I'm a huge fan of making burritos. Anyone who knows me, knows that I make 4 or 5 a week. I throw all of my leftovers into them. Absolutely anything and everything that can be wrapped in a tortilla shell and covered in sour cream and hot sauce? I am going to try it! Although there are some key fundamentals to making burritos and some easy pitfalls to avoid.
Type of Skillet
I highly recommend having a cast iron skillet. They're my favorite in almost every scenario. I have a couple of other types of saucepans for things like tomato or cheese sauces, because acidic ingredients will wear out the cast iron. But they are my go-to skillet.
Ordinarily I would advocate using whatever you have, though. Just because I prefer cast iron, doesn't mean that everyone else does! Or that everyone else has them. I know a lot of people who similarly have half a dozen cast iron pots, pans, baking sheets, etc. for every occasion.
But I also know a lot of home cooks who haven't quite gotten on the bandwagon. They are kind of pricey and following cooking fads can be expensive. So, I get it. Just because I want to make paella, doesn't mean that I'm going to run out and grab a paella pan! In most cases I might recommend this the type of skillet, but it's entirely optional and you can use whatever you prefer.
For burritos I really do highly recommend cast iron, though. It has a more even and consistent heat. You also won't get the same kind of charr on another type of skillet. It is possible to do. I have done it before when not in my own kitchen. But cooking times may vary and you will likely not get the exact same result. It is possible to make something comparable, though.
The Key to Cooking Burritos
The key to cooking a burrito is creating a kind of steamer. A lot of people like to throw tortillas in the microwave to soften or even the toaster oven to crisp up again. But there's nothing quite so delicious as a perfectly softened burrito with a nice charr on the outside.
I do this by strategically adding water. I wet the tortilla before cooking and slowly heat the skillet. This creates steam and softens the tortilla, while also creating a crispness.
Burrito Shell Cracking
There are a couple of things that you have to watch for when making burritos. Cook time is the principal issue most of the time.The burrito should cook fairly quickly. I will rotate it 4 times to get an even charr all the way around. And each sides takes about 4-6 minutes to brown.
This timing is fairly important. If the burrito cooks too quickly, make sure to reduce the heat. Otherwise you risk the burrito cooking too quickly and cracking. If the burrito cooks too slowly, make sure to increase the heat. This will cause the burrito to cook too long and will also result in crack.
Not Rolling Properly
If you cook the tortilla too much on the first go around and you can’t roll it without cracking, wet the tortilla again. I use a spray bottle full of water for this, but you can also just drizzle water onto the tortilla and/or pan to create the same effect. This causes steam and moisture to build up and will soften the tortilla.
Afterwards, put the tortilla back on the pan. Add a lid and and let steam while the heat is still off. The residual heat from the pan should be enough to soften the tortilla again. This takes about 2 minutes and then you should be able to roll the burrito.
If the tortilla still doesn’t roll smoothly, wet again and increase to medium-low heat. On my stove this is about a 2 setting. Heat just until you can roll the burrito. Excess heat will cause it to crisp, instead of steam. And adding too much water will cause it to begin to disintegrate or stick to the pan.
Sticking to the Pan
Generally, if a tortilla sticks to the pan, there's either too much water or it just needs a little bit more cooking time. Even on my well-seasoned cast iron pan, the tortilla will occasionally stick a little bit. Usually it's because I tried to fuss with it too soon and it just needs a little bit more cooking time to firm up enough to handle.
If you routinely have this dilemma, though, just add a little bit of oil to the pan before cooking. And be patient! Burritos cook relatively quickly, but it will take about 15 minutes of slowly rotating.
Fillings and Toppings
You can add whatever you like to burritos. I have a couple of favorites, though, that I would recommend giving a try.
Fried tofu and a runny egg are great ways to make breakfast burritos. I have instructions for these in the recipe below.
I'm also particularly fond of putting fun things on top of burritos. The traditional route is sour cream, but I'm not quite as fond of this as some other options!
Greek yogurt is a great alternative to sour cream. I generally like the flavor because it pairs better with more Mediterranean dishes. It also is less calories and aggravates my lactose intolerance without as much vengeance!
Hummus is also another great option. It has the creaminess that you expect from dairy and has a similar kind of earthiness and consistency as refried beans.
Making burritos is quick and easy. I could eat one every day. And almost do actually... But there are some tips and tricks to the trade. No matter what you fill burritos with, the basics still apply. My personal favorite of which is lightly toasting the burrito on sides, preferably on a cast iron skillet!
dollopsour cream(optional, omit or substitute for vegan recipe)
dollophot sauce(optional)
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients
Cook Rice, Quinoa, Lentils, or whatever you would like to fill the burrito with. This takes about an hour and requires a rice cooker or stove. I usually make recipes that consist of potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, shallots, onion, bell peppers, hot peppers, bay leaves, and freshly squeezed lime juice.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 tend to add anything that I have on hand! Which gets a little fun with things like Curry.
I also tend to prepare Salsa and Enchilada Sauce for burritos. Fresh salsa can take about 15 minutes to mix together. More in-depth roasted and simmered sauces usually take less than an hour and require an air fryer and a large pot on the stove. Both types of recipes tend to utilize hot peppers, tomatoes, and onions.
Fry Tofu (Optional)
Drain the tofu and cut in half if you're using a container. Wrap in paper towels to absorb the moisture.It's important to absorb as much water out of the tofu as you can. Oil is less dense than water, so the molecules repel one another. With cold ingredients, this causes separation. When you're frying, though, this can cause boiling hot oil to spray back at you.
Meanwhile, preheat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. On my stove this is about a 6.
When the skillet has preheated and the majority of the water has absorbed into the paper towels, carefully add the tofu to the skillet.
Fry until golden brown. This should take about 2-4 minutes. Rotate until all sides are evenly fried.
Remove from heat and wrap again in paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Cook Tortilla
Preheat the pan on medium-high. On my stove, this is about a 6 with a cast iron pan.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.If you're adding an egg, wrap it slightly less tightly than you ordinarily would in order to leave room for the egg later on. We're intentionally holding off on the egg here! It will need to be cooked after the tortilla is prepared so that the egg doesn't completely set and remains runny.
Turn the heat the stove down to medium-low. This is about a 2-4 on my stove. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown. Rotate until all sides are cooked.
If you're adding an egg, 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.Otherwise, skip to topping the burrito at the end.
Fry Eggs (Optional)
Leave the skillet on medium-high heat and add oil. On my stove, this is about a 6.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.
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!
Top Burrito
Top with sour cream and hot sauce of choice. I like to use Greek yogurt because it's oftentimes healthier than sour cream and pairs well with a lot of the same flavor profiles. 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 preparing tofu, check out my article on Frying Tofu.
In some of the variations of this recipe, I’ve also added sweet potatoes, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and anything else that I have readily available in my garden. This is a recipe where you should feel free to personalize it to your own style.
For sautéed produce, cook ahead of time. Just like when you would prepare tofu.
For fresh produce, add after cooking the burrito. Like when you would add the egg.
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