Sharp cheddar, sweet red pimentos and a little jalapeño make a creamy filling for these skillet-toasted burritos. The tortillas turn golden outside while the cheese softens inside, with no rice or beans to prepare.
Drain the pimentos well and cook over medium-low heat. Those two small details help keep the filling inside and give it time to warm before the tortillas become too dark.
Before you begin
You will need: a mixing bowl, strainer, chopping board and knife, large nonstick skillet, spatula and a food thermometer for reheating leftovers.
Makes 4 burritos, or 4 servings. Estimated prep: 15 minutes. Skillet cooking: 15 minutes. Resting: 5 minutes. Total: about 35 minutes, depending on your pan and how many burritos fit without crowding.
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A heavy skillet helps the tortillas toast evenly. If you need one, a Lodge 12-inch cast-iron skillet on Amazon (paid link) is an optional choice. Use medium-low heat and cook one burrito at a time if two would crowd your pan.
Gather your ingredients
- 4 large flour tortillas, about 10 inches across
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces/170 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 jar (4 ounces/115 g before draining) diced pimentos, drained very well
- 1/3 cup commercial mayonnaise
- 1 small jalapeño, finely chopped, optional; remove seeds and ribs for less heat
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt, only if needed after tasting
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil, divided, for the skillet
- Optional: 1/4 cup sour cream and extra hot sauce, for serving
Let’s make it
- Stir the cheddar, well-drained pimentos, mayonnaise, optional jalapeño, hot sauce, garlic powder, paprika and pepper together in a bowl. Taste before adding salt; the cheese, mayonnaise and hot sauce may provide enough. Keep the filling thick rather than adding extra liquid.
- If the tortillas are stiff, warm them briefly according to their package directions until flexible. Divide the filling into four equal portions. Put one portion in a short strip across the lower center of each tortilla, leaving generous empty space around the edges.
- Fold both sides over the filling, bring the bottom edge up, then roll into a snug burrito with the seam underneath. Do not squeeze so hard that filling pushes out.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Put two burritos seam-side down in the pan. Cook approximately 3–4 minutes, until the seam is sealed and the underside golden. Turn carefully with a spatula and cook another 3–4 minutes until the other side is golden and the filling is hot and melted. Lower the heat if the tortilla colors before the middle warms.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and two burritos. If needed, turn briefly onto the narrow sides to brown them, taking care not to split the seams. This timing assumes freshly mixed filling; reheating refrigerated leftovers requires the temperature guidance in the notes.
- Let stand about 5 minutes before cutting, since the filling is very hot. Serve whole or cut in half with the optional sour cream and extra hot sauce.
A few crafty little tips
- Drain the pimentos thoroughly so their packing liquid does not loosen the filling.
- Use flexible 10-inch tortillas. Smaller ones leave less room to fold without leaks.
- Start seam-side down and let it brown before turning. Avoid pressing hard on the burrito with the spatula.
- Adjust the heat down if the outside browns too fast. The goal is a hot filling and golden tortilla, not a burnt exterior.
- Rest briefly before slicing so the filling is less likely to rush out.
Make it your own
For a milder filling, omit the jalapeño and reduce or leave out the hot sauce. Leave the cheese, pimento and mayonnaise amounts unchanged. If you add other fillings, reduce the pimento-cheese portion so the tortilla still folds securely; any meat must be fully cooked before assembly.
Store it for later
Refrigerate filling or cooked burritos in covered containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3–4 days, counting any time the filling was already stored. Follow shorter ingredient-label instructions if applicable. See USDA leftover storage guidance.
Reheat refrigerated burritos in a 350°F (175°C) oven, loosely wrapped in foil, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Begin checking around 20 minutes and allow longer as needed; uncover at the end to firm the tortilla. Let stand briefly before eating. See USDA reheating guidance.
Quick questions
Are these cooked on an outdoor grill?
Here, “grilled” means toasted in a skillet, like a grilled-cheese sandwich. The method does not require an outdoor grill or guarantee grill marks.
