WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Supersized Tex-Mex burritos are mainstays in restaurants across the United States, and it’s hard to deny their appeal: They’re full of flavor and fun to eat. But making them at home can be surprisingly tricky —making the filling and assembling the burritos can be time-consuming, and the flour tortillas get soggy and gummy, or worse, can fall apart altogether. We wanted a streamlined recipe that we could make anytime. First, we traded long-braised meat for ground beef, which cooked quickly and lent itself nicely to flavorful seasonings. Creamy pinto beans complemented the beef well. Browning our aromatics and spices bloomed their flavors, and adding tomato paste gave the mixture a concentrated savory flavor. To keep the filling from falling out of the wrapped burritos, we mashed a portion of the beans into a paste to bind everything together. For even more flavor and a bit of pizzazz, we sprinkled on extra cheese and broiled the assembled burritos. The crisped tortillas provided a crunchy contrast to the rich burrito filling.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1¾ cups chicken broth
• ¾ cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt
• ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 12 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
• 10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2½ cups)
• 6 tablespoons sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring 1¼ cups broth, rice, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until rice is tender and broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Add cilantro and fluff with fork to incorporate; cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, and chile powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Using potato masher, coarsely mash half of beans with remaining ½ cup broth in bowl, then stir into skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until nearly all liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining whole beans, lime juice, and ¾ teaspoon salt; cover to keep warm.
4. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Wrap tortillas in damp dish towel and microwave until warm and pliable, about 1 minute. Lay warm tortillas on counter. Mound warm rice, beef mixture, and 1½ cups cheddar across center of tortillas, close to bottom edge, then top with sour cream. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, fold sides then bottom of tortilla over filling, pulling back on it firmly to tighten it around filling, then continue to roll tightly into burrito.
5. Place burritos, seam side down, on prepared sheet and sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheddar over top. Broil until cheese is melted and starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve.