Cheesy Burrito Pie is an easy dinner recipe, putting a fun, tasty twist on classic beef burritos with your favorite Mexican flavors.
This is the perfect Weeknight Dinner that takes inspiration from a classic Beef Burrito Recipe and turns it into a shareable, cheesy casserole dish. It’s easy, filling, and absolutely delicious!
Table of Contents
Sabrina’s Cheesy Burrito Pie Recipe
My Beef Burrito Pie is the perfect way to put a new twist on Mexican night. Instead of standard burritos or tacos, this delicious burrito casserole is a simple way to feed the entire family. No need to prep individual servings, just layer beef, beans, and cheese between tortilla layers and bake!
After baking this Burrito Casserole recipe, you want to give it a couple of minutes to cool because the filling will still be very hot. Just don’t wait too long! You want to serve the Mexican recipe while it’s still warm so you get the delicious melty cheese in every bite.
Ingredients
- 12 8-inch Flour Tortillas: The base of this recipe is made with simple flour tortillas. They act as the breading in between the layers of meat, beans, and cheese.
- 2 Pounds of 85/15 Ground Beef: The ground meat makes this a hearty dish that’s sure to fill up the whole family.
- 1 Whole Diced Yellow Onion: The onions will cook with the beef and will provide so much flavor and will also soak up the moisture and the flavor from the beef while they cook.
- 3 Cloves of Minced Garlic: Garlic adds a distinct savory flavor to your beef mixture. Mince the cloves well so they blend in with the mixture. If you want to use jarred minced garlic, follow the directions on the jar to add the equivalent of 3 cloves.
- 14 Ounces Diced Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are great to use here for flavor and moisture. When buying your tomatoes look closely at the can as some diced tomatoes also have other seasonings.
- 8 Ounces Diced Green Chiles: These chiles will add a little bit of heat and wonderful flavor to your casserole. Don’t worry, it is a mild heat so your dinner can still be enjoyed by those who do not love spicy food. You can omit these if you already know you do not like chiles.
- ½ Cup Sliced Black Olives: Sliced olives will bring salty flavor to the burrito pie. If you don’t like olives you can leave them out, but maybe add an extra pinch of salt to the filling instead.
- 16 Ounces Salsa: Use a salsa that you enjoy eating, whether it be mild or hot. That way you’ll be sure to enjoy the flavor it brings to your Burrito Pie. You can also make your own following this Salsa recipe, or use an alternative like enchilada sauce.
- 4 Cups or 2 Cans Refried Beans: You can use canned refried beans or make your own by following this Refried Beans recipe.
- 2 ½ Cups Cheddar Cheese: Adding in layers of cheddar cheese to the delicious burrito casserole makes it wonderfully melty and gooey. With four layers of shredded cheese, this is the perfect recipe for cheese lovers. If you don’t have any cheddar you could also use a Mexican cheese blend, or any other cheese you might enjoy in a burrito.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- 8×8-inch Baking Dish: Using an 8×8-inch dish for this recipe is a great size to hold all the ingredients and still have a thick pie with good layers. If you use a larger dish you will have to spread out your ingredients and will have a thin Burrito Pie.
- Large Skillet and Wooden Spoon: You’ll need a large skillet to cook your meat mixture and bean mixture. Make sure it is large enough to hold at least 2 pounds of ground beef and an onion, with room to stir. A wooden spoon is great for stirring, and works well no matter what type of skillet you use. You can use another favorite spoon for mixing if you want.
- Large Bowl: A separate bowl is needed to hold your cooked beef mixture while you make the bean mixture in your skillet.
How to Make Cheesy Burrito Pie
Time needed: 45 minutes.
- Prep Time
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, then spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Ground Beef
Add the ground beef and diced onions to a large skillet over high heat. Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon as you brown ground beef on all sides. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, until it’s fragrant. Transfer the beef mixture to a bowl and set it to the side.
- Bean Mixture
Reduce the stovetop to medium heat, and add the diced tomatoes, chiles, olives, refried beans, and salsa to the same pan you cooked the meat. Stir until the mixture is well combined and heated through.
- Base and Bean Layer
Place 3 tortillas in the base of the prepared baking dish. Top that off with ⅓ cup refried beans.
