The 2-Step Trick To Keeping Homemade Burritos Moist In The Freezer

When you're hungry, chowing down on a burrito always sounds like a good idea. But when you have to cook all the different fillings and follow a delicate process for folding the tortillas by hand, you don't always want to take the time to make one from scratch (particularly when you're already ravenous). The solution? Frozen burritos. Sure, you can purchase bags and boxes from the grocery store (and we've ranked some popular brands to help you do so), but, as you know, homemade is almost always better — as long as yours don't dry out in the freezer.

The trick to keeping your food moist is primarily in how you wrap it. You'll want to follow a two-step method here to prevent freezer burn, which can seriously impact the texture of your meal when it's heated up. Before you seal your burritos in airtight zip-top bags, wrap them in foil so that they're not directly exposed to any open air. However, doing this alone can cause some sticking problems when it's time to eat. To prevent these kinds of issues, smear the inside of your foil wrapper just a little with oil (our preference is avocado oil), so your meal will gently slide off when you go to reheat.

If you want to be extra-organized with your freezer burritos, you can also write what type each one is (if you used different fillings) along with the dates on the foil (or the plastic bags) with a Sharpie. And if you don't have foil on hand, feel free to substitute it with parchment paper or even plastic wrap, although you'll want to lightly grease the insides of these, as well.

When it's time to eat, there are a few extra steps you can follow to keep the (hard-earned) moisture in your burritos. Try to eat them within three months of freezing, since their water content can start to decrease after this time. If you're using the oven to reheat, keep your food wrapped in its foil — and if you haven't already used parchment paper, add an extra layer here, too, before it bakes. Heat your burritos low and slow to avoid losing all that moisture, and aim for 25 minutes to half an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to use the microwave, instead, transfer your meal to a damp paper towel so it can steam as it heats, and keep your device's power to 50% for up to five minutes.