Like many Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes, the burrito emerged as a way to make use of common and beloved ingredients—tortillas, meats, beans, and seasonings. Since then, hundreds if not thousands of renditions of this dish have emerged.
Sure, bland beans and leftover meat wrapped in a tortilla can pass as a burrito…but that’s not necessarily the best way to approach this dish. A burrito should burst with flavor, yet no single note should overwhelm another. The tortilla should be soft and tender yet serve as a secure casing for the inner ingredients.
If you’re thinking that sounds delicious, then stay with us as we dive into some tips for making the best burritos.
Balance is important not just in the burrito itself but in what goes into the burrito. The best burritos strike a balance between all the different flavors and textures: earthy beans, spicy meat, gooey cheese, tangy guacamole, and creamy sour cream.
Choose Your Protein
Some burrito ingredients are negotiable, but protein is not. So one of the first steps to making your burrito is choosing which protein you’d like to use.
Options include pork, beef, chicken, and shrimp, as well as plant-based options like beans and tofu. Once you figure out whether you’d like to whip up meat-based or plant-friendly burritos, it’s time to select the exact ingredient. For example, beef burritos could consist of seasoned ground beef or grilled chuck steak, aka carne asada. When you choose a cut of meat, you should consider cost, cook time, and your desired end result.
As with all dishes, choosing high-quality ingredients will lead to a better end result. So look for fresh proteins and inspect meat carefully before purchasing.
Time Your Cooking Steps
Biting into a warm tortilla only to be met with a cold filling is a quick way to ruin a burrito-eating experience. However, making sure all the ingredients are warm when it comes time to assemble can be a bit tricky. To help with this, take a look at cooking times and do your best to manage time well.
If you’ll only need 20 minutes to cook rice but ten hours to slowly simmer pork carnitas, you don’t want to start each component at the same time. Rather, you can check in on the carnitas and put on the rice when the meat is almost done. This way, you’ll end up with fully cooked ingredients that aren’t overcooked.
If you find that your meat, beans, or rice are done a bit before you need them, you can keep them warm on the stove until it’s time for assembly.
Why are Restaurant Burritos Better than Homemade?
FAQ
How to make burrito more flavorful?
What makes a burrito good?
What goes good in a burrito?
What makes a good Burrito?
The best burritos strike a balance between all the different flavors and textures: earthy beans, spicy meat, gooey cheese, tangy guacamole, and creamy sour cream. While one burrito tactic is to get creative with innovative burritos, there’s also something to be said for keeping things simple and traditional.
Is a burrito a healthy food?
The individual components of a burrito, such as beans, rice, onions, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and meat, are healthy foods. But, other ingredients, such as the six-inch flour tortilla, sour cream, guacamole, contain many calories.
What is a satisfying Burrito?
A satisfying burrito is just like an old wine that’s hard to get but definitely quite satisfying. It is like a euphoric experience that you might find only in Mexico or a Mexican restaurant.
What do you serve with burritos?
The burritos are wrapped individually so it’s easy to take out only the number you need. I serve them with canned refried beans and Spanish rice from a boxed mix. —Jennifer Shafer, Durham, North Carolina. The pineapple salsa in these hearty burritos gives you a taste of the tropics on a chilly day.