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!
Prepared these for the first time last evening. Wow, a real hit with the husband! I did cook the rice separately the night prior. After folding the burrito, I toasted it slightly in a cast-iron skillet with vegan butter and……it was magic!! Thank you for a keeper, Nora!!
That sounds amazing, thank you!
What size instant pot? Thanks!
I have a 6 quart but it should work with other sizes as well, perhaps not a very small one though.
Could I make these with quinoa?
Yes, I think that would work fine though you’d have to cook the filling for much less time.
How much avocado/ guacamole did you put in the recipe? Calorie counting is important for my routine, and if I add too much it can throw off my numbers. Thank you!
Dale
Avocado/guacamole is not included in the nutrition estimate here, and I do not measure my own food, so you will have to take note and measure how much you put in to figure out calories. I have updated the recipe to note this, the information is for the filling only, as tortillas can vary greatly in terms of calories, as well as anything else you may put in it. Hope that helps, thank you!
These are fabulous. Made in my Instant pot and they were perfect. This is the first recipe I have tried from Nora Cooks, I will not be the last.
That’s so great to hear!
Made this last night and it got rave reviews. Will be in my weekly rotation. Tonight leftovers will be served in bowls?
I’m so glad to hear that!!
i made this with leftover rice I had (hence reduced the water to half or less) and it was excellent. Thank you!
You’re welcome!! Glad it came out great!
can this be made with long grain brown rice?
Yes, that is fine.
This recipe is NUTS!! My boyfriend and I LOVED how flavorful it came out. I don’t like tortilla wraps so I enjoyed the filling by itself, topped with avocado slices. Easily the best burrito recipe on the internet. I also loved how I could set the instant pot to cooking mode and go about other things.
Thanks so much for the great comment!!
I made this today in my instant pot but since their were several comments on the burn from saute first, I sauteed the onion, garlic,red peppers (and I added chopped
zucchini ) in skillet first then transferred to instant pot. added all the remaining ingredients but added vegetable broth(same 2 cups) instead of water for more flavor. It was amazing!! Thanks so much for a great recipe!!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad it was amazing!
If I’m using white basmati rice, should I pressure cook for 12 minutes?
I haven’t tried it but that should work, yes.
Omg. What a life saver recipe! Made it tonight in our Instapot. It was so delicious and for a busy Mom, working from home, teaching her 5yo and doing everything else it was the perfect amount of time. Thank you Nora!
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hands down the best burrito bowl ever! So delicious!
That’s so great!! Thanks for the comment!
Do you think I could add your vegan queso to these before freezing?
Oh yeah, that would be good! The queso freezes well so it shouldn’t be a problem.
This is a go to recipe in my house with picky eaters and a husband who wants a hearty meal. I love that I can throw it in the instant pot and walk away. And it’s so healthy!!! Thank you so much!!!!
Nora, do you have any other recipe recommendations that are similar – throw it in the instant pot and get on with my life?
I just sent in a review and forgot to mark it 5 Stars. Can you fix that? The recipe deserves it! Thanks!
Thanks so much!! I can’t mark it 5 stars, but you are still able to go back in and give a 5 star rating. It’s much appreciated!!
I’m so glad you liked it! I have an instant pot spaghetti recipe that is quite easy as well.
How can I reduce the sodium intake?
Leave out the salt, use no salt added beans, and look for low sodium salsa if needed.
OMG! This is exactly the kind of recipes I’m looking for
I’m so glad to hear that!!
I made these tonight and everyone in the house loved them! When, not if, I make them again I will cut down on the rice a bit and increase the beans. I think you could easily doubt the kale, I didn’t even notice it and it’s so good for you! Thank you for a super easy, healthy, yummy dinner!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad you liked it!
So delicious! I’ve made it every week for the last three weeks and even meat-lovers devour it.
That’s so great to hear!
Made this for the first time tonight, and it was DELICIOUS!
So easy in the instant pot, and will now be a regular recipe in our household.
Added fresh diced jalapeño for kick.
Thank you for developing and sharing this wonderful recipe!
You’re so welcome! Glad you enjoy it!
I made this tonight after having to pause it from my rotation as I was on Whole30. I forgot how much my family enjoys it! It’s so simple, easy, healthy, and flavorful. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Oh, also, I only had basmati rice on hand and cooked it for the same amount of time and it came out perfect.
I’m so glad it was good!
I had a ton of water left over in the instapot.
Should it be drained?
I would actually just let it sit for several minutes, covered in the Instant Pot. Letting the pressure release naturally usually helps, but I noticed if I release the pressure myself (when cooking any kind of rice in the IP) there is excess water. After you have let it sit, just stir the mixture together and it shouldn’t be too wet, it will all come together. Hope that helps!
Made this in the Instant pot–subbed green pepper and spinach for the red pepper and kale. We were so impressed. Going to try to freeze a batch so we can get away from buying frozen burritos. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Just finished dinner. This is excellent and perfect for leftovers. Thanks Nora!
You’re welcome!
This was such an easy delicious recipe! Love that it can all go in the Instant Pot too! This was a HUGE hit at our house and will be permanently on our Coronavirus Stay Home Menu! Thank you for the delicious recipe
You’re welcome!