Burrito w/ Pinto Beans, Quinoa, & Blackened Tilapia

I've really been in a fish mode lately. Maybe it's because we're in the peak of summer. Maybe because seafood has been on a good sale streak as of late. Maybe because I'm just craving a little taste of home by the sea. But every time I've walked past the seafood section in the last couple of weeks, I haven't been able to stop myself from taking something home! And this week I've made Blackened Tilapia. It's been quite the week, though, and I've also made Slow Cooker Pinto Beans w/ Bay Leaves & Lime and Quinoa w/ Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, & Walnuts. So, what else am I to do other than turn everything into a tilapia burrito??

I'm quite fond of doing this. I'll spend one day at the beginning of the week or on my weekend making a bunch of dishes and then utilize the leftovers throughout the rest of the week. This means that I almost always have home cooked meals ready and able to quickly toss together.

One of my favorite things to do with this is to make burritos. They're ready in no time at all, typically taking less than 15 minutes to heat up on the skillet. And they're a great way to combine all of your leftovers in one cohesive dish.

Gallery

Variations of Tilapia Burrito

Don't ask me why, but burritos I firmly believe are one of the most universal of foods. There are very few things that I have ever come across that can't toss into a tortilla shell and make an absolutely delicious meal! I've been particularly fond lately of making them with fish, though. So, as sort of an homage to fish tacos and my favorite seafood dishes throughout the last couple of weeks, I have a whole plethora of seafood burritos.

Burrito w/ Pinto Beans, Quinoa, & Blackened Tilapia

Burrito w/ Pinto Beans & Sweet Potato Quinoa

This tilapia burrito combines Greek yogurt and avocado dip with sweet potato quinoa with garlic, shallots, tomatoes, and walnuts. It's an incredibly delicious little meal that is vaguely Latin American-inspired with an almost Cajun spin. Burritos go with a surprisingly large variety of flavor profiles. I tend to turn absolutely anything and everything that I have leftover into a burrito. It's a fun way to utilize whatever you have lying around!
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Latin American
Servings 1 serving

Equipment

  • Skillet w/ Lid (Preferably Cast Iron)
  • Stovetop

Ingredients
  

Pinto Beans

  • 1 lbs. pinto beans ~2 c.
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 yellow onion minced
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 5 c. water

Quinoa

  • 1 sweet potato diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 shallot minced
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper
  • dash cumin
  • dash coriander
  • 1 ½ c. quinoa
  • 3 c. water
  • 1 ½ tomatoes diced
  • 1/2 c. walnuts crushed

Blackened Tilapia

  • 1 fileet tilapia
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp. coriander
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper

Avocado Dip

  • 6 avocados
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 6 limes juiced
  • 1 ½ c. Greek yogurt
  • 2 c. walnuts
  • 4 tbsp. olive oil
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper

Burrito

  • 1/4 c. pinto beans
  • 1/4 c. quinoa
  • 1 tortilla shell
  • splash water
  • dollop avocado dip (optional, omit or substitute sour cream)
  • dollop hot sauce (optional)

Instructions
 

Prepare Ingredients

  • This Slow Cooker Pinto Beans w/ Bay Leaves & Lime recipe takes 8 hours to cook. I recommend starting it the night before so that it cooks overnight. It's also a good quick and easy recipe to start ahead of time and reheat later on.
  • Cook Quinoa w/ Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, & Walnuts. This takes about an hour and requires a rice cooker or stove. You can also easily create a different flavor profile or utilize the produce that you have on hand. I almost always keep a batch of rice or quinoa in the fridge for exactly this purpose.
  • Cooking Blackened Tilapia takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. I consider it one of the easier filets of fish to cook. It looks much more impressive than it is skill-wise and is a great quick and easy fish to toss together.
  • I also topped this burrito with Potluck Avocado Dip w/ Greek Yogurt & WalnutsThis is entirely optional. You can easily substitute sour cream, Greek yogurt, or omit entirely depending on personal preference. Although this avocado dip is my new favorite thing and I highly recommend giving it a try. It's kind of a mix between hummus and guacamole. And is absolutely delicious!

Cook Tortilla

  • Preheat the pan on medium-high. If you aren't using cast iron, make sure to lightly oil the pan to prevent sticking.
  • Wet both sides of the tortilla and add to the preheated pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown.
  • Remove the tortilla from heat and turn the stove off. Add toppings and fold the burrito.
  • Turn the stove back up to medium and add the tortilla to the skillet immediately, before it preheats. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown. Rotate until all sides are cooked.
    The first side will likely take longer to cook than the subsequent sides, which may toast in as little as 2 minutes. Adjust the temperature if it's cooking too quickly and burning or too slowly and cracking.
  • Top with avocado dip and hot sauce of choice. I like to use Greek yogurt because it's oftentimes healthier than sour cream and this new avocado dip that I'm obsessed with is fantastic. Omit or substitute with a vegan alternative for an entirely animal-product free recipe.
  • Serve immediately. You can reheat burritos by lightly wetting them and reheating, but they are never quite the same as they are fresh!

Leave a Reply

Recipe Rating