Griddled Bean and Cheese Burritos

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Canned pintos get the full treatment here — bloomed spices, sizzling aromatics in a little bacon-free lard or oil, and a hard mash in the pan until the beans turn glossy and thick enough to hold a spoon upright. Rolled tight with two cheeses and pressed on a dry griddle until the tortilla blisters and crackles, this is the five-dollar taqueria burrito done better at home. Make all six, wrap them, and freeze the extras for weeks of ten-minute lunches.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp lard, bacon fat, or neutral oil
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 2 15-oz cans pinto beans
• 1/2 cup water or chicken/vegetable broth
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

• 6 10-inch flour tortillas
• 6 oz sharp cheddar, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 4 oz Monterey Jack or Oaxaca cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped (optional)
• Salsa, sour cream, or hot sauce, for serving

Instructions

1. Drain the pinto beans, reserving 1 cup of the canning liquid. Rinse the beans briefly and set aside.
2. Heat the lard or oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just starting to brown at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne if using. Stir constantly for 45 seconds — the spices should smell toasty, not scorched.
4. Add the drained beans, the 1/2 cup water or broth, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then mash aggressively with a potato masher or the back of a sturdy wooden spoon. Leave about a quarter of the beans partly whole for texture.
5. Cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the beans thicken into a scoopable paste that holds a line when you drag a spoon through it. If they tighten too much, loosen with reserved bean liquid a tablespoon at a time; if loose, keep cooking. Stir in the lime juice and taste for salt — refried beans need more than you think.
6. Spread the beans on a plate or sheet pan and let cool for 10 minutes. Warm beans roll fine; hot beans steam the tortilla and tear it.
7. Warm the tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet over medium heat, 15 to 20 seconds per side, just until pliable. Stack them under a clean towel — a cold tortilla will crack when you roll it.
8. Lay a tortilla on the counter. Spoon about 1/2 cup of beans in a horizontal log across the lower third, leaving 2 inches bare on each side. Top with a generous 1/3 cup of mixed cheeses and a spoonful of jalapeños.
9. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling and pull it back toward you with your fingertips to compress the log tight. Fold in both sides, then roll forward, keeping firm pressure the whole way. The tighter the roll, the better it griddles and freezes. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
10. Wipe out the skillet and set it over medium heat with no oil. Place the burritos seam-side down and set a second heavy skillet or a foil-wrapped brick on top. Press and cook 2 to 3 minutes until deep golden and crisp, then flip, press again, and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. The cheese should be fully melted and the tortilla should crackle when squeezed.
11. Let rest 2 minutes, then cut in half on a sharp diagonal and serve with salsa, sour cream, or hot sauce.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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