Chicken Quinoa Freezer Burrito Recipe
This Chicken Quinoa Freezer Burrito Recipe is the perfect make-ahead recipe (freeze, microwave, serve), for healthy school lunches or a quick meal!
Friends, this Chicken Quinoa Freezer Burrito Recipe has been a staple in our home (freezer) for years! Easy to grab for a quick bite to eat, it only takes a little prep to make and freeze!
This week is bittersweet for me, as one of our sons is heading back to college. The good news is that the other one is home for a sweet season, and we’re savoring every moment with him. Back in the day, when kids went off to college, parents waved goodbye as they drove away.
This week we’re not driving with him, but we’ll be waving goodbye as he drives off with friends to head back to school. The dynamics of our family will be changing once again. It’s all good, because it’s a season of life. We’ve let our kids choose their path for colleges and careers, our responsibility not to choose the path we wanted our boys to take, but to ask questions, make suggestions, and guide them. You might call it a collaboration process, but it’s all part of the road-map of being a parent.
Khan Academy.
Khan Academy has been a huge resource tool for all 3 of our kids in their studies. When they have problems learning in college, they turn to the internet to get free lessons and videos. Two weeks ago our oldest son, who just graduated from U of O, was giddy over the fact that Khan Academy now has the MCATS posted on their site. Every day for the last 2 weeks, he’s been studying at least 2 hours a day. Studying and working this next year is part of his journey to get in to medical school.
Our other son studied in China over the summer, taking 15 credit hours of Mandarin. He’s since finished with his Mandarin degree, but is working now on international business. Both hard workers, we’re proud of our sons and their drive to “get it done” … and fast!
Tying this in with food, last year I made Black Bean Burritos with Cheese and Summer Squash for the boys to take to college. They’d live off of these healthy bites of substance and yummy flavors (beans, quinoa, sometimes rice, chicken, beef – I make all different combinations).
Freezer Burrito Recipe.
My son and I whipped up a rather large batch of freezer burritos. (By the way, I love having a new helper in the kitchen!)
I like to call it the 4-Ingredient Freezer Burritos, because it’s basically 4 cups each of the key ingredients! You take 4 cups of cooked quinoa, 4 cups of diced chicken, 4 cans of beans, 4 cups of salsa. (We used 2 pints of my Home Canned Salsa.)
We put chicken breasts on the grill, but you can use rotisserie chicken or even boiled chicken breasts. Any kind of chicken will work!
Mix together in a giant bowl (I often double this recipe!) all ingredients, and salt and pepper to taste!
What comes next is filling the tortillas with the mixture, and adding cheese and sour cream or any other toppings that you wish (and that will freeze well).
I like to keep it simple by only adding sour cream, but sometimes we freeze them plain.
Fold, wrap, and freeze. When it’s time to eat them, simply discard the plastic wrap, wrap the burrito in a paper towel, and microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes, or until heated through. At this point you can add extra toppings if you prefer.
Length in freezer.
Wrap individually in plastic and freeze up to 3 months.
Pack for school lunches.
You can also pack these burritos for lunch in morning (frozen), so by lunch the burrito is mostly thawed and only needs 1:00-1:30 (depending on how large you make them) to heat in the microwave!
Hungry boys? Pack 2!
So many options!
Healthy eating.
Such a healthy approach to eating better in college. I know our sons appreciate mama’s touch with yummy food as they walk into their apartment, starving, and wanting something healthy to eat! So cheers for frozen burritos, kids that are doing well in life, and not taking for granted the blessings that we’ve been handed with healthy food, families, and love to spread to those around us!
Do you have any freezer meal ideas or recipes that would benefit a college student?
Get the Recipe:
Chicken Quinoa Freezer Burrito Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked quinoa
- 4 cups cooked chicken, diced (grilled, rotisserie, boiled, baked – any kind of chicken)
- 4 cans Bush’s beans, such as black, kidney, or pinto, drained
- 4 cups of salsa
- Salt and pepper to taste, optional to add 1 T. chili pepper and 1 tsp. cumin
- Tortillas
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, diced chicken, drained beans, and salsa.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill tortillas with quinoa mixture, depending on the size of the tortilla. Add sour cream or cheese (optional).
- Wrap tightly, roll in plastic wrap, and freeze.
- MICROWAVE: Pull out of the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Wrap the burrito in a paper towel, and microwave (frozen) for 1 1/2-2 minutes, or until heated through. At this point you can add extra toppings if you prefer.
- OVEN: Remove burritos from plastic wrap; rewrap individually in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Remove foil, and bake to crisp for another 5 minutes.
- For extra flavor, serve with hot sauce!
Here are some tips for great frozen burritos.
Shutterbean writes the date on them with this.
Tessa makes freezer breakfast burritos – watch her video!
10 great freeze-ahead burrito recipes
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I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Hi there, love this idea! I struggle with taking something to work for lunch so this is perfect. Do you know how long the burritos last in the freezer?
Wow, these look delicious. I am gonna try some this week. Trying to put together easy lunches and weeknight dinners. May I ask if you have any advice for freezing? (ie, the pic looks like plastic wrap, but do they require anything else?)
Angie, I just wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze! Works every time! Good luck – your kids are going to love YOU! :)
do you think this would work without the gorilla she’ll? More like a burrito bowl of sorts?
Thanks!
Nikki, do you mean the tortilla? YES! For sure – it would be delicous. We eat quionoa and rice bowls all the time with no shell!
Can you add cheese? Also, any substitutes for those who do not like beans?
Hi, Carly! Yes! Add cheese! No problem with not using beans. Make a chicken, quinoa and cheese burrito!
I love the addition of quinoa. I made something similar to have the freezer for my kids while Ken and I are way coming up here in October. Once less thing for the sitter to think about if I have meals in the freezer!
i was just wondering if you could tell me the nutrition values of the frozen burritos… carbs, protein etc. thanks!
I don’t have this info, Cathy, but you could make them low carb with just chicken and quinoa, or even chicken and beans, a tiny bit of salsa, and buy the low-carb tortillas!
I’m wondering how well rice freezes if I were to sub rice instead of quinoa. I’m looking for some easy freezer meals as I’m about to have a baby…not wild about quinoa though :)
Rice is perfect! It freezes very well, Amber!
Have you cooked them in the microwave? If so for how long. Also do you flavor your chicken, turkey, or beef when you cook it or does flavor come from salsa?
Yes, you can add cumin or chili powder (added) and you pop in the microwave for about 2 minutes! Thanks Katie!
You can add chili powder or cumin if you’d like, Katie. But for these I used salt and pepper and the flavor DID come from the salsa! I like to keep the recipe simple so my kids can make it. :)
Have you ever just left them out to thaw and then eaten them? Considering these for my middle schooler’s lunch. . .but he won’t have an oven at his disposal!
What tortillas did you use for the burritos? It is difficult to find good ones that are not highly processed. TIA
I use a variety. I buy whole wheat and multigrain from Trader Joe’s, but these were the spinach and tomato wraps because it’s what my boys requested. Sometimes I make them with the really healthy ones, and then sometimes I give in to their requests! ha ha. Thanks for asking Julie!