If there exists a burrito that makes me want to hand out high-fives like Halloween candy, it’s this burrito right here. And that’s saying a lot considering I am in no way, shape or form, a high-fiver. Roasted portabella mushrooms? Shazam! Roasted chickpeas? INCREDIBLE! Cauliflower Rice? Bangarang! Chimichurri sauce? Whoooaaa nelly!
When it comes to veggie burritos, I love using hearty roasted vegetables to make the meal filling and satisfying. Making burritos meatless isn’t as difficult–the key is in the flavor! Roasting vegetables with spices flavor-blasts them and gives them great texture to sink your teeth into. Adding fun and tasty sauces or spreads, like guacamole, homemade salsa, or chimichurri sauce will surely throw your taste buds for a loopty loop.
What, pray tell, is chimichurri sauce? It’s an Argentinean parsley-based sauce typically used as a marinade or topper for meat. It includes lemon or lime juice, vinegar, oil, garlic, onion, and sometimes cilantro. I like to drizzle chimichurri on vegetables, and even use it as salad dressing. It’s packed with zesty, tangy flavor–perfect for a veggie burrito!
And then there’s the cauliflower rice. Holy canoli! Confession: I eat far more cauliflower rice than regular rice. If you read Kiersten’s tutorial on How to Make Cauliflower Rice, you remember it’s easy as 1-2-3 to prepare, and it tastes amazing (in spite of the fact that it’s not reaaaaaally comparable to rice)! You can replace the cauliflower rice with regular, or leave this a veggie-dense swaddle of joy.
People pleasers beware: your family and friends will request these time and again! High-fives all around!
PrintRoasted Portabella and Chickpea Burritos with Chimichurri Sauce
Filling vegetarian burritos made with meaty portabella mushrooms and crispy roasted chickpeas.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 burritos
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt + additional to taste, divided
- 4 medium-sized portabella mushrooms, stems removed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (optional)
- 4-6 medium tortillas, heated according to package directions
- Chimichurri sauce (see recipe below), cheese, avocado, tomatoes, sour cream and other toppings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Spread chickpeas over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix everything together using your hands. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Brush each mushroom cap with the oil/vinegar mixture and place them cap-side down on a second parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Place both the chickpeas and mushrooms in the oven. Roast for 10 minutes then stir the chickpeas and flip the mushrooms. Roast an additional 10 minutes, or until there are juices seeping out of the mushrooms and the chickpeas are browned and crispy. Set aside.
- While the chickpeas and mushrooms are cooking, start the cauliflower rice. Wash the cauliflower and remove the stems. Chop the head into quarters and grate each quarter using a box grater into a large bowl. You can also use a food processor and pulse the cauliflower in batches until rice-size grains are formed.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté until fragrant and beginning to turn translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another 3 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and 1 teaspoon of cumin. Allow the cauliflower to cook, stirring often, until it cooks down and turns golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste and stir in cilantro, if using.
- Slice the mushrooms into strips. To assemble the burritos, add desired amount of portabella mushroom, chickpeas, cauliflower rice, chimichurri sauce, and other toppings to each tortilla. Roll the burritos and serve.
Notes
Feel free to use cooked brown rice instead of cauliflower rice to save a little time. The yield on this recipe will vary depending on whether you use additional toppings in your burritos.
Chimichurri Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
For the Chimichurri Sauce
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients for the sauce to a small blender or food processor. Blend until thick, smooth, and creamy. (If you prefer, you can leave the sauce somewhat chunky.)
