Breakfast burrito meal prep for the freezer

Breakfast burrito ingredients

What goes into 10 burritos

This breakfast burrito recipe is built for the freezer, so the breakfast burrito ingredients are chosen for how they reheat. Lean turkey and beans hold up. Reduced-fat cheddar melts without pooling grease. Egg whites stretch the eggs without adding fat. The gram weights are what the macros are built on, so use a kitchen scale if you have one.

Protein filling

• 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey (454 g)
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed (about 260 g)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced (150 g)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced (110 g)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (13.5 g)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Eggs

• 10 large eggs (500 g)
• 2 cups liquid egg whites (486 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Nonstick spray for the pan

To assemble

• 10 burrito-size (10-inch) whole wheat tortillas, about 65 g each
• 1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar (170 g)

Lean ground chicken works in place of the turkey with almost the same numbers. A protein tortilla adds several grams, but check its label, since the carbs and calories change too.

How to meal prep breakfast burritos

One skillet, one sheet pan

Here is how to make a breakfast burrito that survives the freezer. Breakfast burrito meal prep comes down to three jobs: cook the fillings until dry, cool them completely, and roll tight. The cooking takes about 25 minutes. The cooling takes patience.

High protein breakfast burrito meal prep needs one large skillet, one parchment-lined sheet pan, foil or parchment for wrapping, and a freezer bag. Healthy breakfast burrito meal prep also means keeping wet things out: salsa, avocado and sour cream go on at serving time. For a wider rotation, our One hour breakfast meal prep guide fits four more recipes into the same morning.

1. 1

   Scramble the eggs & cook the protein

   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and bell pepper 4 to 5 minutes, until soft and the pan looks dry. Add the turkey and all the spices. Break the meat up and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until no pink remains and the liquid has cooked off. Stir in the black beans for the last 2 minutes, then scrape everything onto the sheet pan.

   Wipe the skillet, lower the heat to medium-low and coat it with spray. Whisk the eggs, egg whites, salt and pepper until no streaks remain. Pour them in and push them slowly from the edges to the center. Pull the pan off the heat while the eggs still look glossy and a little soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. They finish cooking when you reheat the burrito.

   Overcooked eggs are the number one reason freezer burritos go watery. Firm eggs squeeze out moisture on the reheat, straight into the tortilla.

2. 2

   Cool the fillings completely

   Spread the eggs in a thin layer on the other half of the sheet pan. Thin layers cool in 15 to 20 minutes. A deep bowl of hot eggs takes an hour and steams the whole time. In a hurry, slide the sheet pan into the fridge uncovered.

   Everything should be at room temperature before it touches a tortilla. Warm filling makes steam, steam becomes ice crystals, and ice crystals become a soggy wrap in the microwave. Illinois Extension's rule for any cooked food still applies: into the fridge or freezer within 2 hours.

   While the fillings cool, warm the tortillas, 10 seconds each in the microwave under a damp paper towel. A cold whole wheat tortilla cracks when you fold it.

3. 3

   Roll, wrap & label

   Lay a tortilla flat and sprinkle about 2 1/2 tablespoons of cheddar across the lower third, leaving 2 inches bare on each side. The cheese goes down first on purpose: it melts into a barrier between the tortilla and the wetter fillings. Add a tenth of the eggs (about 100 g) and a tenth of the turkey mixture (about 85 g).

   Fold the sides in, fold the bottom edge up and over, tuck it under the filling, and roll forward into a tight cylinder. Wrap each burrito snugly in foil for the oven or air fryer, or in parchment for the microwave.

   Label each wrap with the filling and the date. You will not remember in six weeks.

Breakfast burrito calories & macros

The numbers per burrito

A healthy breakfast burrito is built around lean protein and fiber rather than cheese and sausage. The breakfast burrito calories land at about 470, with 32g of protein, 38g of carbs, 21g of fat and 9g of fiber. Those are estimates from USDA FoodData Central values for the gram weights above. Your brand of tortilla, cheese and turkey will shift them a few grams.

Where does a high protein breakfast burrito get its protein? From five places at once, and no single one of them would get you there alone.

Estimated protein per burrito by ingredient, from USDA FoodData Central values

Drop the egg whites and you are at 27g. Drop the turkey and you are at 24g. Keep both and every burrito clears 30g with room to spare. For a leaner burrito, use 8-inch tortillas and cut the cheese to 1 cup: about 100 calories less, and the protein drops to about 29g.

For the full list of fast breakfasts that hit this number, our Thirty gram protein breakfasts playbook covers the ones that take under 4 minutes.

Freezing & reheating breakfast burritos

Freeze flat, reheat hot

A breakfast burrito recipe freezer batch only works if the wrapping keeps air out and the reheating gets the middle hot. Here is how to freeze breakfast burritos so they taste like the day you rolled them.

1. Freeze them flat first. Lay the wrapped burritos in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze 1 to 2 hours, until solid, then stack them in a labeled gallon freezer bag and press out the air. Frozen separately, they never fuse into one brick.
2. Eat them within 2 to 3 months for the best texture. They stay safe longer at 0°F, but the tortilla dries out and the eggs lose their softness. Illinois Extension's window for frozen leftovers runs to 3 to 4 months, so a 2 to 3 month plan leaves you margin.
3. In the fridge, eat them within 3 to 4 days, the standard window for cooked egg and meat leftovers. Freeze anything you will not eat by day four.
4. Microwave from frozen: unwrap, wrap in a damp paper towel, and heat 2 to 4 minutes on high, flipping halfway. Let it rest 1 minute so the center catches up.
5. Air fryer from frozen: unwrap and cook at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes for a crisp tortilla. Oven: keep the foil on and bake at 375 to 400°F for 20 to 30 minutes.

Clemson Extension's Freezing prepared foods guide sets the rules we follow here: cool food quickly, freeze it promptly, use moisture and vapor-resistant wrapping, pack out the air, and label every package. Crisp vegetables and tomato are on its list of fillings that do not freeze well, so they wait until serving.

For comparison, a Clean Eatz high protein breakfast burrito comes individually frozen the same way, keeps up to 12 months in the freezer, and heats from frozen in a few minutes.

Breakfast burrito serving ideas

Sauces & sides that keep it lean

The best breakfast burrito sauce is the one you add after reheating, not before freezing. These keep the protein moving in the right direction and add almost nothing to the calories.

• Salsa or pico de gallo. A quarter cup adds about 20 calories and the acidity the turkey wants.
• Plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Two tablespoons add roughly 3g of protein.
• Hot sauce. Zero calories, and it wakes up the beans.
• A quarter of an avocado, sliced, for about 80 calories.
• A cup of berries or an orange on the side for fiber.

Some weeks the batch does not get made, and that is fine. Our Breakfast meal plan is the no-cook version of the same idea: protein-forward, portion-controlled breakfasts in single-serve trays that heat in under 5 minutes, from $89.95 for 10 meals with free shipping and no subscription. Our own breakfast burritos are $4.99 each: Sausage, Egg & Cheese at 290 calories and 22g of protein, Chicken, Egg & Cheese at 310 calories and 19g, and Chipotle Beef at 380 calories and 21g, all in a protein tortilla with cage-free eggs. They are smaller than the homemade burrito here, which is why the calories are lower.