Ground Turkey Burritos With Refried Beans

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 10/3/21
Ground turkey burrito

The Spruce / Diana Mocanu

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 12 servings

An easy burrito recipe with ground turkey is a quick weeknight dinner solution. It's an affordable protein that is easy to cook and easily adapts the flavors of whatever you cook with. In this case, that means lots of good spices, and toppings such as salsa, cilantro, cheese, sour cream and, of course, guacamole.

Serve these delicious turkey burritos with a few extra toppings. Refried black beans are used in this recipe, but regular refried pinto beans are an option. A side of rice is always a nice accompaniment to burritos, especially if you aren't adding rice inside the burritos themselves.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 pounds ground turkey breast

  • 1 cup onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

  • 1 (15-ounce) can refried beans

  • 1/2 cup salsa

  • 2 (4-ounce) cans each mild and green chile peppers, chopped

  • 1 or 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño peppers, optional

  • 2 teaspoons chili powder

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 10 to 12 (8-inch) flour tortillas

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for ground turkey burritos

    The Spruce / Diana Mocanu

  2. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Brown the turkey with the onion until turkey is no longer pink.

    Turkey cooking in a cast iron skillet

    The Spruce / Diana Mocanu

  3. Add the garlic and stir in the beans, salsa, chile peppers, jalapeños, chili powder, cumin, and oregano.

    Add garlic

    The Spruce / Diana Mocanu 

  4. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Cover and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes.

    Cover and simmer
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  5. Heat the tortillas according to the package directions. Arrange 2 to 3 tablespoons of cheese in the center of a warm tortilla.

    Cheese in tortilla
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  6. Top with about 1/2 cup of the cooked turkey mixture. Roll the tortilla up, tucking ends in so the meat is encased. Repeat with the remaining burritos.

    Roll
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  7. Serve the burritos warm topped with salsa and more cheese or other toppings, as desired.

    Ground turkey burritos cut in half on a plate

    The Spruce / Diana Mocanu 

How to Store and Freeze Turkey Burritos

  • Wrap leftover burritos in foil and put them in a food storage bag. Refrigerate the wrapped burritos for up to three days. Reheating is easy either in the oven (left in foil) or in the microwave.
  • You can also freeze well-wrapped burritos for up to three months. Reheat directly in the oven or toaster oven (still in foil), or in the microwave, depending on your preference.

Variations

You can make this burrito with ground chicken, pork, or turkey, or a combination of all three.

Tip

Feel free to use your favorite jarred salsa as a shortcut (unless you want to make it from scratch) and adjust the heat level according to your liking.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
345 Calories
12g Fat
28g Carbs
33g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 345
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 473mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 49mg 247%
Calcium 138mg 11%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 581mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)