Catfish Out of Water

Ahhh yes, burrito time. When is it not burrito time? Burritos are one of my favorite things to make. It only takes about 15 minutes to throw some leftovers together. And, with a little fancy pants toasting of the tortilla? This meal looks a lot more impressive than it is! It's also incredibly filling to boot. And this quinoa burrito is no exception. The sweet potatoes and red bell peppers give a hint of sweetness to balance out the earthiness of the quinoa. Add a little bit of Greek yogurt or sour cream and hot sauce? It's my favorite thing for lunch!

This quinoa burrito also combines a mix of spinach, tamari, and rice vinegar. This might not be your typical burrito ingredients! And it definitely has more of a Japanese inspiration than Mexican. But I'm a big fan of mixing and matching culinary genres. A lot of people are skeptical of quinoa because it can be quite bitter. I like to play up this flavor profile by adding acidity and then balancing it out with some sweeter ingredients. The best meals for me have a balance of sweet and savory. With maybe a little kick of spiciness in there. This burrito is much more on the sweet scale than I ordinarily would do. But, if you find that any of my recipes are a little too savory, then this is absolutely the burrito combination for you!

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Variations of Quinoa Burrito

There are a plethora of ways to make quinoa burritos. They're hands down one of my favorites! Flour tortillas are incredibly versatile. You can mix and match so many different flavor profiles. You don't have to stick with Mexican or Latin American food. I'm constantly mixing in Ethiopian, Japanese, and Middle Eastern dishes. Really, the sky is the limit!

Burrito w/ Sweet Potato, Spinach, & Ginger Quinoa

This quinoa burrito combines sweet potatoes, spinach, ginger, red bell peppers, tofu, rice vinegar, and tamari in a delicious mix of flavors. The tofu, rice vinegar, and tamari give a Japanese-inspired flavor profile that works incredibly will to balance out the bitterness of the quinoa and the sweetness of the sweet potato. It's one of my favorite things to make and translates incredibly well to a burrito form!

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Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese, Mexican

Servings 1 serving

Equipment

• Skillet w/ Lid (Preferably Cast Iron)
• Stovetop

Ingredients

  

Quinoa w/ Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, & Ginger

• 1 sweet potato diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 ½ c. spinach chopped
• 2 tsp. ginger fresh, minced
• 1 c. white quinoa
• 3 c. water
• 8 oz. tofu (1/2 package)
• 1 tbsp. high heat oil
• 1/4 c. rice vinegar
• 1/4 c. tamari (or soy sauce of choice)
• dash salt
• dash pepper

Burrito

• 1/3 c. sweet potato, spinach, & ginger quinoa
• 1 tortilla shell
• splash water
• dollop Greek yogurt (optional, omit or substitute for vegan recipe)
• dollop hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

 

Cook Quinoa

• Cook Quinoa w/ Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, & Ginger. 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 used Fresh Turmeric in Olive Oil. You can easily substitute dried turmeric. But there is something particularly refreshing about fresh turmeric! And, if you can find it, mincing it and preserving in olive oil is the key to longevity.

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 Greek yogurt and hot sauce of choice. I like to use Greek yogurt because it's oftentimes healthier than sour cream and pairs well with the nutty flavor of the quinoa. 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!