove the aluminum foil (never microwave foil!) or remove from vacuum seal bag.

2. Wrap the burrito in a damp paper towel or leave in the parchment you froze it in. This traps steam and keeps the tortilla from turning into cardboard.

3. Microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes to thaw the core, then flip and microwave on high power for about 2 minutes until piping hot. Let rest for a few minutes.

4. Optional Pro-Tip: Finish the burrito in a hot pan over the stove top for a crispy, golden-brown crust.

For Cubes Only 

1. Remove from the freezer, pop out of tray (or bag), and wrap in a tortilla.

2. Wrap the burrito in a damp paper towel or parchment. This traps steam and keeps the tortilla from turning into cardboard.

3. Microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes to thaw the core, then flip and microwave on high power for about 2 minutes until piping hot. Let rest for a few minutes.

4. Optional Pro-Tip: Finish the burrito in a hot pan over the stove top for a crispy, golden-brown crust.

The Oven or Toaster Oven Method (Best Texture)

For Fully Assembled Burritos

1. Keep the frozen burrito wrapped in its aluminum foil (and parchment) to keep it from drying out.

2. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 25 minutes (or 20 minutes if previously thawed in the fridge). Remove the foil and parchment and let crisp up for another 10 minutes.

For Cubes Only

1. Remove the frozen cube filling from the freezer, pop out of mold (or bag), and wrap in a tortilla to form a burrito.

2. Bake at 400°F for about 30 minutes (or 20 minutes if previously thawed in the fridge). 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze burritos?

Yes! Burritos and fillings freeze well for months. Using Souper Cubes 1-cup trays makes it efficient and easy to build, portion, freeze, and pop out and place directly into a tortilla and heat or pre-make the burritos and freeze for reheating. 

How do you reheat a frozen burrito?

From frozen, the microwave is the best option to slowly thaw the core on 50% for about 2 minutes. Then in order to melt the cheese and reheat completely, cook on high for about 2 minutes. Alternatively you can thaw first, and skip the initial 50% heating. Be sure to unwrap the foil from the burritos if you choose the microwave method. Alternatively, you can reheat in the oven at 400°F in the foil lining until heated through.

Can I freeze burritos with sour cream and guacamole?

We highly recommend leaving sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and fresh tomatoes out of your freezer cubes. These ingredients have high water content and turn watery, broken, or mushy when thawed. Stick to proteins, beans, rice, cooked veggies, and hard cheeses, and add your cold toppings fresh after reheating.

How long do frozen burritos last?

We recommend about 4 months for optimal freshness in the freezer. Longer if it’s vacuum sealed. You can leave it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How do you keep meal-prep burritos from getting soggy?

Sogginess is the number one enemy of freezer burritos, and it usually happens due to trapped steam or watery ingredients. Here are two tips to make sure you have a perfect burrito every time:

• Keep high-moisture ingredients out - Skip watery additions like fresh tomatoes, salsa, or zucchini in your freezer mix. If you are using ingredients like cooked peppers and onions, pickled jalapeños, or canned black beans, make sure they are thoroughly drained before you freeze them into cubes.
• The "Defrost-then-Crisp" Reheating Rule - If you microwave your burrito, always wrap it in a damp paper towel rather than a dry one, which ensures even steaming rather than creating a soggy puddle at the bottom. For the absolute best texture, defrost the burrito in the microwave on 50% power for about 2 minutes, followed by 100% power, about 2 minutes. Then transfer it to a hot, dry skillet or a toaster oven for 2–3 minutes to crisp up the outside of the flour tortilla.

Why does my burrito explode in the microwave?

If your burrito bursts, it's usually because the steam inside has nowhere to go or there is too much filling or the burrito wrapper isn’t big enough. Wrapping it in a damp paper towel helps distribute the heat, but you can also poke a couple of small holes in the tortilla with a fork before heating to give the steam a safe exit route. Also be sure to avoid overfilling your Souper Cubes 1-cup wells and using a 12- or 13-inch flour tortilla.