A burrito is a Mexican flour-tortilla wrap that fully encloses rice, beans, meat, cheese, salsa, guacamole, and crema mexicana inside a 12-inch tortilla rolled seam-down and seared on a plancha. Taco Pros builds every burrito to order with fresh cilantro-lime rice, pinto or black beans, your choice of six protein options — al pastor, carne asada, barbacoa, picadillo, pollo, or veggie — and a blend of Queso Oaxaca and Monterey Jack melted into the fold. ## What Is a Burrito? A burrito is a Northern Mexican flour-tortilla wrap, fully enclosed around a rice, bean, meat, and cheese fill, rolled tight and sealed by a short plancha sear. The Spanish word "burrito" translates as "little donkey" — a diminutive of "burro." The name traces to 19th-century food peddlers in the state of Chihuahua who transported wrapped meals by burro across Northern Mexico, handing the parcels off to field workers at meal time. The burrito mainstreamed through Chihuahuan and Sonoran taquerias in the early 1900s, and later crossed the US border into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. ## The Burrito Build — Tortilla, Rice, Beans, Meat, Cheese, Salsa The classic burrito is a six-component structure — flour tortilla wrapper, rice layer, bean layer, protein centre, cheese, and salsa — assembled in a fixed order to balance texture, temperature, and flavour. ### Flour Tortilla — The Wrapper The burrito wrapper is a 10–12 inch flour tortilla made from wheat flour, lard or oil, salt, and water, warmed on a plancha at 350°F for 20 seconds per side until supple and pliable. Flour tortillas originated in the Mexican state of Sonora in the 1800s, where Sonoran soil and climate favoured wheat cultivation after Spanish colonisation — unlike the corn-dominant south. Wheat tortillas stretch and seal under pressure where corn tortillas tear, which is why every burrito uses flour, not corn. ### Rice — Cilantro-Lime and Mexican Red Two rice styles suit the burrito. Cilantro-lime rice is long-grain white rice finished with fresh cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Mexican red rice (arroz a la mexicana) is long-grain rice toasted in oil then simmered with tomato, garlic, onion, and chicken stock. - Cilantro-lime rice: fresh, acid-forward, pairs with lighter proteins - Arroz rojo: savoury, tomato-deep, pairs with al pastor and barbacoa - Rice per burrito: ½ cup spread across the tortilla centre ### Beans — Pinto and Black Two beans serve the burrito, differing in texture and role. Refried pinto beans (frijoles refritos) are mashed and fried smooth in a 3 mm layer that acts as a moisture barrier. Whole black beans (frijoles negros) stay intact, simmered with epazote (a native Mexican herb) and delivering a firmer bite. - Refried pinto: smooth, creamy, moisture barrier function - Whole black beans: firm texture, simmered with epazote - Beans per burrito: ⅓ cup ### Cheese — Queso Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, Cheddar Three cheeses appear on the burrito. Queso Oaxaca is a stretched-curd string cheese from Oaxaca that melts smoothly at 145°F. Monterey Jack is a mild cow's-milk cheese developed in Monterey County, California in the 1890s. Aged orange cheddar adds sharper depth when blended. - Queso Oaxaca: stretched-curd, 18% fat, strand pull, Oaxacan origin - Monterey Jack: 24% fat, clean melt, mild flavour, California 1890s - Cheddar: 33% fat, sharp, orange-red from annatto - Cheese per burrito: 2 oz shredded blend ### Salsa — Pico de Gallo, Verde, Roja Three classic salsas adjust the burrito heat profile. Pico de gallo is a fresh chopped salsa. Salsa verde is a cooked tomatillo-based green salsa. Salsa roja is a cooked chile-de-árbol red salsa. - Pico de gallo: diced roma tomato, white onion, cilantro, lime, serrano — 2/10 heat - Salsa verde: roasted tomatillo, serrano, cilantro, garlic, lime — 4/10 heat - Salsa roja: chile de árbol, roma tomato, smoked garlic, cumin — 6/10 heat ### Guacamole and Crema Mexicana Two creamy elements round out the burrito. Guacamole is mashed Hass avocado blended with lime, salt, cilantro, white onion, and optional serrano. Crema mexicana is a cultured cream at 30% fat — tangier and sweeter than American sour cream. - Guacamole: 2 tablespoons per burrito, applied near the protein - Crema mexicana: 2 tablespoons per burrito, ribbon-applied across the cheese ### Fajita Veggies — Peppers and Onions Fajita veggies are grilled bell peppers and white onion cut into ¼-inch strips and caramelised on a plancha at 400°F for 4–5 minutes. Red, green, and yellow bell peppers supply colour and natural sweetness, while the white onion adds sharp-sweet caramelisation. A full ½ cup per burrito replaces or supplements the meat protein for lighter builds. ## Meat Options at Taco Pros Six protein choices fill the Taco Pros