Catfish Out of Water

I wouldn't say that I make that many standard burritos. I'm more of a: I'm just going to throw anything and everything that I have lying around into a tortilla and drown it in hot sauce, kind of person. There aren't many things that don't go well in burrito form. It's a great way to utilize leftovers. Tortillas are generic enough to go with just about any flavor profile. And adding some kind of Avocado Dip and carefully flavored hot sauce rounds it all out in something that has no business being as delicious as it is with just about whatever you already have lying around. But, here we are with a burrito that actually makes sense with Mexican Rice.

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Variations of Mexican Rice Burrito

I grew the cayenne peppers in my garden. Although you can mix and match your own peppers based on what you have on hand or to fit your spice preference. Bell peppers can be swapped out for a mild flavor profile. Otherwise, the sky is the limit. You can use anything from jalapeño peppers to habaneros.

I tend to grow my own peppers in the fall and use whatever's ripe at the time. I just made a batch of Mexican Rice w/ Sweet Potatoes & Carolina Reapers. Carolina reapers were just dethroned as the hottest pepper in the world (Guinness World Records). Although, Pepper X isn't commercially available to the public. So, right now the hottest pepper on the planet that everyday people have access to is the Carolina reaper. And we don't have to go anywhere near that crazy. It does go to show how easy it is to substitute the peppers out, though!

Burrito w/ Refried Pinto Beans & Mexican Rice

Pinto Beans, Mexican Rice, & Cheddar Cheese Burrito

Burrito w/ Pinto Beans, Mexican Rice, & Cheddar Cheese

Burrito w/ Cayenne Pepper Mexican Rice

This burrito consists of Mexican Rice w/ fresh cayenne peppers, red onion, garlic, bay leaves, brown rice, and vegetable broth (or olive oil).

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Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Latin American, Mexican

Servings 1 serving

Equipment

• Skillet w/ Lid (Preferably Cast Iron)

Ingredients

  

Mexican Rice

• 2 cayenne peppers minced
• 1/4 red onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 bay leaves
• dash cumin
• dash coriander
• dash smoked paprika
• dash salt
• dash pepper
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 c. brown rice
• 2 c. water (or vegetable broth)

Avocado Dip

• 3 avocados
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 limes juiced
• 3/4 c. Greek yogurt
• 1 c. walnuts
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• dash salt
• dash pepper

Burrito

• 1/4 c. beans
• 1/4 c. rice
• 1 tortilla shell
• splash water
• dollop avocado dip (optional, omit or substitute sour cream)
• dollop hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

 

Prepare Ingredients

• Cook Mexican Rice w/ Cayenne Peppers & Bay Leaves. This takes about an hour and requires a rice cooker or stove. You can also easily create a different flavor profile or utilize the produce that you have on hand. I almost always keep a batch of rice or quinoa in the fridge for exactly this purpose.
• I also topped this burrito with Avocado Dip w/ Greek Yogurt, Walnuts, & Lime. This is entirely optional. You can easily substitute sour cream or omit it entirely for a more vegan recipe. Although this avocado dip is my new favorite thing and I highly recommend giving it a try. It's kind of a mix between hummus and guacamole. And is absolutely delicious!

Cook Tortilla

• Preheat the pan on medium-high. If you aren't using cast iron, make sure to lightly oil the pan to prevent sticking.
• Wet both sides of the tortilla and add to the preheated pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown.
• Remove the tortilla from heat and turn the stove off. Add toppings and fold the burrito.
• Turn the stove back up to medium and add the tortilla to the skillet immediately, before it preheats. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown. Rotate until all sides are cooked.
• The first side will likely take longer to cook than the subsequent sides, which may toast in as little as 2 minutes. Adjust the temperature if it's cooking too quickly and burning or too slowly and cracking.
• Top with avocado dip and hot sauce of choice. I like to use Greek yogurt because it's oftentimes healthier than sour cream and this new avocado dip that I'm obsessed with is fantastic. Omit or substitute with a vegan alternative for an entirely animal-product free recipe.
• Serve immediately. You can reheat burritos by lightly wetting them and reheating, but they are never quite the same as they are fresh!

Tips, Tricks, & Notes

• For a more in-depth article on burritos, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Making Burritos. I highly suggest using cast iron and there is precise temperature that works best for cooking at that may vary slightly depending on your stovetop and type of skillet. If you're having trouble rolling the burrito without cracking, there are solutions for this as well!