Vegan Breakfast Burrito with Black Beans and Quinoa

These savory breakfast burritos stuffed with black beans, quinoa, fresh veggies, pico de gallo, creamy avocado and a delicious homemade taco seasoning are a delicious (and nutritious!) way to start your day. Easy to make ahead and freezer-friendly, they are perfect for meal prep to enjoy throughout the week on busy mornings!

When it comes to breakfast, I normally go for something sweet such as smoothies or muffins. But there are also many times where I'm craving something savory with a little more substance, and these black bean vegan breakfast burritos hit the spot every time!

Fully customizable, I build my burrito using ingredients I have on hand. The staples are black beans, quinoa (or brown rice or basmati rice), bell peppers, sweet potato, diced onion and homemade taco seasoning that takes just minutes to whisk together.

Then I like to add my fix-ins which really make this dish! I'm talking pico de gallo, sliced avocado and vegan sour cream. My husband is a cheese lover, so I'll often prepare vegan queso in advance as well to add when we're building these homemade burritos together!

The key with this recipe is to prepare everything in advance (except the avocado of course). I'll dice the veggies, cook the quinoa and make the fix-ins a day or two before so when morning comes I can grab everything from the fridge and create a mini assembly line in no time.

Why These are the Best Vegan Breakfast Burritos

Explosion of savory flavor
Variety of textures in each bite
Delicious way to get your veggies in the morning
Healthy with complete sources of plant-based protein
Meal prep for a breakfast ready in minutes
Freezer-friendly
Easily customizable
Vegan with gluten-free option (I use almond flour tortillas)

Ingredients

The first step is to prepare some of the burrito components a day or two before serving. Many can be prepared simultaneously and all are easy, plus they can be used throughout the week in other dishes as well. This recipe is perfect if you're a fan of meal prep!

Fresh Veggies (Bell Pepper, Red Onion, Jalapeño)

I like to dice the bell peppers and red onion using a vegetable chopper to save time. Ideally I'll use both red peppers and orange peppers (or yellow peppers!) for more color. The bell peppers provide vitamin C which helps with iron absorption from the quinoa and black beans.

The jalapeño is totally optional but trust me that it only adds a little heat! When sautéed it gets milder and no where near as spicy as raw.

Black Beans

I use a can of low-sodium black beans to keep it easy. You can certainly cook them from scratch but for this recipe I prefer the convenience of pre-cooked beans.

Black beans are rich in fiber, plant-based protein, iron and folate, in addition to offering calcium and potassium. They are nutrient powerhouse that I love adding to vegan cooking!

Taco Seasoning

You can reach for store-bought taco seasoning but I strongly recommend whisking it together yourself! Simply whisk ground chili powder, ground cumin, fine salt, maple sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and ground black pepper (see the recipe for quantities). I always triple the recipe when I make it!

Quinoa or Rice

Adding quinoa (or white or brown rice) sets this recipe apart from other breakfast burritos and is definitely worth it! I routinely cook quinoa ahead of time using either the stovetop or Instant Pot and then use it throughout the week in various dishes.

Quinoa is a great source of fiber and plant-based protein, in addition to providing high amounts of zinc and iron. It is considered a complete protein as it contains all nine essential amino acids.

You can also use frozen quinoa or rice to save time.

Sweet Potato

The sweet potato gives the burrito little oomph since there is no egg or cheese to hold it together, plus it makes it more filling. I like to meal prep a big batch of sweet potatoes at once so I can quickly add them to any dish throughout the week, including these burritos!

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese and vitamin B6.

Avocado

The avocado adds such a refreshing and creamy texture to the burrito. It is nutrient-rich, providing healthy fats and B vitamins in addition to vitamins C, E and K.

While totally optional, I absolutely love fresh avocado in breakfast burritos because of the temperature contrast between the cool avocado slices and the warm veggies, black beans and quinoa.

