The filling for these vegan burritos is ULTRA flavorful, satisfying and easy to make. The mixture can be made on the stove top or using an Instant Pot. No one will miss the meat and dairy!
These are truly my favorite burrito recipe to make at home. The filling is anything but boring, and the ingredients are super simple and mostly pantry staples. Plus, they are freezer friendly! So make a double batch and have delicious burritos ready any time you get a burrito craving.
No one will miss the meat in these mouthwatering vegetarian burritos. Serve with the toppings of your choice, like vegan sour cream, shreddable vegan cheese (make your own or use something like daiya shreds), lettuce, chopped tomato and more.
How to make them
The burrito filling is made in 1 pot, either on the stovetop or Instant Pot. I’ve included instructions for both. Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and/or to print.
In a pot on the stove, saute the onion, red bell pepper and garlic for a few minutes.
Now add all the other ingredients: drained and rinsed black beans, brown rice, corn, kale, salsa, water, spices and salt. Stir, then bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 45 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
Let the mixture sit in the pot for an additional 10 minutes, covered.
Instant Pot Tips
Some people have reported getting a burn message when they make this recipe in the Instant Pot. To avoid it, after you saute the onion, pepper and garlic, add a few tablespoons of water and scrape the bottom to get off any stuck pieces of vegetables.
Then add the rest of the ingredients, stir and cook for 24 minutes. I have never had trouble with a burn message, but if you do, you might just want to stick with the stovetop version.
What to serve with vegan burritos
- Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Instant Pot Spanish Rice
- Vegan Queso
- Vegan Nacho Cheese
- Restaurant Style Salsa
Vegan Burritos
Ingredients
For the burrito filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- (1) 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked short grain brown rice
- 1 1/2 cups corn (frozen, fresh or canned)
- 1 cup finely chopped kale
- 12 oz medium style salsa
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
For serving:
- 8 burrito sized flour tortillas *use gluten free if needed
- 2-3 cups chopped lettuce
- Vegan Sour Cream
- vegan cheese shreds
- chopped avocado or guacamole
- chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, jalapeno slices
- hot sauce
Instructions
Stove top instructions
- In a large pot with a lid, add the olive oil and warm over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, red pepper and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Now add the beans, rice, corn, kale, salsa, water, spices and salt. Stir, then turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, place the lid on and simmer for about 45 minutes until the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and let the mixture sit for an additional 10 minutes. Now stir the mixture and serve.
To make using an Instant Pot
- Press the saute function on the Instant Pot and warm the olive oil in the inner pot. Add the onion, red pepper and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot for a moment. Add a few tablespoons of water and scrape any stuck pieces of vegetables to de-glaze the pot and prevent a burn message.
- Now add all the remaining burrito filling ingredients to Instant Pot, give it a little stir, place the lid on, turn valve to seal and set to high pressure for 24 minutes. Let pressure release naturally (usually this takes about 10 minutes). Carefully remove the lid and stir.
Assemble the burritos
- Spoon some of the mixture into the centers of the tortillas. Add whatever additional toppings you'd like such as vegan sour cream, vegan cheese shreds, lettuce, etc. Fold two sides over the filling and roll up. Enjoy!
Freezer burritos
- Simply roll burritos with only the mixture and no additional toppings. Wrap each burrito in foil, then place them in a large freezer safe bag. Reheat in the microwave for about 2 minutes until warm.
Notes
- The mixture also make a great burrito bowl, without a tortilla but with lots of toppings.
- Feel free to leave out a vegetable if you don't like it or don't have it on hand, such as the red bell pepper or kale. Baby spinach could also be subbed for kale.
- The kind of salsa you use will greatly affect the flavor, so use one you like! I almost always use Trader Joe's salsa authentica.
- Nutrition is an estimate only and was calculated for the bean/rice filling only. Vegan sour cream, avocado, and tortillas are not included, as the amount and brand vary greatly.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in March 2018 and has been republished with new photos and writing March 2020. I’m always working to improve my recipes, thank you!