35 Comments
Skye
February 19, 2014 at 8:48 amI don’t often eat burritos because I always think of them as unhealthy. This has completely disabused of that idea! Looks like it’s going to burritos (and high fives) all round… x
Julia Mueller
February 19, 2014 at 11:19 amI tend to be the same way about burritos. I like to keep them on the veggie-packed side, even if I do love huge guacamole-sour-cream-and-cheese-filled burritos 😉 SO glad you like this one and big high-fives right back atacha! 🙂
Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today
February 19, 2014 at 11:37 amI need to make burritos. I used to be obsessed few years ago. Thank you for the recipe and reminding me 🙂
Julia Mueller
February 19, 2014 at 9:29 pmYou got it, Maria! They’re completely packed with flavor and are so great for you! Let me know if you end up trying them!
Tina Paymaster
February 19, 2014 at 12:09 pmThis sounds insanely delicious! So creative to roast the chickpea and use cauliflower rice! Would love to try this in some soft corn tacos or a gluten-free wrap! Thanks for sharing!
Julia Mueller
February 19, 2014 at 9:30 pmOh yeah, you could taco these in an instant using corn tortillas! Also love the idea of a gluten-free wrap. Thanks, Tina!
dishing up the dirt
February 19, 2014 at 12:10 pmJulia, you are KILLING me with these burritos!!! This is just what the doctor ordered. I’ve been in a burrito rut for way too long. Thanks for the inspiration!
Julia Mueller
February 19, 2014 at 9:31 pmYES YOU WILL LOVE THEEEEM! Sorry. I know how you love roasted chickpeas and I’m telling you, the chimichurri sauce is to DIE for! Hope you get these in your belly asap.
Emma
February 19, 2014 at 12:21 pmI really really want this! Like now!
I’m still struggling to find a decent store-bought tortilla wrap here though. They almost always seem to be full of nasty ingredients 🙁
Julia Mueller
February 19, 2014 at 9:32 pmI hear ya, Emma…I’m not a fan of the mass-produced wheat-filled tortillas. I’ve made burrito bowls out of this recipe too by eliminating the wrap altogether! Hope you like them and enjoy the rest of your week 🙂
Judy P
February 20, 2014 at 4:38 pmMake your own tortillas. They are sooooo much better than the store bought ones! You can buy bags of tortilla mix or go from scratch with Masa flour. Most call for lard but you could use vegetable shortening.
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health
February 19, 2014 at 2:31 pmOh these are makin’ me hungry! I love a good meaty portabella. I don’t know that I’ve tried chimichurri sauce before but it sounds perfect on these burritos. Yum!
Julia Mueller
February 19, 2014 at 9:33 pmThese are right up your alley, Sarah! You’ll go bonkers over them and you MUST try chimichurri sauce! Real game changer!
Cara's Healthy Cravings
February 19, 2014 at 4:22 pmI adore burritos and am always looking for new combos of things that I can stuff in a wrap. This is a fabulous option! I love the use of portabellas to give some heft and the soft crunch of the roasted chickpeas = perfection!
Julia Mueller
February 19, 2014 at 9:36 pmOh if you love burritos, you must try these! They’re super easy to make and nothing but healthy for you! It’s as though all of the ingredients were made for each other awwww! 😉 Let me know if you try them.
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
February 19, 2014 at 4:26 pmI love protabellas, this would make such a tasty lunch!
Julia Mueller
February 19, 2014 at 9:37 pmDern right! Whaddya say we open a vegetarian burrito joint and have these be our signature ‘rito? Sound like a deal? Deal!
Joanne
February 19, 2014 at 8:30 pmWill THESE be the burritos that get me to like shrooms…that is the question. I sure hope so! I love all the other components of these…especially the chimichurri for refreshing happy flavor.
Julia Mueller
February 19, 2014 at 9:38 pmHmmmm..that’s a toughy. The shroomages are definitely shroomy in this burrito, but the other flavors and textures definitely soften the shroominess a bit. If nothing else, you could try them and feed them to the.boy! 😉 Men are garbage disposals, right?
Ronnie Fein
February 20, 2014 at 10:15 amOh yes, high fives for these. Dinner!
Julia
February 20, 2014 at 9:34 pmThanks so much, Ronnie! Enjoy!
