How To Warm Up Your Leftover Burrito Without Destroying It

With all of the delicious burrito styles to try, knowing how to cook up your leftovers is important. But some foods just don't reheat well, and burritos are certainly one of them. Often stuffed with both cold and hot ingredients, and wrapped snugly in a tortilla, they tend to lose some of their original charm when everything is reheated to the same temperature. Is there a way to warm up a leftover burrito without ruining it?

If your burrito came griddled and golden brown, the air fryer is your best bet to keep that crispy exterior. Simply toss the burrito in the air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for two to five minutes (depending on the burrito's thickness). If you want to elevate your leftovers, you can even melt some cheese on top during the last minute of reheating. A conventional oven can do a similar job, but it takes a lot longer: roughly 15 minutes.

For the speediest result, choose the microwave. Just a minute or two will have your leftovers piping hot and ready to eat. Wrapping your burrito in a damp paper towel before heating will keep it from drying out.

The most foolproof technique, however, may be a combination of the methods mentioned above. Microwaving the leftover burrito first quickly heats the inside, and then a trip to the air fryer revamps the burrito's crispy exterior.

Now, if you are the sort of person who's particular about not warming up your cold toppings (like guacamole, sour cream, and tomatoes), you may have to do a little surgery on the burrito. Carefully unwrap your burrito without tearing the tortilla, then use a fork to scrape out the cold items you don't want reheated. If you are adamant about keeping the original cold toppings, you can simply add them back in after reheating. Alternatively, you can upgrade your leftovers by adding your own homemade guacamole or pico de gallo (or even East Texas Butter Salsa). If reassembling your burrito becomes impossible, just turn it into a burrito bowl.

Ultimately, whether you use an air fryer, oven, or microwave, there's a method out there to keep your burrito leftovers (almost) as tasty as the first time, allowing you to enjoy your meal not once but twice. (You can even use these methods on frozen leftover fast food burritos.)