- Beef Layer
Layer with ⅓ cup ground beef mixture.
- Cheese Layer
Add a layer of ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Repeat Layers
Make sure to spread each layer of tortilla and filling out evenly over the surface of the pie. Repeat the layering process three times. Top off the pie with the final tortillas and another layer of cheese.
- Cooking Time
Put the Beef Burrito Pie in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Serve
Remove the pie from the hot oven, and top it off with sour cream, salsa, minced cilantro, or guacamole. Cut pie slices and serve while the dish is still warm.
Can Cheesy Burrito Pie be made ahead?
Cheesy Burrito Pie is best made on the day you want to serve it. However, you can prepare the layers ahead of time so all you have to do is assemble the pie before heating and serving. Make the ground beef mixture, and the refried bean mixture ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator over night.
Nutritional Facts
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Avoid an Overly Crispy Top
- The top of the Beef Burrito Pie will crisp up a little bit while it bakes, but if you make sure the shredded cheese is spread evenly and covers the top tortilla layer, it will help keep the top from becoming too crispy.
- Obtain Maximum Cheesy Texture
- To make sure you get ultimate cheesy flavor and texture in your pie, you can freshly grate your cheese before you begin assembling your layers. Pre-shredded cheese is fine too, but it includes fillers that make it a little less creamy once melted.
What to Pair With Cheesy Burrito Pie
Enjoy Cheesy Burrito Pie with your favorite Mexican sides like Mexican Rice, Mexican Street Corn/Elote, or you can simply toss together your favorite side salad to balance out this hearty meal of a main dish.
How to Store
- Serve: Serve the Beef Burrito Pie while it’s still warm, and don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: You can cover the dish in aluminum foil to store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: To freeze the delicious burrito casserole, tightly cover it in plastic wrap followed by tin foil to make sure no moisture gets in. You can keep it frozen for 3 months. Reheat it in the oven when you’re ready to eat the leftovers.
Ideas to Serve Cheesy Burrito Pie
After baking the Cheesy Beef Burrito Pie, you can add any extra toppings you like. In the recipe we’ve recommended sour cream, Salsa, or Guacamole. You could also try other favorites like hot sauce, Red Taco Sauce, or fresh veggies. Any fillings and sauces that you enjoy in regular burritos would taste great in this casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can add more layers to the Burrito Pie, like rice or a layer of whole beans, or change the layers up any way you like. Just remember that you’ll have to make the layers thinner in order to fit in your baking dish.
A Burrito Pie is essentially a casserole, however it comes out looking a little more like a pie when you layer the tortillas on the side of the baking dish as well as the bottom and the top.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef , (85/15)
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 8 ounces canned diced green chiles
- 1/2 cup black olives , sliced
- 4 cups refried beans , (recipe) or 2 cans
- 16 ounces salsa
- 12 flour tortillas , 8-inch
- 2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese , shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with baking spray.
- To a large skillet add ground beef and onions on high heat.
- Break apart while cooking until beef is well browned.
- Add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Remove beef from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium, add in diced tomatoes, diced chiles, olives, refried beans and salsa.
- Stir well until heated through.
- Add 3 tortillas to your baking dish, then top with ⅓ of the refried beans, ⅓ of the meat mixture and ½ cup of cheese.
- Repeat two more times, then end with a final layer of tortillas and 1 cup of shredded cheddar.
- Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Serve with sour cream, salsa, minced cilantro, or guacamole.
Nutrition
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Variations
- Vegetables: You can add your favorite kinds of vegetables into the Beef Burrito Pie. Green onions, minced garlic cloves, bell pepper, or Jalapeño pepper would all work well mixed into the refried bean mixture.
- Beans: Along with the refried bean mixture, you could also add other kinds of beans. Black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, or a mixture of beans would all taste great. Drain most of the liquid before adding the beans into the pie layers, otherwise, they’ll make the tortillas soggy.
- Cheese: You can also add different kinds of shredded cheese to the cheesy burrito casserole. Try Monterey Jack, provolone, Pepper Jack, or mozzarella to give the recipe some extra cheesy flavor.
- Ground Meat: You can replace the ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken in this recipe. You can also use a vegetarian meat replacement in this recipe.
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