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Mini Chicken and Bean Burritos with Zesty Salsa Recipe

These bite-size burritos make brilliant finger food for any party table. They can be prepared a day or two ahead and reheated in the oven before serving. They always stand out from the usual buffet offerings.

Tall image showing mini burritos wrapped in foil and piled up with a black background. Some of the burritos have been sliced in half and piled on top of the whole burritos to show the filling. A hand is holding picking up one of the open burritos. There is a small bowl of tomatoes blurred out in the background.

Look how cute they are!

Move over vol-au-vents and devilled eggs — guests will reach for these mini burritos first. Wrapped in foil, they keep your fingers tidy and your wine glasses grease-free.

They require a bit of prep to cut the tortillas and assemble (a family assembly line helps), but once wrapped you can refrigerate them and reheat easily on the day. I love make-ahead party food!

Table of Contents

  • 📋 Ingredients
  • How to make them
  • Pro Tip
  • 🍲 More fantastic finger foods
  • ? Frequently Asked Questions
  • Mini Burritos Recipe

📋 Ingredients

Spicy Beef Filling

Ingredients for minced beef filling for mini burritos on a wooden board.

Everything else

Ingredients for mini burritos - except the meat filling - on a wooden board.

How to make them

Full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

  1. Use a 9cm (3.5″) cookie cutter to cut mini tortillas — you should get 5 mini tortillas from each large wrap.
  2. Brown minced beef in a hot pan with salt and pepper.
  3. Add garlic, fajita seasoning, smoked paprika, tomato puree and crumbled beef stock cube; cook briefly.
  4. Add kidney beans in chilli sauce, break them up a little, stir through and heat until thickened, then remove from the heat.
  5. Set up an assembly station: place a mini tortilla on a small square of foil and add a rounded teaspoon of the beef mixture to the centre.
  6. Add a teaspoon of cooked Mexican rice, two small pieces of cherry tomato, ½ tsp soured cream and a pinch each of chopped spring onion and grated cheddar.
  7. Fold the sides up, roll tightly, then wrap the burrito in foil and twist the ends to seal.
  8. Repeat until all tortillas are filled (about 30 mini burritos).
Tall four image collage showing how to prep ingredients for mini burritos.
Square four image collage showing how to assemble mini burritos.

Pro Tip

Fold the foil first and tear into neat squares — I recommend cutting all the foil squares before you start assembling so you can work quickly and neatly.

Tall image showing mini burritos wrapped in foil and placed a pile against a black background. Some of the burritos have been sliced in half and piled on top of the whole burritos to show the filling.

Yes — I did have five of these for lunch while testing.

Tall image showing mini burritos wrapped in foil, piled up on a plate against a black background. Some of the burritos have been sliced in half and piled on top of the whole burritos to show the filling. A hand is holding an unwrapped burrito above the pile. There is a small bowl of tomatoes blurred out in the background.

🍲 More fantastic finger foods

Square image of a plate of chicken lollipops with a bowl of spicy dipping sauce. One of the wings is being dipped into the sauce and is dripping. The wing is being held by fingers with pink-painted fingernails.

Appetizers

Crispy Chicken Lollipops

Crispy shrimp being lifted out of a bowl with chopsticks. Shrimp is covered with bang bang sauce.

Appetizers

Bang Bang Shrimp

A square shot of Cheeseburger Spring Rolls. There are 6 whole spring rolls stacked horizontally next to each other, and on top of the stack (in the middle of the image) there is another spring roll that has been cut in half and the two halves are arranged next to each other so you can see the filling. This is set on a wooden board. In the right of the background, you can see a dark blue dish filled with burger sauce. And in the top left of the background, you can slightly see another blue dish with pickled gherkins in it. This is all set on a navy blue background.

Appetizers

Cheeseburger Spring Rolls

Overhead picture of a white plate full of korean beef lettuce wraps.

Asian

Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

Cheesecake stuffed strawberries on a marble chopping board

Appetizers

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Close up of a square puff pastry topped with melted brie cheese and cranberry sauce, garnished with fresh thyme, sitting on a dark slate serving board.

Appetizers

Cranberry Brie Bites

? Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make them ahead?

Yes. Cool the minced beef filling completely and use cold rice when assembling so cheese doesn’t melt and tomatoes stay fresh. Wrap each burrito in foil and store on a tray in the fridge for up to two days. To reheat, place in a single layer on a tray in a preheated oven at 200°C / 400°F (fan) for 8–10 minutes until piping hot.

Can I freeze them?

Yes. Prepare and wrap them as for make-ahead storage, then freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven as above.

Can I scale the recipe?

Yes. Double or halve the recipe, keeping the same ingredient ratios. If you make less, consider keeping extra cooked minced beef in the freezer for easy lunches later.

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Square image showing mini burritos wrapped in foil, piled up on a plate. Some of the burritos have been sliced in half and piled on top of the whole burritos to show the filling. The plate is on a wooden table against a black background. There is a small bowl of tomatoes blurred out in the background.
5 from 2 votes

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Mini Burritos Recipe

By Nicky Corbishley
These bite-size burritos are brilliant finger food for parties. Make ahead and reheat in the oven before serving.
Prep Time:30 mins
Cook Time:15 mins
Total Time:45 mins
Servings: 30 mini burritos
Course: Appetizer, buffet, finger food, Party Food
Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Ingredients

  • 6 large flour tortilla wraps

Beef and bean filling:

  • 500 g minced beef (12–15% fat)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp fajita seasoning mix
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 400 g tin kidney beans in chilli sauce
  • 1 beef stock cube (crumbled)

Also:

  • 220 g pack microwave Mexican rice, cooked
  • 8–10 cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • 80 ml soured cream
  • 6 tbsp finely chopped spring onions (scallions)
  • 50 g grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Cut 30 mini tortillas from the 6 large tortillas with a 9cm cookie cutter and set aside.
  • Heat a large frying pan on high and add the minced beef with salt and pepper. Fry 5–6 minutes, breaking up large pieces, until browned.
  • Stir in garlic, fajita seasoning, smoked paprika, tomato puree and crumbled stock cube and cook 2 more minutes.
  • Move the beef to one side, add the kidney beans to the empty space, and squash them slightly with the back of a spoon. Stir everything together and cook 3–4 minutes until thick. Turn off the heat.
  • To assemble: place a mini tortilla on a foil square. Add a rounded teaspoon of beef mixture, a teaspoon of rice, two pieces of cherry tomato, ½ tsp soured cream and a pinch of spring onion and cheese.
  • Roll the tortilla, wrap tightly in foil and twist the ends. Place on a tray and repeat with the rest.
  • Serve immediately or follow the make-ahead notes below for refrigeration or freezing and reheating instructions.

Notes

Make ahead: Cool the minced beef completely and use cold rice when assembling so the cheese doesn’t melt and tomatoes stay firm. Wrap each burrito in foil and store on a tray in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat in a single layer at 200°C/400°F (fan) for 8–10 minutes until hot throughout.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

This recipe was first posted December 2014 and updated in December 2020 and October 2024 with new photos and minor updates to the instructions.

Some links on the original site may be affiliate links. Nutritional information is approximate and can vary. Please refer to the original site’s terms and conditions for details.