This salmon burrito is truly an amalgamation of everything that I have on hand right now. I know that it seems like an odd combination. It seemed like an odd combination going into it! But I'd just made Salmon and I had Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Lentils lying around. So, what else was I supposed to do other than make a burrito??
Now, that might not be what most people would be thinking. But bear with me. Seafood pairs very well with Mexican food. There are plenty of delicious fish tacos or shrimp tostada. Rice and seafood are also popular the world over. So it's not entirely out of the question that salmon might pair well with Latin American-inspired dishes!
And this recipe did not disappoint! I paired freshly baked salmon with pumpkin lentils, a runny egg, and even a dollop of Hummus and hot sauce.
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Not sure exactly what perturbed Esméralda about this burrito. I think that it might be because she thinks that the salmon is for her, while the hot sauce isn't quite as appetizing...? But she was quite curious and then unhappy all at once! As I am editing this, she is also sitting on my shoulder and watching herself watching the burrito with a similar look on her face.
Variations of Salmon Burrito
I am incredibly fond of putting everything into a burrito! From rice and beans to curry and salmon. There are plenty of other things to do with salmon, though. It's an incredibly versatile fish with a delicate and not too fishy flavor. It's an oily fish that tends to hold its shape well and add an almost sweetness to other dishes. This year, I've been particularly fond of making salmon and quinoa salad, seafood chowder, and salmon burger patties.
This salmon burrito is an amalgam of leftovers. This week I made baked salmon, sweet potato and pumpkin lentils, and homemade hummus. So, why not combine all of them together? This might seem like kind of an odd combination, but the sweetness and subtlety of the pumpkin lentils pairs perfectly with the delicacy of the baked salmon and the creaminess and earthiness of the hummus.
This is a recipe for leftovers! I made pumpkin lentils and hummus this week so I had them lying around. Because this is not one of those recipes that can quickly be put together in its entirety! It's easiest to make over a couple of days or to take the general concept and incorporate in whatever leftovers you have into the burrito. As always, work with what you have on hand or have the time and energy to put together. Most importantly, have fun with it!
I usually top burritos with a little sour cream or Greek yogurt. This time, I had hummus lying around and this paired perfectly! This is entirely optional. But if you want to recreate exactly what I've done here, prepare Hummus. This requires chickpeas/garbanzo beans, lemons, garlic, tahini, and olive oil. The dried chickpeas need to soak overnight and take about 2 hours to simmer on the stove.
Cook Pumpkin Lentils. This takes a couple of hours to cook and purée the pumpkin and then make the lentils. It requires an oven, aluminum foil, food processor, and rice cooker.
I also utilized some leftover salmon recipe. Baked Salmon takes about 15 minutes to cook in the oven, depending on the size of the filet. Otherwise Barbecue Salmon can also be made wrapped in foil on the grill.
Cook Tortilla
Preheat the skillet 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 lentils and salmon. Fold the burrito. Wrap it slightly less tightly than you ordinarily would in order to leave room for the egg later on.We're also intentionally holding off on the egg! It will need to be cooked after the tortilla is prepared so that the egg doesn't completely set and remains runny.
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.
Remove from heat and set aside. It's best to cover so that it doesn't cool off to quickly. But this isn't entirely necessary.
Cook Eggs
Leave the skillet on medium heat and add oil.I use a pretty well seasoned cast iron pan to cook eggs, so I don't add any more than a spritz of oil. You may need upwards of a teaspoon for other types of pans, though. Use just enough so that your eggs don't stick!
Crack egg into the pan.It should be hot enough that the egg sizzles, but doesn't deep fry or brown immediately.
Let cook until golden brown on the bottom and you can flip the egg with ease. The whites should be fairly set on both sides, but not completely cooked.You want to cook this relatively quickly so that the egg yolk doesn't set, though. It should take about a minute or two. Turn the heat up if the egg whites don't cook quickly enough or down if the egg yolk starts to cook. Also immediately flip if this happens!
Flip and turn off the stove. Cook for another 30 seconds, or until the egg white is completely cooked. It should already be mostly set and this should take no time at all!
Immediately remove the egg from heat.
Complete Burrito
Carefully unwrap the burrito slightly and place the egg inside. Rewrap the burrito and squeeze slightly so that the egg begins to run.You don't have to break the yolk, but it will continue to cook inside of the warm burrito shell. So, if you don't, you might not get that runny egg! This will also be kind of messy and I recommend eating over a plate or wrapped in parchment paper or food storage wraps. I have a set of reusable beeswax wraps for this.
Serve immediately. Before the egg cooks!
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!
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