A burrito is a popular Mexican food consisting of a flour or corn tortilla wrapped around a filling. The filling typically contains rice, beans, meat, cheese, and other ingredients. While burritos come in many varieties, there are a few other Mexican dishes that resemble burritos in appearance.
Tacos
Tacos are one of the most common foods that look similar to burritos. Like burritos, tacos contain meat, cheese, lettuce, and other fillings wrapped in a tortilla. However, tacos use smaller corn or flour tortillas that are folded over rather than wrapped. The tortilla is not fully enclosed around the fillings like a burrito. Tacos also tend to have fewer ingredients than burritos. The most common proteins are ground beef, chicken, pork, or fish.
Tacos al Pastor
One variety of taco that closely resembles burritos is the taco al pastor. These tacos are made with thin slices of pork that are stacked and roasted on a vertical spit, similar to shawarma. Slices are then carved off the spit and served in small tortillas with pineapple, onions, cilantro, and salsa. The sliced meat and shape make these tacos look very similar to burritos.
Breakfast Tacos
Breakfast tacos are another variety that can look like burritos. They are made with flour tortillas stuffed with eggs, potatoes, bacon, cheese, beans, or other breakfast fillings. The larger size of the flour tortilla allows it to be wrapped around more fillings, giving breakfast tacos a similar shape to burritos.
Enchiladas
Enchiladas are another Mexican food that resembles burritos. They consist of corn tortillas that are dipped in chile sauce, wrapped around meat, cheese, or other fillings, and baked. Enchiladas are typically covered in more sauce and cheese before serving. The wrapped shape gives enchiladas a similar appearance to burritos. However, enchiladas use smaller corn tortillas compared to the large flour tortillas used for burritos.
Enchiladas Suizas
One popular type of enchilada that looks a lot like burritos is the enchilada suiza. These enchiladas use corn tortillas stuffed with chicken or cheese, then covered in a creamy green tomatillo sauce. The green sauce helps disguise the shape of the tortilla, making enchiladas suizas appear even more burrito-like when wrapped and baked.
Chimichangas
Chimichangas are essentially deep-fried burritos. They are made by stuffing flour tortillas with meat, beans, cheese, and other fillings, then folding them into a burrito shape and deep-frying them. The crisp outer shell of fried tortilla can help hold the chimichanga together, allowing it to be stuffed with more fillings. While the frying gives chimichangas a different texture from burritos, their general size and shape when stuffed remain very similar.
Chimichangas vs Burritos
| Chimichanga | Burrito |
|---|---|
| Deep fried | Not fried |
| Crispy outer shell | Soft and flexible tortilla |
| Can hold more fillings without breaking | Tortilla can tear if overstuffed |
| Typically smaller | Typically larger |
Flautas
Flautas, also known as taquitos or rolled tacos, are corn tortillas that are filled with meat, cheese, or other fillings, tightly rolled, and fried. The frying helps the tortillas hold their cylindrical rolled shape. Flautas are usually thinner than burritos since they use smaller corn tortillas rather than large flour tortillas. However, their tight wrap and rolled appearance gives them a similar look to burritos.
Flautas vs Burritos
| Flautas | Burritos |
|---|---|
| Smaller corn tortillas | Large flour tortillas |
| Tighter cylindrical wrap | Looser wrapped style |
| Fried crispy | Soft and steamy |
| Usually served as an appetizer | Main dish |
Fajitas
At first glance, fajitas may not bear much resemblance to burritos. However, when wrapped in a tortilla, fajitas can look quite similar. Fajitas consist of grilled meat, onions, and peppers served on a sizzling skillet. To eat fajitas, the meat and vegetables are typically placed in the center of a warm flour tortilla and wrapped like a burrito. The wrap encloses the ingredients so they take on a long burrito-like shape. The main difference is that burritos are pre-assembled, while fajitas are wrapped at the table.
Conclusion
While burritos have a distinctive wrapped shape, there are several other Mexican foods that resemble burritos when wrapped in tortillas. Tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, flautas, and fajitas can all take on a cylindrical burrito-like form when served in tortillas. However, each dish has variations in ingredients, cooking methods, and serving styles that give them their own unique identities. Comparing them side-by-side shows how similar and different these Mexican specialties can be. So next time you see a dish wrapped in a tortilla, look closely to determine if its a burrito or just shaped like one!