A veggie burrito is a meat-free Mexican flour-tortilla wrap built on a 12-inch tortilla de harina, filled with cilantro-lime rice, a double-bean protein base (frijoles pintos + frijoles negros), rajas (grilled bell peppers and onions), roasted corn (elote), Queso Oaxaca, guacamole, crema mexicana, and pickled jalapeños — rolled seam-down and plancha-seared to seal. Taco Pros delivers 18 g of plant protein per burrito, with optional sofritas-style seasoned tofu available on request for an additional 8 g of certified-vegan protein. ## What Is a Veggie Burrito? A veggie burrito is a meat-free Mexican flour-tortilla wrap that fully encloses rice, beans, grilled vegetables, cheese, salsa, and crema inside a 12-inch tortilla. The Spanish word "burrito" translates as "little donkey," named for the 19th-century food peddlers who carried wrapped meals by burro across Chihuahua and Sonora. Mexican cuisine has a 3,000-year plant-forward foundation — the indigenous "three sisters" crop trio (corn, beans, squash) pre-dates meat dominance in the regional diet, making a plant-based burrito a return to Mesoamerican roots rather than a modern invention. ## Tortilla de Harina — The Flour Tortilla Wrapper The veggie burrito wrapper is a 10–12 inch tortilla de harina (flour tortilla) made from wheat flour, oil or lard, 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 wheat cultivation replaced corn after Spanish colonisation. For vegan builds, Taco Pros swaps the traditional lard-based tortilla for an oil-based tortilla on request — keeping the full plant-based classification intact. ## The Double-Bean Protein Base The veggie burrito carries two beans — refried pinto (frijoles pintos) and whole black (frijoles negros) — layered together to deliver 18 g of plant protein per burrito without any meat. ### Frijoles Pintos (Refried Pinto Beans) Refried pinto beans are Phaseolus vulgaris beans (speckled brown, nicknamed "painted" from Spanish "pinto"), cooked then mashed and fried in 2 tablespoons of oil per cup until smooth and glossy. Frijoles pintos spread in a 3 mm layer across the bottom half of the tortilla, where they serve as both flavour base and moisture barrier. Protein: 7 g per ½-cup serving. ### Frijoles Negros (Whole Black Beans) Whole black beans are Phaseolus vulgaris in dark glossy form, simmered whole with epazote (a native Mexican herb), garlic, and white onion for 60 minutes until tender but intact. Frijoles negros add textural contrast to the smooth pinto layer and deliver the highest fibre content of any common bean. Protein: 8 g per ½-cup serving. Fibre: 8 g per ½ cup. ### Combined Bean Math The double-bean base delivers 18 g of total plant protein per burrito — the equivalent of a 2.5-oz chicken serving. Beans combined with cilantro-lime rice form a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids (beans supply lysine; rice supplies methionine and cysteine), making the veggie burrito nutritionally equivalent to a meat build on amino-acid completeness. ## Rajas — Grilled Peppers and Onions Rajas are strips of grilled vegetables — red, green, and yellow bell peppers plus white onion, cut into ¼-inch strips and caramelised on a plancha at 400°F for 4–5 minutes. The Spanish word "rajas" translates literally as "strips." The classic traditional Mexican preparation "rajas con crema" uses poblano chile strips instead of bell pepper for a mild-spicy heat profile (rated 2/10) — available at Taco Pros as a seasonal upgrade. - Bell peppers: red, green, yellow, ¼-inch strips, sweet, 0/10 heat - White onion: ¼-inch strips, caramelised sweet, adds sulphur depth - Poblano rajas (optional upgrade): 1,000–2,000 SHU, mild heat, smoky flavour ## Cilantro-Lime Rice (Arroz) Cilantro-lime rice is long-grain white rice toasted in oil, simmered 1:2 in vegetable stock for 18 minutes, then finished off-heat with fresh cilantro leaves, lime juice, and salt. The toast-before-simmer step converts surface starches into a nutty flavour compound and keeps the grains separate after cooking. Portion: ½ cup per burrito, spread evenly across the tortilla centre before the bean layer. ## Roasted Corn (Elote) — Charred Kernels Roasted corn (elote) is sweet yellow or white corn kernels plancha-charred at 400°F for 3 minutes until the kernel edges blacken and