This Cheap Frozen Burrito We Found At The Grocery Store Is Not Worth The Savings

A frozen burrito is one easy way to sneak in a quick and convenient meal. But when we ranked all the cheapest frozen beef burritos we could get our hands on, we knew that those low prices might mean that we'd have to make some concessions on quality. Out of the five we tried, one popular brand really just felt like a placeholder for calories — we'd steer clear of Tina's Beef and Bean Burrito because it's devoid of any enjoyable flavor. 

Our writer suggested that even a protein bar would be better, noting, "When you bite into it, the insides feel like kindergarten paste after the lid has been off for a few hours, and it tastes about the same. The ingredients say it contains green chili peppers and jalapeño puree, but I couldn't taste either in my serving." Sure, the burrito only cost us $0.99 at a Safeway grocery store, but that's the only good thing about it — in fact, we're telling you to save that buck and use it on anything else.

If you've already bought a whole package of Tina's Beef and Bean Burritos (that price is admittedly hard to pass up), you don't have to lament your decision just yet. You can still salvage your purchase by repurposing it. For the easiest enchiladas, start with the frozen burritos, and then top them off with homemade or store-bought enchilada sauce and a thick blanket of shredded cheese. Bake them until they're hot all the way through — with all the extra flavor from the melted cheese and bubbling chile sauce, you've got a pretty passable fix. (In fact, it's a lot like Taco Bell's Enchirito.) Don't forget to add other flavorful finishes as you see fit, like freshly diced onions or creamy avocado on top.

Otherwise, if you're really in the mood for a frozen beef burrito, simply grab any other version. Tina's Red Hot Beef burrito actually ranked higher on our list. Tina's Beef and Bean Burrito might be a regular fixture in the frozen aisle, but it's not worth your time, stomach room, or money.