My daughter and I made this recipe this weekend. I used brown basmati rice from Aldi, and had to increase the cooking time to about 55 minutes. I also added about 1/2 cup more water. It was delicious! It made a huge batch, and I will enjoy leftovers this week. Thank you, Nora!
You’re welcome!
Hubby was 3 bites in and said “you can make these again!” I needed to cook it (on stove-top) a bit longer; my rice was al dente, but the flavor was great! I topped with 1/2 pc of vegan pepper jack (Follow Your Heart) which added the additional zing I like! The leftovers will be heated and tossed over tomorrow’s salad! Excellent recipe! Thanks so much!!!
You’re welcome! So glad you liked it.
So easy and so good!!! You always have the best recipes. Thanks so much!!
You’re so welcome!
I just happened to have all the ingredients for this recipe! It was super easy in the Instant Pot and very flavorful. It also makes a lot! We ate the leftovers as burrito bowls. Yum!
So glad to hear it!
Loved this. Anything I can do in the instant pot and walk away is a bonus. I don’t know what we’d do without you. This along with your sour cream recipe was Mondays dinner, your vegetable korma was yesterday, and your sweet potato black bean chili later in the week. Thank you for making so many delicious recipes.
You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment!
Delicious!!! This was the first non-soup recipe I made in my Instant pot. So yummy. This will be a go to recipe for our taco Tuesday. Thanks for the fabulous recipe.
You’re welcome!
Love this recipe, thanks for sharing! If I don’t want to make it with any rice, would you suggest eliminating the water as well and cooking together for less time? Thank you!!
Hmmm I’ve never tried it, but I would say use 2 cans of black beans instead, just omit the water and cook for maybe 10 minutes. Should still be good!
If subbing in white rice, how long should I cook it for (on the stove top)?
thanks!
Rosey
You could reduce the time to about 15-20 minutes if using white rice. Thanks!
Awesome recipe as usual, Nora. It was a super easy one to make. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
This is one of my favorite recipes! I made it today while on coronavirus stay-at-home order. I was missing some of the ingredients so I skipped bell peppers and subbed with carrots, more kale, and long grain brown jasmine and dry black beans. I soaked the dry beans overnight (and used probably more than 15 oz.). I did use more water for cooking. I filled the instant pot with enough water to cover all ingredients. It came out perfect. I definitely prefer the short grain rice, but in a pinch the long grain was a fine sub. Thanks!
You’re welcome!
YUM – awesome recipe! Super simple but extremely delicious. My fiance and I have loved this in a burrito and I might try the rice mixture on a baked potato tomorrow. Thank you again!
You’re welcome! Glad it was good!
I need clarification please, I plan to make this later today. I will be cooking this on the stove. I will be omitting corn but adding everything else in recipe. My question is, after sauteing the veggies, I’m to add the rice, beans, salsa, spices & 2 C water all together at once? I’m asking because although I consider myself a cook, I’ve never added so many ingredients w/ uncooked rice before & want to make sure I understand. 2 C water + all ingredients (minus corn), the rice will cook as it normally would alone? & since I’m eliminating 1 1/2 C of an ingredient (corn), do you think I need to adjust the amount of water? Thank you!!!
Hi there! I actually just made this on the stovetop the other day. Yes, even if you omit the corn, I would still add 2 cups of water and all the other ingredients. The rice will cook as normal. It does take a lot longer on the stovetop than the Instant Pot, but it works great.