develop a nutty roasted aroma. The Spanish word "elote" translates as "corn cob" or "fresh corn," distinct from "maíz" (dried corn used for tortillas and tamales). Corn descends from teosinte — the wild Mexican grass domesticated 9,000 years ago in the Balsas River Valley, making corn the oldest cultivated crop in the Americas. - Corn cultivar: sweet yellow or white, in-season - Plancha char: 3 minutes at 400°F - Portion: 3 tablespoons per burrito ## Cheese, Crema, and Guacamole Three rich elements finish the veggie burrito build. Queso Oaxaca and Monterey Jack cheese blend melts through the heat, guacamole delivers plant-fat richness, and crema mexicana (Mexican sour cream) supplies cultured tang. - Queso Oaxaca: stretched-curd Mexican string cheese, 18% fat, melts at 145°F - Monterey Jack: mild cow's-milk cheese, 24% fat, California 1890s origin - Cheese blend: 2 oz shredded per burrito - Crema mexicana: cultured cream, 30% fat, tangy-sweet, 2 tbsp per burrito - Guacamole: mashed Hass avocado, lime, salt, cilantro, white onion, serrano optional, 2 tbsp per burrito Vegan modification: omit cheese and crema, double the guacamole — the build remains structurally and nutritionally complete. ## Heat Layer — Pickled Jalapeños (En Escabeche) Pickled jalapeños are jalapeño rounds preserved in a vinegar-based brine with carrot, white onion, garlic, and bay leaf, sliced ⅛-inch thick. The pickling process mellows the raw jalapeño heat by approximately 30%, taking the final rating from a raw 2,500–8,000 SHU into a milder, vinegar-brightened 2,000–5,500 SHU range. Taco Pros adds 4–6 pickled jalapeño slices per burrito as the default heat layer; diners can request more or none at ordering. ## Sofritas and Plant-Based Protein Options Sofritas is shredded tofu braised in a chipotle + poblano + tomato adobo, delivering 8 g of certified-vegan protein per ½-cup serving at a flavour profile that matches traditional spiced meat. Taco Pros offers sofritas-style seasoned tofu as an optional plant-based protein upgrade on the veggie burrito, layered with the double beans for a combined 26 g of plant protein per burrito. - Sofritas: braised tofu, chipotle-poblano-tomato adobo, 8 g protein per ½ cup - Vegan classification: no dairy, no egg, no animal byproducts - Mainstream entry: 2014 — the first certified-vegan fast-casual Mexican protein ## Veggie Burrito Nutrition and Protein Math The veggie burrito is nutritionally engineered to match the protein density of meat-based builds through bean pairing and optional tofu addition. Component Standard Veggie With Sofritas Upgrade Calories 650–750 kcal 750–850 kcal Protein 18 g 26 g Fibre 14 g 16 g Complete protein Yes (beans + rice) Yes (beans + rice + tofu) Fibre at 14 g per burrito covers 50% of the adult daily fibre requirement in a single meal — a nutritional advantage over any meat burrito variant. ## Veggie Burrito vs Veggie Taco vs Veggie Torta vs Veggie Protein Bowl The same veggie fill appears across four Taco Pros formats, each defined by its carrier. Format Carrier Size Calories Best For Veggie Burrito 12-inch flour tortilla, enclosed Large 650–750 kcal Full meal, portable Veggie Taco 6-inch corn tortilla, open-top Small 180–240 kcal Light meal, gluten-free Veggie Torta Bolillo or telera, plancha-toasted Medium 550–700 kcal Sit-down lunch Veggie Protein Bowl No tortilla, bowl format Medium 500–650 kcal Low-carb, gluten-free The burrito delivers the highest fill density; the taco delivers the lightest build; the torta delivers the most indulgent bread experience; the protein bowl delivers the most diet-flexible option. ## Order Veggie Burritos at Taco Pros Taco Pros builds every veggie burrito fresh to order on a 350°F plancha 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 - [Burritos Menu](../../../../burritos/) — full burrito line-up - [Veggie Tacos](../../../../tacos/veggie-tacos/) — same fill, 6-inch corn tortilla format - [Veggie Torta](../../../../tortas/veggie-tortas/) — same fill, bolillo/telera sandwich - [Veggie Enchiladas Dinner](../../../../enchiladas-dinner/veggie-enchiladas-dinner/) — same fill, rolled in corn tortillas with sauce - [Veggie Protein Bowl](../../../../protein-bowl/veggie-protein-bowl/) — same fill, low-carb bowl format Order your veggie burrito at Taco Pros today.