If You Have This Canned Stew And Tortillas, You Have Burritos In An Instant

With rice to cook, beans to simmer, and meat to season before a tortilla even hits the pan to toast, a homemade burrito can be quite the project despite its simple construction. Good thing, then, that so long that you have this ingredient in your pantry, you can shave the prep time from 30 to 40 minutes down to five or 10: canned chili.

When you think about it, chili covers several burrito components all at once. It's already cooked and seasoned, bringing together the meat and beans, with a deeply savory flavor from the tomatoes and beef. Warm the chili, or don't (canned chili is fully cooked, so it's fine straight from the can when you're in a hurry) — pile it into a tortilla with your favorite toppings, fold it up tight, and tuck in. Anyone who's ordered a Taco Bell chili cheese burrito already knows how well this seemingly simple recipe works.

Chili is number one at the job, but if a grocery run isn't on the card right now, check the pantry for other cans. Canned beef stew can also work if you pour off some of the gravy and mash up the potatoes and carrots with a fork. The burrito will have a pot roast vibe, but with a pinch of cumin and chili powder before you tuck up the tortilla, it'll taste closer to a classic burrito. Canned chicken stirred with green chiles makes a quick base for smothered green chile burritos, and canned corned beef fried with tomato, onion, and jalapeño is a long-standing Mexican-American filling.

If you turn out to love our canned chili burritos and have some extra time on the weekend, the ultimate upgrade to this trick is most definitely homemade chili. Canned chili will do the trick on a busy weeknight, but the flavor and hearty texture of a homemade batch can't be beat. Cooking from scratch also gives you total control over what goes into the pot – you can skip the beans, crank up the heat, or tone it down. All on your own terms.

Can't finish up the whole pot? Not a problem — keep on folding until you get as many chili tortillas as you think you're able to stomach and pop them in the freezer. Just defrost and reheat when you need something to eat fast. Any leftover chili can keep in the fridge for up to four days, ready to eat by the bowlful or wrap into even more burritos.