Additional Coverage:
From Freezer to Feast: Ranking the Top (and Bottom) Bean and Cheese Burritos
Ah, the humble bean and cheese burrito. A testament to how truly magnificent simplicity can be.
While nothing beats the authentic, soul-satisfying flavor of a homemade creation, sometimes convenience calls. And when it does, the freezer aisle beckons with its promise of a quick meal.
Our resident food expert, with over a decade of experience navigating the wild world of fast food and grocery tastings, recently embarked on a culinary quest. The mission?
To scour the frozen food section for the best (and not-so-best) bean and cheese burrito options. After all, if you’re going to stock your freezer, you want to make sure you’re getting something worthy of your precious taste buds.
(Our expert, by the way, claims Al and Bea’s in Los Angeles crafts the greatest bean and cheese burrito in the world – high praise indeed!)
So, without further ado, here are eight frozen bean and cheese burritos, ranked from a definite “buy again” to a resounding “maybe skip.”
Prices and availability may vary by location.
Best of the Bunch: Trader Joe’s Bean, Rice, and Cheese Burritos
$3.69 (for two)
When it comes to flavor, Trader Joe’s takes the crown, leaving the competition in the dust. Our expert raves about the depth of taste, noting hints of garlic, tomato, green chile, and plenty of wonderfully melty cheese.
These burritos are a regular in their grocery rotation, and it’s easy to see why. Plus, you get two for less than the price of a single Amy’s burrito – a win-win!
2. 365 Whole Foods Market Bean & Cheese Burrito
$1.99
Surprise, surprise! Whole Foods impresses with its pricing on this one.
For under two bucks, you get a quality burrito that defies the brand’s usual premium tags. While it might be a tad on the bland side, the tortilla microwaves beautifully, and the filling actually tastes like real beans and cheese – a refreshing change from some of the more mysterious concoctions out there.
Grab some salsa, and you’re golden.
3. Amy’s Cheddar Cheese Burrito
$3.79
Amy’s presents a bit of a puzzle right out of the gate with its microwave instructions. “Place the burrito on a plate, then cover with another plate.”
Our expert was left scratching their head, wondering what kind of plate-stacking wizardry Amy’s assumes its customers possess. After defaulting to the trusty paper towel method (like any sensible human), the burrito proved fine.
The gluten-free tortilla can be a bit sticky, but the insides deliver good flavor, and despite being a little stringy, the beans are undeniably beans.
4. Red’s Organic Bean & Cheese Burrito
$2.39
Red’s gets a mild scolding for its finicky microwave instructions: “55 seconds per side.” Our tester, a proponent of the straightforward “1-minute button,” rebelled and microwaved for a full minute per side.
And guess what? No explosions, no culinary catastrophes.
While Red’s offers deeper flavors than some others, they lean a bit “fast-food-esque” and lack a certain freshness. It’s a burrito of big flavors but somewhat mediocre consistency.
5. Feel Good Foods Pinto Bean & Cheese Burrito
$4.49
Hold onto your wallets! Feel Good Foods might be feeling a little too good about its pricing.
At nearly five dollars, our expert suggests you’re better off heading to a fast-food joint for a fresher, more consistently cooked bean and cheese burrito. Flavor-wise, it’s an odd duck.
The salsa roja skews sweet, almost like a pasta sauce, though the rice is a nice touch. The gluten-free tortilla doesn’t microwave well, turning sharp and crispy, and the beans have a peculiar consistency that makes them “slip between your teeth.”
Definitely not a five-dollar experience.
6. El Monterey Bean & Cheese Burrito
$0.98
Is it a bean and cheese burrito? Our expert isn’t entirely convinced.
What’s inside this tortilla is described as “some sort of paste,” a “chunky goo” where beans and cheese seem to have lost their individual identities. While it’s not overtly disgusting and certainly edible in a pinch (especially for 98 cents!), our tester jokingly dubbed it a “food tube” rather than a true burrito.
7. Tina’s Bean & Cheese Burrito
$0.78
For only 78 cents, you might wonder how bad it could possibly be. The answer, according to our expert, is “bad.”
Following the paper towel microwave instructions led to a less-than-appetizing reveal: the tortilla stuck to the paper towel, exposing the inner workings. The filling looks more like ground beef than beans, and the elusive cheese is neither seen nor tasted.
“Yuck,” was the direct verdict.
8. Tina’s Bean & Cheese Big Burrito
$1.48
Our tester initially grabbed this thinking it was a different brand, only to realize it was simply a larger version of Tina’s earlier offering. The “Big Burrito” presents its own set of challenges, particularly when trying to wrap its monstrous size in paper towels (you’ll need two!).
Even with proper coverage, the result was a perplexing mix of an ice-cold, watery interior and a burning-hot tortilla. While a buck and a half is a tempting price for such a “torpedo” of food, our expert concluded that good food should at least be somewhat good.
This one, unfortunately, is not.