Steak Burritos

We've taken all of the best elements of a good steak burrito and created a recipe that's healthy and quick thanks to a few easy shortcuts. Here's how:

Salsa and rice are staples in a good steak burrito. While most recipes add them separately, we blend them together by cooking instant brown rice in a combination of water and salsa. This gives the rice flavor and eliminates the step of adding salsa by itself at the end. Using store-bought salsa and instant rice saves time (instant rice takes only 5 minutes to cook) without losing out on flavor. Opting for instant brown rice adds fiber which fills you up faster and keeps you satisfied for longer.

Canned beans are one of the healthiest canned foods you can eat, because they offer a healthy dose of fiber and protein. (And opening a can of beans is a lot faster than cooking them from scratch!) Because canned foods can be higher in sodium, look for low-sodium or no-salt-added beans. If you can't find a lower sodium option, rinsing the beans under running water can help wash excess sodium away.

The steak in a good steak burrito should be tender and easy to slice and eat. We chose strip steak, which is both naturally lean and quick to prepare if you slice it thinly before cooking. We opted for 12 ounces of steak in this recipe for four servings which saves on calories and helps prevent the burrito from becoming over-stuffed and messy to eat.

Over-sized tortillas may make rolling up a burrito easier, but they also add extra calories. We opt for 8-inch whole wheat tortillas instead. They're big enough to hold all of the filling, especially when the burrito is wrapped in foil after rolling. This gives the burrito an added layer of support and helps keep it together while you eat it, peeling back the foil as you go.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer