Easy Air Fryer Mexican Beef Burritos are golden brown and crunchy like a beef chimichanga you’d get in a Mexican Restaurant but healthier, cheaper, and air fryer quick. This air fryer version of a favorite Mexican dish favorite is an easy meal for a super-fast weekday lunch, quick snack, or light dinner. The best part about these crunchy air-fried beef burritos is they are so simple even your kids can put them together.
These homemade burritos are a great way to use leftover taco meat. Layer with soft spreadable cheese, taco meat, cheese, spinach, and salsa then roll up in a flour tortilla. Air fry for about 8-10 minutes and you have made a quick and easy Mexican food dish your family will ask for every week.
MEXICAN AIR FRYER BEEF BURRITO INGREDIENTS
- Tortillas: I used 7″ low-carb flour tortillas in this burrito recipe. You need the sturdiness of a flour tortilla to hold all the inside filling in the burrito. Using a corn tortilla would turn into a sloppy, mushy mess.
- Spreadable Cheese: a single Laughing Cow wedge is the perfect amount of spreadable cheese for this air fryer burrito. It acts as a really nice base for the beef mixture which can sometimes be a little moist for a naked tortilla. You can also use whipped or softened cream cheese. Whipped Jalapeno Cream Cheese would be fantastic as well!
- Taco Meat or Turkey Taco Meat: one pound of ground meat or turkey mixture can produce about eight or ten air fryer burritos. When making this family favorite filling I usually add a half cup of chopped onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic when skillet browning the meat. After the meat is no longer pink I will drain off the fat, return the meat back to the skillet and add chili powder, cumin, salt, and about half a cup of salsa. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes and then let it cool. Cold leftover meat mixture seems to work the best in these air fryer burritos.
- Cheese: my favorite cheese in these burritos is sharp cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese but you can use any cheese that melts well. The cheese doesn’t have to be grated either. Use sandwich slice cheese or cut a 1/4″ rectangle from a block of cheese.
- Salsa: use any kind of chunky salsa or if you only have thinner salsa on hand then be sure to use a slotted spoon to filter out excess liquid.
- Spinach & Cilantro: these ingredients are totally optional. I always add a few fresh spinach leaves because I love spinach and extra vitamins never hurt.
SIMPLE STEPS TO MAKE HOMEMADE BURRITOS IN THE AIR FRYER
- STEP ONE – Lay a 7-inch Flour Tortilla flat on a cutting board or plate – I use Mama Lupe’s low-carb tortillas
- STEP TWO – Spread the soft spreadable cheese on the tortilla with a knife or small spatula keeping the cheese about 1 inch from the edges.
- STEP THREE – Spoon about 2 ounces of the taco meat in the middle of the tortilla spreading it out in an elongated shape.
- STEP FOUR – Spoon about 1 tablespoon of salsa on top of the ground meat mixture.
- STEP FIVE – Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top of the taco meat mixture
- STEP SIX – Lay a few spinach and cilantro leaves on top of the burrito mixture
- STEP SEVEN – Roll the burrito up as shown in the diagram below making sure some of the spreadable cheese is underneath the seam. The creamy cheese acts like a sealant for the burrito closure.
- STEP EIGHT – Spray with non-stick spray and place in the Air Fryer basket seam side down. Cook at 390o degrees for about 8-10 minutes. I would check on it at about 6 minutes, not every Air Fryer cooks the same. Make sure your burritos are in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Note: Cooking time will vary between different brands and sizes of air fryers.
- STEP NINE – Mashed avocado with Mexican seasoning and salsa in a bowl. Spoon on top of air-fried beef burrito. (This step is optional)
HOW TO MAKE TACO MEAT
First off, brown 1 pound of ground beef or ground turkey meat and 1/2 cup of chopped onions, and 2 cloves of chopped garlic in a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat.
Cook the beef and onion mixture until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the liquid fat from the meat mixture using a colander.
Return the cooked ground meat to the skillet and add your favorite taco seasoning to the meat mixture or sprinkle 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1.5 teaspoons of cumin, and .5 teaspoons of salt on top of the ground meat…stir to mix seasoning into the mixture. Add .5 cup of salsa and stir again.
Let this simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and let it sit for about 10 minutes longer, covered.
Note: For best results chill the taco meat mixture.
OPTIONAL BURRITO FILLING INGREDIENTS
- refried beans
- cheese
- black beans
- pinto beans
- black olives
- canned green chiles
- onions
- green peppers
- rice or Mexican rice
- rotisserie chicken
FAVORITE TOPPINGS FOR DELICIOUS AIR FRYER BURRITOS
- Tomato Jalapeno Relish
- Avocados or Guacamole
- cheddar cheese or Monterey cheese
- refried beans
- Homemade Mexican Salsa or Pico de Gallo
- cut up tomatoes and canned corn kernels with lime juice drizzled on the veggies.
- Sour Cream
- Spicy Queso (Rotel cheese dip)
The options are endless!!!
OVEN-BAKED METHOD
Follow all the instructions above but use the oven. Set the oven to 425o and cook for 15 minutes on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray oil.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the difference between a homemade Mexican beef burrito made in an air fryer instead of the traditional deep-fried beef chimichangas burrito method?
Burritos made in the air fryer is by far healthier, faster to put together, and a lot easier to clean up after.
Although the deep-fried burrito version might turn out crispier the mess of the hot oil clean-up, the extra time it takes to fry the burritos, and the unhealthy added saturated fat from the oil is not worth the extra crunch.
Can you make a soft burrito in the air fryer instead of crispy?
Certainly, just wrap each individual burrito in aluminum foil and bake in the air fryer for about the same amount of time but at a lower cooking temperature.
MORE FAVORITE RECIPES FROM THE CONTRACTOR’S CASTLE
Best Spicy Jalapeno Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Best Spicy Sausage Rotel Queso Cheese Dip
Pimento Cheese – Ultimate Comfort Food!
KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE
Easy Crunchy Burrito
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 tortillas
- 1 spreadable cheese
- 1/3 cup taco meat
- 2 tbsp salsa
- 1/4 cup cheese
- spinach & cilantro torn and mixed
- 1/4 whole avocado
Instructions
- STEP ONE – Low Carb Tortillas (Mama Lupes). By my calculations, these yummy tortillas only have 3 net grams.
- STEP TWO – spreadable cheese. I use Laughing Cow wedges. They come in lots of flavors and are 1 Weight Watcher points.
- STEP THREE – taco meat. In the recipe, I used leftover taco meat. If I was going to make these for dinner the taco meat wouldn't be leftover. I have also used Turkey Taco Meat and it's just as delicious!
- STEP FOUR – salsa. I used store-bought in the recipe but this Easy Homemade Mexican Salsa would be perfect in this dish.
- STEP FIVE – grated cheese. Mild cheddar was used here but pepper jack, sharp cheddar, a combination of both would be yummy.
- STEP SIX – spinach & cilantro. This step is where I probably lost most of you all. THIS STEP IS OPTIONAL:)
- STEP SEVEN – roll it up like the diagram below. Spray with spray oil and place in the Air Fryer basket. Cook at 390 degrees for about 8 minutes. I would check on it at about 6 minutes, not every Air Fryer cooks the same.
- STEP EIGHT – mashed avocado with spicy seasoning and salsa mixed in. Include this inside or top with the avocado outside. THIS STEP IS OPTIONAL AS WELL, lol:)
Notes
Nutrition
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