Can you cook a frozen burrito in an air fryer? Absolutely, it’s so easy! Air Fryer Burritos are one of our favourite quick & easy snacks to serve at a Tex Mex themed party or as a tasty grab-and-go breakfast, lunch or dinner. Follow our simple recipe to air fry a frozen burrito and you’ll enjoy a perfectly cooked spicy stuffed wrap featuring a crunchy tortilla exterior and tender and steaming hot filling
inside. Our simple recipe takes only a few minutes to prepare because it uses frozen store bought burritos such as Monterey or Amy’s Kitchen. We tested this air fryer recipe with vegetarian burritos filled with cheese and black beans. You can use whatever frozen burrito brand you prefer, from ground beef to spicy red chili. We suggest serving Air Fryer Frozen Burritos with a selection of Mexican sauces for dipping like salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Save this story to
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What Is A Burrito?
A burrito is a dish in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine that took form in California cuisine, consisting of a flour tortilla wrapped into a sealed cylindrical shape around various ingredients. The tortilla is sometimes lightly grilled or steamed to soften it, make it more pliable, and allow it to adhere to itself.
The word burrito means “little donkey” in Spanish.
An often repeated piece of culinary folk history is the story of a man named Juan Méndez who sold tacos at a street stand in the Bella Vista neighborhood of Ciudad Juárez during the Mexican Revolution, while using a donkey as a transport for himself and his food. To keep the food warm, Méndez wrapped it in large homemade flour tortillas underneath a small tablecloth. As the “food of the burrito” (i.e., “food of the little donkey”) grew in popularity, “burrito” was eventually adopted as the name for these large tacos.
Most burritos can be enjoyed as a cutlery-free meal, eaten by hand, as their tight wrapping keeps the ingredients together. Burritos can also be served “wet”, covered in a savoury and spicy sauce, which is when they would be eaten with a fork and knife.
Burritos are filled with savoury ingredients, most often a meat such as beef, chicken, or pork, and often include other ingredients, such as rice, cooked beans (either whole or refried), vegetables, such as lettuce and tomatoes, cheese, and condiments such as salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, or crema.
The burritos we’re most familiar with today in Canada and America are derived from popular recipes at Tex Mex restaurants in San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles.
Frozen Burrito Brands
While we love ordering burritos at our favourite Mexican restaurants in Toronto we always like to keep a stash of frozen burritos in the freezer for last minute meals and late night snacks.
Take a stroll down your grocery store freezer aisle or local Latin American supermarket and you’ll find many brands selling frozen burritos to cook at home in your air fryer.
In the US and Canada popular frozen burrito brands include Amy’s Kitchen, El Monterey Burritos, José Olé, Tina’s Burritos, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods.
If you’re looking for specialty frozen burritos be sure to visit the health food aisle in your grocery store where you may find options that are gluten free, organic, keto friendly, vegetarian and vegan.
Can You Cook A Frozen Burrito In An Air Fryer?
Yes! You can cook fresh or frozen burritos in an air fryer. Cooking a frozen burrito in an air fryer is less fattening then cooking it on a griddle as it requires no additional oil.
Before the advent of the air fryer most people cooked frozen store bought burritos in a microwave. We always loathed this cooking method as the interior gets hot but the steam make the tortilla soggy and wet.
Frozen burritos cooked in an air fryer become crispy and golden brown on the outside. They’re cooked to perfection in the middle. A microwave really can’t work the culinary magic that happens when you air fry frozen burritos!
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes. Put a frozen burrito on the air fryer basket with the seam side down. Air fry for 7 minutes at 400°F. Flip the burritos and cook for an additional 7 minutes. Use the top rack position if using an air fryer oven for ample air flow.
Can You Reheat Burritos In An Air Fryer?
If you have leftover burritos after hosting a party you can easily reheat a burrito in an air fryer.
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Remove the cooked burritos from your fridge and place in the air fryer basket. Reheat the burritos in 3-4 minutes until the interior is hot and steaming.
Best Air Fryers
An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven designed to simulate deep frying without submerging the food in oil. A fan circulates hot air at high speed, producing a crisp layer via browning reactions.
In 2010, Philips introduced the Airfryer brand of convection oven at a consumer electronics fair in Berlin. It used the patented Rapid Air technology, though the term air fryer is now used generically.
Early air fryers were barrel-shaped, though more recently, many have come to resemble toaster ovens and pressure cookers, offering additional functions like toasting, baking, dehydrating and rotisserie.
A decade after their launch, Air Fryers are now one of the trendiest kitchen appliance. They are particularly popular with gourmands living in condos or apartments in big cities like Toronto as they reduce the number of appliances taking up space in your kitchen.
