Equipment
Ingredients
Rice
- 100 g long grain white rice, rinsed
- 200 ml water
- 2 g kosher salt
Seasoned Beans
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 3 g ground cumin
- 2 g chili powder
- 400 g canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 60 ml water
Assembly
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 100 g cheddar cheese, shredded
- 60 g sour cream
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 547 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 73 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 10 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 983 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 5 mg
- Potassium
- 539 mg
- Calcium
- 354 mg
- Iron
- 6.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 71 mg
- Phosphorus
- 414 mg
- Zinc
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 88 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 10 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.63 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.34 mg
- Niacin
- 4.6 mg
- Folate
- 184 mcg
- Water
- 199 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the rinsed white rice, 200ml water, and kosher salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until the water is completely absorbed.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic, cumin, and chili powder, cooking for 1 minute until highly fragrant.
Add the drained black beans and 60ml of water to the skillet with the aromatics. Simmer gently while using a spatula or potato masher to lightly crush about half of the beans, creating a thick, cohesive filling.
Warm the flour tortillas by placing them briefly in a dry skillet or wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving for 30 seconds. This makes them pliable and prevents tearing.
Lay each warmed tortilla flat. Spoon a quarter of the cooked rice and a quarter of the bean mixture slightly below the center of each tortilla. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
Fold the left and right sides of the tortilla tightly over the filling. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling and the folded sides, then roll tightly away from you to enclose everything.
Optionally, place the rolled burrito seam-side down in a dry skillet over medium heat, surface temperature roughly 175°C/350°F, for 1 to 2 minutes per side to seal it shut and lightly toast the exterior.
Chef's Notes
- Mashing a portion of the beans is crucial; the starches released from the broken beans combine with the water to create a self-thickening sauce that binds the filling together.
- For the best cheese melt, add the shredded cheese immediately on top of the hot beans and rice before folding.
- Warming your tortillas is non-negotiable. Cold flour tortillas lack the elasticity needed to stretch over a bulky filling and will rupture under pressure.
- To enhance the filling, add fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice to the cooked rice just before assembly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store unassembled components separately for best results, or wrap assembled burritos tightly in foil.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze without sour cream, as it separates when thawed.
Reheating: Microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 1 to 2 minutes, or toast in a skillet until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Tortillas tear when rolling
Cause: Tortillas were cold, stale, or overfilled
Fix: Wrap a second warm tortilla around the torn one
Prevention: Ensure tortillas are thoroughly warmed until soft and pliable before attempting to roll, and do not exceed filling capacity
Burrito is soggy
Cause: Bean mixture was too watery
Fix: Toast the finished burrito in a skillet to dry out and crisp the exterior
Prevention: Simmer beans until most of the excess liquid has evaporated and the mashed beans thicken the sauce
Cultural Context
The burrito originated in Northern Mexico and has evolved into a staple of Mexican-American cuisine. Flour tortillas, primarily consumed in the northern regions of Mexico, naturally lend themselves to wrapping hearty, transportable meals originally designed for workers in the fields.