Can I prepare the filling ahead?
You can mix the filling up to one day ahead and refrigerate it covered. Assemble near cooking time to limit soggy tortillas. A refrigerator-cold filling may need gentler, longer heating than the freshly mixed version; check that the center is hot rather than judging only the tortilla color.
Can I freeze the burritos?
The mayonnaise-based filling can separate after freezing, so refrigerated preparation is the more predictable choice. If you do freeze them, thaw in the refrigerator and reheat the center to 165°F; do not rely on browning a frozen burrito quickly in a skillet. See National Center for Home Food Preservation guidance on mayonnaise and freezing.
Can I use lettuce instead of a tortilla?
Lettuce does not behave like a flour tortilla in a hot skillet. It would make a separate cold-wrap variation rather than the crisp grilled burrito described here.
Serve after a brief rest, with sour cream or a little more hot sauce on the side if you like.
Spicy Pimento Cheese Grilled Burritos
Flour tortillas wrapped around creamy cheddar-pimento filling with a little heat, then toasted in a skillet until golden.
Ingredients
- 4 large flour tortillas, about 10 inches across
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces/170 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 jar (4 ounces/115 g before draining) diced pimentos, drained very well
- 1/3 cup commercial mayonnaise
- 1 small jalapeño, finely chopped, optional; remove seeds and ribs for less heat
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt, only if needed after tasting
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil, divided, for the skillet
- Optional: 1/4 cup sour cream and extra hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Stir the cheddar, well-drained pimentos, mayonnaise, optional jalapeño, hot sauce, garlic powder, paprika and pepper together in a bowl. Taste before adding salt; the cheese, mayonnaise and hot sauce may provide enough. Keep the filling thick rather than adding extra liquid.
- If the tortillas are stiff, warm them briefly according to their package directions until flexible. Divide the filling into four equal portions. Put one portion in a short strip across the lower center of each tortilla, leaving generous empty space around the edges.
- Fold both sides over the filling, bring the bottom edge up, then roll into a snug burrito with the seam underneath. Do not squeeze so hard that filling pushes out.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Put two burritos seam-side down in the pan. Cook approximately 3–4 minutes, until the seam is sealed and the underside golden. Turn carefully with a spatula and cook another 3–4 minutes until the other side is golden and the filling is hot and melted. Lower the heat if the tortilla colors before the middle warms.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and two burritos. If needed, turn briefly onto the narrow sides to brown them, taking care not to split the seams. This timing assumes freshly mixed filling; reheating refrigerated leftovers requires the temperature guidance in the notes.
- Let stand about 5 minutes before cutting, since the filling is very hot. Serve whole or cut in half with the optional sour cream and extra hot sauce.
Notes
Makes 4 burritos, or 4 servings. Estimated prep: 15 minutes. Skillet cooking: 15 minutes. Resting: 5 minutes. Total: about 35 minutes, depending on your pan and how many burritos fit without crowding.
Use commercial mayonnaise and well-drained pimentos. The 1/3-cup mayonnaise amount keeps the filling creamy without making it overly loose. Ten-inch tortillas allow space for sealed folds. Cook at medium-low heat to warm the middle before burning the tortilla. There is no meat, rice or beans in the baseline filling.
You can mix the filling up to one day ahead and refrigerate it covered. Assemble near cooking time to limit soggy tortillas. A refrigerator-cold filling may need gentler, longer heating than the freshly mixed version; check that the center is hot rather than judging only the tortilla color.
Refrigerate filling or cooked burritos in covered containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3–4 days, counting any time the filling was already stored. Follow shorter ingredient-label instructions if applicable. See USDA leftover storage guidance.
Reheat refrigerated burritos in a 350°F (175°C) oven, loosely wrapped in foil, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Begin checking around 20 minutes and allow longer as needed; uncover at the end to firm the tortilla. Let stand briefly before eating. See USDA reheating guidance.
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