Easy Chicken Bean Burritos Meal Prep

Try my Easy Chicken Bean Burritos Meal Prep recipe for a quick way to use shredded chicken in your make-ahead lunches or dinners! These burritos are freezer-friendly and simple to make, with all the reheat instructions included!

What are the ingredients in this Easy Chicken Bean Burritos Meal Prep?

All it takes to make these burritos is some prepared shredded chicken, a can of black beans, tortillas and some spices. Here are the details on each ingredient:

• refried black beans – We’re using a whole can of refried black beans for this recipe. If you can’t find that or just prefer regular refried beans, that’s totally fine. I just prefer black beans!
• mild salsa – Mixing salsa into the beans is my favorite shortcut. It adds flavor and vegetables that you don’t have to take time to chop, like onions, tomatoes and peppers.
• garlic powder, cumin, onion powder & chili powder – These are the spices for the beans and helps give flavor to the burritos overall. The beans make a great vessel for mixing in spices and flavor!
• salt – Refried beans usually need a bit of salt to up the flavor, but all beans vary in their salt content depending on the brand. Give the mixture a taste to check salt content before adding more!
• burrito size tortillas – This is the best size for meal prep. It gives you enough space to make a filling burrito while leaving room to wrap it all up.
• shredded chicken – This recipe calls for about 3 cups of shredded chicken which is about 1 pound of chicken cooked and shredded. Check out my baked shredded chicken recipe and my Instant Pot shredded chicken recipe. You can also use rotisserie chicken and that will be delicious too!
• shredded cheese – Beans and chicken just need some cheese in my opinion. Any cheddar or blend with cheddar should work, especially the “Mexican” cheese blends.

Equipment you’ll need to make Chicken Bean Burritos:

There are very few specific kitchen items you need for this recipe. I recommend a cutting board and some bowls for mixing. Here are my specific recommendations:

• For my cutting board, I recommend this Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!). The XL size is perfect but not too huge. I use it for everything except cutting raw meat.
• For mixing bowls, I love this 8-Piece Pyrex Sculptured Mixing Bowl Set (affiliate link!). Any large bowls will do (you don’t need this specific set), but I wanted to share the exact ones I’m using in case you were wondering. I use every size!

How to make Easy Chicken Bean Burritos Meal Prep:

If you’ve made any of my meal prep breakfast burrito recipes, you know the drill. Prep the ingredients that go inside, assemble the burritos, and store for later. Here’s how to make these burritos specifically:

Most importantly, you’ll need some shredded chicken. You can use rotisserie chicken, or make about one pound of chicken breasts for shredding (find my baked chicken cooking method here).

Grab a medium mixing bowl for the bean and salsa mixture. Add the can of beans, the salsa, and all the seasonings, then mix with a spoon until it’s combined and smooth.

Next, set up a mini burrito assembly area. If tortillas are fridge cold, wrap them in a damp paper towel and heat them for 15 seconds in the microwave to make them more foldable and less likely to rip. If they are room temperature, that should work just fine.

Make 6 burritos, one at a time. Fill each burrito with the following ingredients: 1/3 cup bean mixture, 1/2 cup lightly packed shredded chicken, and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. This should be an approximate even split of each ingredient.

Wrap your burritos by folding the sides over towards the center, then wrapping the bottom over the filling and tucking in the sides. Check the step by step pictures for an example. It may take a little practice!

At this point, you can choose to enjoy burritos now and store the rest, or simply store them all in the fridge or freezer for later. My favorite way to prepare them is to add a small amount of oil to a pan and heat for about 4 minutes per side until golden brown, over 3-4 sides if possible.

I find this reheating method to consistently work very well. The crunchy golden brown tortilla is superior, and the insides get nicely hot and melty. If you want to check if it’s done, use a thermometer to get the internal temp – it should read at least 135F.

Best tips for making homemade burritos:

Here are my best tips for making homemade meal prep burritos:

• Don’t overfill your burritos. They won’t stay sealed and holdable if there’s too much filling.
• Let ingredients cool before assembling. This applies if you just cooked your chicken. Make sure it has cooled before you assemble! Less steam = less moisture = less soggy.
• Use large burrito size tortillas for everything fits! This size is my go-to for anything involving tortillas and meal prep.

What to serve with Easy Chicken Bean Burritos Meal Prep?

My favorite way to serve these burritos is to load up on toppings after they’re reheated: avocado, cilantro, matchstick radishes, fresh lime juice, etc. You can also serve over a bed of lettuce similar to my air fryer chimichangas.

Ways to meal prep this recipe:

This recipe was developed for meal prep – it makes six burritos you can package up and enjoy later. There are a couple different make-ahead options:

1. Prep for fridge: Follow the recipe as directed and store the burritos in a large airtight container. Take them out to reheat and enjoy within the next 4 days.
2. Prep & freeze: Follow the recipe as directed and then wrap each burrito individually with plastic wrap or parchment paper, and then another wrap in foil. Store them all in a zip top freezer safe bag for 3-6 months for best quality.
3. Enjoy now & save leftovers: Follow the recipe through step 2 and then enjoy burritos for a meal. Store leftovers as directed for the fridge or freezer.

How to store Easy Chicken Bean Burritos:

To store in the fridge, place all burritos in an airtight container with lid for up to 4 days. Add a dry paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

How to freeze Easy Chicken Bean Burritos:

To store in the freezer, wrap each burrito tightly in parchment paper or foil, then store in another airtight container or freezer bag for 3-6 months for best quality.

How to reheat Easy Chicken Bean Burritos:

There are lots of ways to reheat burritos and you will probably develop a preferred method over time. I would not recommend completely microwaving, as they’ll probably end up a bit soggy that way. Here are my recommendations:

Reheat from the fridge:

• Heat in a skillet with some oil on low for about 4 minutes per side (seam side down first) until the internal temperature is at least 135F. This is my favorite method because I love the golden brown exterior!
• Air fry at 350F for 6-10 minutes, or until the burritos are crispy and golden brown.
• Reheat in a toaster oven for 7-8 minutes (depending on your toaster oven – leave wrapped for first few minutes).
• Toast for 4-5 minutes to get the outside crispy, then microwave for 30-45 more seconds to ensure it’s heated through.

Reheat from frozen: For the best results, take a burrito out of the freezer the night before you plan to eat it so it can thaw. If it’s necessary to cook from frozen, leave the burrito wrapped in foil and heat in the oven at 350F for 30-40 minutes until it’s at least 135F inside.