- Hamilton Beach: I tested this recipe with a Hamilton Beach toaster oven-style air fryer. They are an excellent option for those looking for an affordable air fryer and I particularly like mine as it allowed me to replace my toaster, dehydrator and rotisserie. It’s also easier to spread food out and make it crispy by using a baking tray rather than a basket.
- Instant Vortex: This popular air fryer is brought to you by the inventors of the popular Instant Pot. It’s 6 quart capacity features an easy to clean tray that air frys, roasts and bakes.
- COSORI: This 5.8 quart air fryer is an 11-in-1 cooker featuring a nonstick basket and helpful shake reminder setting.
- Ninja: This premium brand is the perfect option for those looking to invest in a heavy duty stainless steel air fryer. The product has been designed to look similar to an Instant Pot, with the top of the air fryer flipping backwards so you can easily lower a basket filled with food.
- NuWave: This sleek digital air fryer features a traditional removable basket and reaches temperatures up to 390 F.
My Family Loves To Air Fry Frozen Burritos
My family loves Tex Mex food.
When I was a kid, my parents loved taking us out to grab burritos for dinner. We’d typically eat them after sports games or on road trips.
We always ordered burritos when we were in a rush and had to eat in the car. With a few napkins at the ready we could eat a filling meal without the need for plates and cutlery. I was such a messy eater I definitely had some of the salsa and refried beans dripping down my excited hands but thankfully I had a napkin draped across my knobby knees.
Now that I’ve upgraded my kitchen with the trendiest new gadget I love making this easy Air Fryer Burrito recipe at home.
Cooking Frozen Burritos in an Air Fryer is a modern day marvel for home cooks who have a penchant for making quick & easy recipes. Air Fryers cook food much quicker than an oven and help ensure your next frozen burrito is cooked so it’s crispy, moist and delicious!
How To Make Frozen Burrito in Air Fryer
Our air fryer burrito recipe is so easy to make you’ll have it ready to serve in under 10 minutes!
There are two methods to making frozen burritos in an air fryer, which depend on the style of device you are using.
- Traditional Basket: air fryers with a removable basket are still the most common. In order to make Frozen Burritos in an Air Fryer in these machines, simply lower each burrito into the basket. Ensure they are organized in one layer and aren’t crowded or touching. This will ensure they are crispy and uniformly cooked.
- Toaster Oven Tray: modern air fryers featuring a glass door and tray configuration make it easy to prepare frozen burritos in an air fryer at home. Simply place them on the air fryer tray in a single layer and watch them brown and get crispy through the glass door.
Air Fryer Burrito Cooking Tips
- Keep the tin foil wrapped around the frozen burrito to ensure the tortilla does not overcook or burn.
- Place the frozen burritos in one flat layer without any overlap or touching, otherwise you’ll end up with an unevenly cooked and potentially soggy product.
- Check the burrito with a meat thermometer to ensure it reached a minimum safe internal temp of 165°F.
- Let the burrito rest for 2-3 minutes before eating to ensure you do not burn you mouth.
- Serve as a grab-and-go meal, or at a party slice each burrito in half to reveal the steaming interior.
- At a Tex Mex kids party we like to serve the sliced burritos on a large serving platter with small bowls filled with salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Burritos
Frozen Burritos in an Air Fryer are a quick & easy meal to cook last minute for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a late night snack.
Burritos are most commonly served without cutlery or a plate. They make for a perfect snack or meal to serve at a party as you’ll have a lot less to clean up afterwards.
If you’re enjoying a sit down meal with other Mexican dishes you can serve burritos on a plate and pour a selection of sauces over the dish like Burrito Sauce or Red Enchilada Sauce.
My favourite condiments to serve with air fryer frozen burritos is spicy salsa, guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese and pickled jalapeno peppers.
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Easy Frozen Burrito in Air Fryer
Learn how to make a frozen burrito in an air fryer. Our quick & easy air fried Mexican recipe is the perfect snack or last minute meal.
Prep Time1 min
Cook Time14 mins
Total Time15 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Frozen Burrito in Air Fryer
Servings: 1
Air Fryer
Meat Thermometer
tongs
- 1 Frozen Burrito
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
Place frozen burritos in the air fryer basket with the seam side down. Air fry for 7 minutes at 400°F. Use the top rack position if using an air fryer oven to ensure ample air flow.
Flip the burrito using tongs and air fry an additional 7 minutes.
Check the burrito with a meat thermometer to ensure it reached a minimum safe internal temp of 165°F.
Let the burrito rest for 2-3 minutes before eating.
Eat all on its own or serve with salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
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