The Best Frozen Burritos, According to Our Taste Test

On days when everything goes wrong—or even just one thing goes wrong—frozen burritos are there for you. A couple of minutes in the microwave and, boom, there’s lunch.The best frozen bean & cheese burritoThe cheesiest frozen burritoThe beaniest frozen burritoHow we testedWhat we looked forOther burritos we testedHow to dress up a frozen burritoMore of our freezer aisle favoritesA great frozen bean and cheese burrito needs plenty of well-seasoned beans, enough gooey cheese to provide richness, and a soft, pliable tortilla. That’s a high bar even for a fresh burrito. But a frozen one? Tougher still. We tested eight widely available frozen bean-and-cheese burritos—including both black-bean and pinto-bean varieties—to sort the bland, the boring, and the bleh from the best. Amy’s Organic Bean & Cheddar Cheese Burrito was our favorite overall, Red’s Organic Black Bean & Cheese Burrito was the cheesiest, and Great Value Bean & Cheese Burritos delivered the most satisfying bean-forward bite.The best frozen bean and cheese burrito: Amy’sStuffed with a savory pinto bean filling flavored with tomato purée, onions, and bell peppers, Amy’s organic bean and cheddar cheese burrito is made with a hearty whole-wheat tortilla. The combination satisfied even our most persnickety editors.Why it won us over: Our panel was impressed by the savory aromatics, but Amy’s whole-wheat tortilla pushed this burrito ahead of the pack. Its nutty, whole-grain flavor paired nicely with the well-seasoned beans inside. Those beans tread deftly between refried-style softness and tender whole beans, a texture senior commerce editor Olivia Tarantino called her ideal: cravable, toothsome, and dynamic. The rice was also well cooked—a notable achievement in a field where several contenders suffered from mushy, waterlogged grains. A few tasters detected only a whisper of cheese, but the filling was flavorful enough that no one seemed to miss it.BUY ITAmy’s Frozen Cheddar Cheese BurritoThe cheesiest frozen burrito: Red’sWith both mozzarella and pepper Jack cheeses—and plenty of them—Red’s Organic Black Bean and Cheese Burrito was deemed the most satisfyingly cheesy of all the burritos we tasted.Why it won us over: Not every frozen burrito we tried offered a big ole cheese pull. Red’s delivered. Food director Chris Morocco called this entrant “compelling on a primordial level,” thanks to a combination of mozzarella and pepper Jack that provided a particularly luscious bite.We also sampled Red’s Organic Bean & Cheese Burrito, made with pinto beans, but the black bean version stole our hearts. Its mellow beans are combined with brown rice, green chiles, corn, tomatoes, and red onions, making for a filling that tasted complex without losing the beans-and-cheese plot. The tortilla was soft, and a light heat from green chile provided just enough contrast to all that cheese.BUY ITRed’s Black Bean & Cheese BurritoThe beaniest frozen burrito: Great ValueFrom Walmart’s private-label brand, Great Value Bean & Cheese Burritos were among the least expensive samples on our roster. But their pliable tortillas and well-balanced filling belied the bargain price.Why it won us over: “This one gets it close to perfect,” said Chris. The creamy pinto bean filling was dotted with tender whole beans, creating a steady thrum of earthy bean flavor in every bite. At about 48 cents per burrito at the time of testing, they were also one of the best values of the bunch.At four ounces each, Great Value’s burritos are slightly smaller than most we tested, which hovered around five ounces. Consider one a substantial snack—or heat up two for lunch.BUY ITGreat Value Bean & Cheese Burritos, 8-CountHow we testedWe prepared every burrito according to its package directions just before tasting. For most, that meant a quick zap in the microwave. For the Red’s burritos, we followed the package’s air fryer instructions instead.The cooked burritos were sliced and presented to editors without any indication of brand. Tasters sampled each contender one by one before discussing their notes on flavor and texture.What we looked forThe diva in a bean-and-cheese burrito should be the beans. Sorry, cheese, you are but a supporting player. Our panel looked for a filling with dynamic texture: some creaminess, some whole beans, and the fatty richness of really good refried beans. Aromatics like onions, garlic, peppers, and seasonings (like cumin or chili powder) add welcome flavor, but shouldn’t overpower the pas de deux of bean and cheese that makes this genre of burrito so beloved. We also considered the tortilla; it must be soft and pliable, and not too chewy or cracked.Other burritos we tested365 Bean and Cheese Burrito: The beans were starchy and too firm.El Monterey Bean and Cheese Burrito: We found the flavor bland and the beans mushy.Red’s Organic Bean and Cheese: Though we loved Red’s black bean version (a winner above), the tortilla here seemed a bit doughy.Tina’s Bean and Cheese Burrito: This tortilla was hard and unappetizingly crunchy after its allotted time in the microwave.Trader Joe’s Bean, Rice & Cheese: Though the beans were nicely seasoned, this one suffered from a dry, doughy tortilla.How to dress up a frozen burritoA naked burrito is a beautiful thing. But should you want to put in 37 seconds of extra effort—or leverage the time while your burrito heats up—consider these adornments:Greek yogurt and hot sauceCottage cheese and chili crispSour cream and salsaAvocado-massaged kale salad