Pico de Gallo

No burrito is complete without homemade salsa! I like to dice Roma tomatoes, white onion, cilantro and jalapeño and toss with fresh lime juice and salt.

Vegan Sour Cream

Made in a blender with just cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and salt, vegan sour cream adds a perfect creamy texture to the burrito. It takes only 5 minutes to make but I like to refrigerate it overnight to allow it to thicken a bit more.

Cilantro Lime Sauce

If I'm not using vegan sour cream, I'm definitely using this 5-minute cilantro lime sauce! It is such a great way to add vibrant green color and zesty flavor.

Other Burrito Toppings and Garnishes

The beauty of this vegan breakfast burrito recipe is that it is totally adaptable to what you want to include. Vegan cheese, hot sauce, microgreens and fresh cilantro are also great additions!

Vegan breakfast burritos wrapped in aluminum foil served with cilantro sauce on a white platter.

How to Make a Vegan Breakfast Burrito

Once you have all the prep work done, making the burrito is very simple and takes just minutes.

1. Sauté the veggies. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, bell peppers, onions, sweet potatoes, jalapeño (if using), salt and taco seasoning and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft, fragrant and translucent.

Diced vegetables in a cast iron skillet.

Diced vegetables sautéed in a cast iron skillet.

2. Add the black beans and quinoa/rice to the skillet. Toss with the veggies and cook for another 2-3 minutes to warm and infuse with flavor.

Black beans, rice and quinoa overtop sautéed vegetables in a cast iron skillet.

Sautéed vegetables, black beans, rice and quinoa in a cast iron skillet

3. Prepare the desired fix-ins. Prepare the pico de gallo, creamy cilantro sauce and/or vegan sour cream. Slice the avocado.

Homemade creamy cilantro sauce in a white bowl.

4. Assemble the burrito. Scoop the veggie black bean mixture along with your desired fix-ins onto your favorite tortilla. Partially fold the sides as you roll the bottom edge overtop the filling into a burrito.

Mashed sweet potato in a soft flour tortilla.

Sweet potato and sliced avocado on a flour tortilla.

Breakfast Burrito Tips

Crisp and warm the burritos once assembled. For that extra touch, add a griddle effect to the burrito by searing both sides on a skillet for about one minute each. To do so, heat the skillet to medium heat and use a plate, spatula or other flat surface to press down on the burrito, then flip and repeat on the other side. It really does take it to the next level!

Prep most ingredients in advance. This recipe is all about meal prep. I like to dice the veggies, cook the sweet potato and quinoa, and prepare the vegan sour cream and pico de gallo ahead of time so it's all ready to go in the morning. The taco seasoning and cilantro lime sauce can be made while the veggies are sautéing because they take just 5 minutes but it's nice to have everything done in advance!

Use a large tortilla. Using a large flour tortilla will help with rolling and prevent breakage. If you're using small tortillas, this recipe works just as well when served as breakfast tacos!

Vegan breakfast burritos on a white platter served with creamy cilantro lime sauce.

What to Serve with Vegan Breakfast Burritos

One burrito can definitely be a meal in and of itself depending on how much you stuff into it, but the following are delicious options to serve alongside it:

Breakfast potatoes such as tater tots or crispy air fryer hash browns
Fruit salad
Plant-based yogurt topped with granola

How to Store Leftover Burritos

This recipe was designed for meal prepping, so the components can each be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

If you have leftover burritos, I recommend wrapping each individually in aluminum foil (to keep it from unraveling) and storing in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

If planning to meal prep these burritos, leave out the cold ingredients (avocado, pico de gallo, etc.) and add when ready to serve.

Two halves of a vegan breakfast burrito stacked on top of each other showing the insides.

More Healthy Vegan Breakfast Recipes

I really hope you enjoy these vegan burritos! Please share photos of your burritos @eatingbyelaine so I can see your creations!

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Vegan breakfast burritos on a white background next to a bowl of cilantro sauce.