burrito. Each carries its own cook method and marinade. ### Al Pastor — Trompo-Roasted Pork Al pastor is pork shoulder marinated 12–24 hours in achiote, guajillo chile, and pineapple juice, then trompo-roasted vertically at 450°F under a pineapple crown. A Lebanese-Mexican fusion created in 1960s Mexico City. ### Carne Asada — Grilled Skirt Steak Carne asada is skirt steak marinated in citrus and garlic, grilled at 450–500°F for 3 minutes per side, pulled at 130°F internal for medium-rare, then sliced across the grain into ¼-inch strips. Northern Mexican vaquero tradition. ### Barbacoa — Slow-Cooked Shredded Beef Barbacoa is beef cheek or chuck braised 8–10 hours at 275°F until fork-tender at 205°F internal, then shredded into the burrito with its own consomé. Traditional Hidalgo-state Mexican technique. ### Picadillo — Seasoned Ground Beef Picadillo is 80/20 ground beef browned at 400°F then simmered 15 minutes with diced potatoes, carrots, peas, tomato broth, cumin, and garlic. A Central Mexican loncheria staple. ### Pollo — Chipotle Chicken Pollo is chicken thigh marinated 4 hours in Morita chipotle adobo, then plancha-grilled at 400°F for 5 minutes per side, pulled at 165°F internal, and chopped into ¼-inch pieces. A 1960s Mexican loncheria favourite. ### Veggie — No Meat The veggie burrito is a meat-free build with a full ½ cup of fajita veggies (peppers and onion), a double-bean layer (refried pinto + whole black), rice, cheese, guacamole, crema, and salsa — delivering 18 g of plant-plus-dairy protein. ## Burrito Origins — Northern Mexico Burritos are a Northern Mexican invention that emerged in the state of Chihuahua in the late 1800s and spread through Sonora in the early 1900s. The diminutive name "burrito" — "little donkey" — traces to food peddlers who transported wrapped meals by burro across rural Northern Mexico. Flour-tortilla culture in Sonora enabled the burrito's existence: wheat replaced corn as the regional staple after Spanish colonisation introduced European agriculture to Sonoran soil and climate. - Chihuahua: late 1800s — burrito birthplace - Sonora: early 1900s — flour-tortilla mastery enables nationwide spread - US border states: 1930s–1950s — burrito crosses into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California - San Francisco Mission District: 1960s — large rice-and-bean "Mission burrito" variant emerges ## Burrito vs Taco vs Torta The same fillings appear across three Mexican formats, each defined by wrapper or bread. Format Wrapper / Bread Size Fill Structure Typical Calories Burrito 12-inch flour tortilla Large Fully enclosed, rice + beans + meat + cheese 600–900 kcal Taco 6-inch corn tortilla, double-stacked Small Open-top, meat + aromatics 150–250 kcal Torta Bolillo or telera roll, 6–7 inch Medium Plancha-toasted bread, meat + beans + cheese 500–800 kcal The burrito delivers the highest total fill density of any Mexican handheld — rice, beans, meat, cheese, salsa, guacamole, and crema all in one enclosed parcel. ## How Burritos Are Rolled — The Fold Method A proper burrito roll is a four-step sequence that seals the fill inside the tortilla without tear-through. 1. Warm the 12-inch flour tortilla on a plancha at 350°F for 20 seconds per side until supple 2. Lay fill on the bottom-third of the tortilla — leave 2-inch borders on each side and bottom 3. Fold both sides inward over the fill, then roll the bottom up and over the fill, tucking tightly 4. Finish seam-down on the plancha for 30 seconds per face to seal and lightly char the exterior The final plancha sear caramelises the tortilla surface, fusing the seam and producing a golden crust that holds the burrito intact from first bite to last. ## Order Burritos at Taco Pros Taco Pros builds every burrito fresh to order on a plancha at 350°F with a 5-minute ticket time, from the tortilla warm-up through the final seam sear. **Related pages on the Taco Pros menu:** - [Al Pastor Burrito](../../../../burritos/al-pastor-burritos-pork/) — trompo-roasted marinated pork - [Asada Burrito](../../../../burritos/asada-burritos-steak/) — grilled skirt steak with citrus-garlic marinade - [Barbacoa Burrito](../../../../burritos/barbacoa-burritos-house-special/) — slow-cooked shredded beef, house special - [Picadillo Burrito](../../../../burritos/picadillo-burritos-ground-beef/) — ground beef with diced vegetables - [Pollo Burrito](../../../../burritos/pollo-burritos-chipotle-chicken/) — chipotle-marinated grilled chicken - [Veggie Burrito](../../../../burritos/veggie-burritos/) — fajita veggies with double beans - [Tacos Menu](../../../../tacos/) — 6-inch corn tortilla format - [Tortas Menu](../../../../tortas/) — bolillo and telera Mexican sandwiches - [Protein Bowl Menu](../../../../protein-bowl/) — low-carb bowl format Order your burrito at Taco Pros today.