Thank you. I ended up making this today & it is unbelievably delicious! I used a hot salsa so it has an awesome kick. I immediately shared the recipe w/ some fellow vegans. I had a little roasted sweet potato left over from dinner so I threw that in the pot too. My husband had a bowl & loved it. I’ve only had a couple spoonfuls & I’m impatiently waiting to get hungry so I can make a big burrito. The amount of water was perfect too, by the way. This the first recipe I’ve ever commented on & I try about 2 new recipes every single week.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Absolutely love this recipe, made it twice now. Use it with my own Instapot prepared black beans and brown jasmine, stirring in some Daiya pepper jack once it’s complete. Did get a burn message when I tried to increase the recipe by 50% so will just add that little extra water next time. Favourite with the family and fabulous to have leftovers for lunch or pop in the freezer. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome!
This is my second time making this recipe. I love the addition of the kale for some hidden greens. The only thing is that I have to go to the specialty grocery store to get short-grain brown rice, but it is worth it! The rest is so easy and comes out delicious. I’m a single person so I make it ahead and stick the bowl of rice-mixture in the fridge for quick, spicy, and delicious dinner. I like to top it with avocado, greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, and fresh-cut jalapeno. One of my favorites, this is staying in my instant pot rotation.
I’m so glad you like it!
I keep getting a burn on the instant pot and it’s sticking to the bottom. I tried adding more water but that didn’t help. What am I doing wrong.
My understanding is that a lot of the newer versions get a burn message very easily. My best advice if you are having trouble is to de-glaze the bottom of the inner pot after sauteing the vegetables. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a good spatula to get off all the stuck on pieces, even little ones may cause the burn message to appear. Again, mine doesn’t do this, but this is what I have found is helpful for people. Using oil instead of water to saute may also help, since things will be less likely to stick.
This was delicious! I used quick cook long grain brown rice since I couldn’t find uncooked short grain at my local Aldi. I cooked on high pressure in the instant pot for 15 min, and it turned out perfectly. Thank you for this recipe!
You’re welcome! Glad it turned out great!
Can you double this recipe? I’m cooking for a large crowd.
Thank you,
Jeannette
Yes, it can be doubled. Thanks!
Do these freeze well? I’m a single chick into meal prep. No way I’ll eat 8 burritos in a week! 🙂 thanks!
Yes, it freezes great! You could either freeze the bean/rice mixture OR make burritos and then freeze them. I wouldn’t put any sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes or avocado in your burritos if you freeze them though. Hope that helps!
I used black rice and deseeded chopped habaneros.Wow it turned out crazy delicious.
So glad!
First instapot recipe I’ve ever made. I don’t love peppers and onions so I skipped the first step but followed everything else as is and I LOVED it.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Do you think it would work with dry beans and extra water?
I really don’t know, I haven’t tried it. It would take some experimenting.
I haven’t used an insta pot before (am getting one this week!), but how does the uncooked rice cook if there’s no water added to the recipe? Is that part of the magic of the Insta Pot?
No, the recipe calls for 2 cups of water! It’s listed right under the salsa. Hope that helps!
Wow this recipe was so good! Made it last night and we LOVED it! Thanks for another great recipe.
So happy you enjoyed the burritos, thank you!
Planning to make this, but wondering why 24 min on high pressure? Rice cooks in like 6-7 min on medium pressure, and even root veggies cook in 6-7 min on high pressure. The beans are already cooked, so I’m curious why 24 min? Am I missing something here?
White rice might cook in that short amount of time, but brown rice takes about 24-25 minutes.
I cook long grain brown rice in my Instant Pot in 4 minutes, but I soak it first. If you were cooking just brown rice in the Instant Pot you would cook it for 24 minutes? I am nervous to put everything in there for so long, but all the rave reviews show me it must be working for most people.
You would likely need to adjust the cooking time if you are starting with soaked rice. I don’t soak my rice first, so it takes longer to cook, especially with the other ingredients. Maybe try the recipe first without soaking? I’m not sure how long you should cook it if you soak it, you’ll have to play with it and see.
Nora, can I use brown jasmine rice?
If I don’t have salsa, can I replace it with passata?
Yes, both of those will work! Thank you.
This was delicious and will go on our regular rotation. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the burritos, thank you!