Let me paint you a picture: It’s 6:32 PM on a Wednesday. My hair hasn’t seen a brush since this morning, my inbox is reproducing faster than fruit flies, and my 10-year-old just informed me he needs poster board for tomorrow’s “small project.” Enter stage right: Trader Joe’s Beef, Bean & Cheese Burrito – not exactly a culinary revelation, but hey, at least no one’s going hungry tonight. Let’s see what this new burrito is all about
When “Meal Planning” Becomes “Meal Panicking”
After executing what can only be described as an Olympic worthy sprint from my desk to the car (while simultaneously ending a Zoom call with “Great ideas, everyone!”), I found myself facing the eternal question: “What’s for dinner that won’t make anyone cry?” That’s when this refrigerated cylinder of modest promise caught my eye.
Let me back up a second and talk about how many burrito choices you have at Trader Joe’s. I last counted about 8 fresh burritos in the fridge section with the salads and at least four or five in the freezer section. Some are really good but the majority of them are meh. I recently reviewed the Trader Joe’s Pollo Asado heat and serve fresh burrito and wasn’t very impressed by it. The frozen burritos seem to be better for some reason. Just keep that in mind.
The Great Microwave Compromise
Two minutes in the microwave later, I’m facing the classic convenience food dilemma: food now with subpar texture, or wait 25 minutes for marginally better results in the oven? With a child who’s transformed into a hunger gremlin, microwave it is! The tortilla immediately develops that signature “flexible shoe leather” texture that screams “this was definitely microwaved,” but desperate times call for desperate measures!
What’s Actually Inside This Mystery Tube?
First bite revelation: Where’s the beef? No, seriously where are the actual chunks? The filling has the consistency of baby food a homogeneous paste that suggests the ingredients might have been introduced to each other in a high-speed blender rather than a kitchen. The flavors are surprisingly decent with a nice hint of spice, but the texture is giving “pureed dinner for someone who recently had their wisdom teeth removed.”
The cheese situation can only be described as “theoretical” – there’s a vague essence of cheese, like someone waved a cheddar block over the mixture before sealing it up. I found myself thinking, “I see the word ‘cheese’ on the package, so I’ll take your word for it, Trader Joe’s.”
Financial Reality Check
At $4.49 per burrito, my wallet let out an audible groan. The pricing feels particularly questionable when Trader Joe’s own frozen burrito section offers tastier options at nearly half the price. You’re essentially paying a premium for the “fresh not frozen” label, which seems like a poor investment given the textural disappointments that await inside.
The Swiss Army Knife of “It’ll Do” Foods
Is it the best burrito I’ve ever had? Not by a long shot. Would I serve it to guests? Only if I wanted them to never return. But will I buy it again? Absolutely. Because sometimes “adequate” is the bar we’re aiming for, and this clears it with minimal effort required.
The Verdict: 6/10 Stars of Practical Mediocrity
In the pantheon of foods that have saved me from the edge of parental meltdown, Trader Joe’s Beef, Bean & Cheese Burrito earns a solid “meh plus.” It’s the difference between collapsing into tears at the refrigerator door and triumphantly declaring, “Technically, this counts as dinner!”
For busy professionals whose standards drop proportionally with their available time, this humble burrito isn’t going to win culinary awards, but it will keep body and soul together until you can eat real food again. And sometimes, that’s all you need – a reliable 6/10 performer that shows up when all your other dinner plans have ghosted you.
Trader Joe's Beef, Bean and Cheese Burrito
Trader Joe’s Fresh heat and serve beef burrito has good flavor but some textural issues. Price is kinda high.
Pros
Easy to make
Good Flavors
Cons
Bad texture
Expensive
Ingredients
FLOUR TORTILLA (WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, CANOLA OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF OAT FIBER, VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN, SUGAR, CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR [TO PRESERVE], SALT, MONOGLYCERIDES, MALIC ACID, BAKING SODA, CELLULOSE GUM, GUAR GUM, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE [LEAVENING], NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), GROUND BEEF, PINTO BEANS (PINTO BEANS, WATER, SALT, CALCIUM CHLORIDE), SHREDDED SHARP WHITE CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, MICROBIAL ENZYME, POWDERED CELLULOSE [ANTI-CAKING]), ONIONS, WATER, RED PEPPERS, TOMATO PASTE (TOMATO PASTE, CITRIC ACID [ACIDIFIER]), CORNSTARCH, LIME JUICE, GARLIC, NATURAL FLAVORS, CANOLA OIL, DRIED GUAJILLO CHILE PEPPERS, ANCHO CHILE PEPPER POWDER, CUMIN POWDER, CHIPOTLE PEPPER PUREE (WATER, CHIPOTLE PEPPER), CORIANDER POWDER, CHICKEN BROTH CONCENTRATE (CHICKEN BROTH, SEA SALT, COOKED VEGETABLES [CARROTS, CELERY, ONIONS], CHICKEN FAT, ONION POWDER, CHICKEN FLAVOR, TURMERIC [COLOR], NATURAL FLAVOR), SEA SALT, OREGANO.
- CONTAINS MILK, WHEAT.