Meredith Live Local Greens
February 20, 2014 at 3:36 pmI’m high-fiving you from London! These look great! Haven’t tried chimichurri sauce so will have to give it a go. Thanks!
Julia
February 20, 2014 at 9:34 pmLondon’s the farthest distance from which I have been high-fived before! I feel honored! 😉 So glad you’re excited about the recipe and let me know if you give it a go! 🙂
Rachel
February 27, 2014 at 12:55 amI made these on the weekend and they were delish! For some reason there was a shortage of flat leaf parsley so had to go curley leaf and cilantro, but it was still a winner,
I am loving this site, although everything is out of season for me here in NZ! Thank you!
Monica
February 27, 2014 at 10:41 pmThese were outstanding! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Julia Mueller
February 27, 2014 at 10:52 pmAwwww, you got it, Monica! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them. My girl friends and I couldn’t get enough of them either, and now it’s all I ever hear about when I see them, haha! 😉 Must make round two soon!
Tessa
February 28, 2014 at 11:53 pmJust made these for dinner….Seriously delicious. I am not even exaggerating when I say these were one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made. Definitely the best burrito I’ve had in ages. My meat loving boyfriend was over the moon about them too. This is a definite keeper! I loved all the different textures: the meaty mushrooms, the crunch from the beans…
Thanks for the amazing recipe.
Julia Mueller
March 3, 2014 at 10:14 pmTessa! I’m so glad to hear you loved the burritos! I keep telling myself I need to hold out a little longer before I make them again, to ensure I don’t over-do it on them and get sick of the recipe 🙂 I’m a big fan of the meaty mushrooms and crunchy chickpeas, too. For me, the real deal maker is the chimichurri sauce. SO good! Thanks so much for the feedback and enjoy your week!
Tessa
March 4, 2014 at 11:28 amJulia – You are totally right, the chimichurri sauce is the definite pièce de résistance! I had never made it before and it was so good. Made the burritos truly something special.
Maggie
April 20, 2014 at 11:41 pmWow oh wow…I saved this recipe when I saw it, and have been holding out until barbecue season so that I could BBQ the portabellas…we just ate these, and wowwwwwww! Love the sauce, the textures, and this was my first time usig cauliflower rice…I am a convert! Of course, any excuse for roasted chickpeas is welcome in my kitchen. I am going to feed this to every dinner guest this spring!
Thanks for the excellent dinner.
Nicki Escudero
July 22, 2014 at 8:39 pmHi, Julia, I made this last night, and it was delicious! Thanks so much for the great recipe! Nicki
Julia
July 23, 2014 at 12:53 pmThanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed them, Nicki! This is one of those recipes that looks kind of outlandish and strange, but it’s SO good with all the flavors and textures. Thanks so much for your sweet note 🙂
Diane
June 21, 2015 at 3:04 pmI made this 2 days ago and they were delicious. The mushrooms tasted so good and the chimichurri sauce was perfect. I made up some of the leftovers for my daughter and her boyfriend. they through the whole thing in the microwave to heat up and they loved them. I didn’t rice the cauliflower, just used brown rice. Also roasted some extra broccoli with the mushrooms and added those to the burrito too. Final addition was avocado. The whole thing was wonderful. Will definitely be making again.
megan
September 16, 2016 at 12:03 pmI have these on the menu for an upcoming wine + food dinner we host with friends.
I think it will pair perfectly with the cab sav selected for the course! Wondering if I could prepare all ingredients, wrap and freeze a few days out so I can eliminate some prep work?? Have you tried that before?? I get a little nervous with the mushrooms and cauliflower rice as sometimes those might not freeze and re-heat the best??? If anything I could make the mixture and rice a day or so out, then wrap and serve that night?
Your thoughts and opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Kara
January 30, 2017 at 10:17 pmJust made this for dinner. So good! Used cilantro for the chimmichurri since that’s what I had. Yum!