Taco Bell bean burrito copycat recipe — refried beans, rice and red sauce

How to make a Taco Bell bean burrito at home — refried pinto beans, seasoned rice, red sauce and melted cheese rolled in a flour tortilla. Cheap, filling and endlessly customisable.

Ingredients

• 2 tins (400 g each) pinto beans, drained
• 4 large flour tortillas (25 cm)
• 200 g long-grain rice
• 400 ml vegetable stock
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 100 g mature cheddar, grated
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt and black pepper
• For the red sauce: 1 tin (400 g) chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, pinch of cayenne

Method

1. Cook the rice. Rinse the rice in cold water until it runs clear. Combine with the stock in a saucepan, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and rest covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

2. Make the red sauce. Simmer the tomatoes with vinegar, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne for 10 minutes until thickened. Season and blitz smooth if you like it silky.

3. Sweat the aromatics. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and oregano and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.

4. Refry the beans. Add the drained pinto beans and 100 ml water to the pan. Mash roughly with a potato masher — you want texture, not smooth. Stir in the tomato purée. Cook for 5 minutes until thick and saucy. Season generously.

5. Warm the tortillas. Either microwave for 30 seconds between damp paper towels, or flash-fry for 10 seconds a side in a dry pan. Warm tortillas are flexible tortillas.

6. Build the burritos. Lay a tortilla flat. Spoon rice in a line down the centre, then beans, then a generous drizzle of red sauce, then cheese. Don’t overfill or you can’t roll it.

7. Roll. Fold the sides in over the filling, then roll tightly from the bottom up, tucking as you go. Place seam-side down.

8. Optional finish. For a crisp outside, pan-fry the rolled burritos seam-side down in a little oil for 2 minutes a side. Serve with extra red sauce.

Notes

The refried beans are the soul , mash them rough, not smooth. Adding a splash of the bean tin liquid while mashing helps the texture. Make extra; they keep 3 days in the fridge and reheat beautifully.