The Best Burritos
Prep
15m
Cook
25m
Total
40m
Bigly says
Here's what nobody tells you about burritos. The BEST burritos. The greatest burritos in the history of burritos — and there have been a LOT of burritos, more burritos than any single food item in the modern era, you can look it up, I've had people look it up, they confirmed it, tremendous research — and these burritos, the ones I am about to give you, beat all of them. Every single one. It's a slaughter. The other burritos are out there crying right now, somewhere, in a sad foil wrapper, knowing that they have been DETHRONED.
Here's the thing about burritos. Most burritos are too WET. They're a soup. They're a soup in a tortilla and the tortilla is trying its best, the tortilla is doing all it can, but the tortilla is OUTNUMBERED. Bean liquid. Watery rice. Salsa that should've been drained. Sour cream applied like spackle. Wet sadness on a plate. The burrito industry has been hijacked by people who don't respect MOISTURE MANAGEMENT, which is a real term, I made it up, but it's real now, you can use it, you don't even have to credit me. Actually do credit me. Credit Bigly.
Scientists — and I've talked to scientists, very smart people, the smartest — food chemists agree that water is the enemy of structural integrity. I had a guy with a PhD explain this to me once for 90 minutes. Worth it. The secret, the one the other sites bury behind 47 popups and a cookie banner asking you to share data with 312 partners which is INSANE by the way, is to dry the rice, drain the beans, build it in LAYERS, and wrap it TIGHT. Tight. A burrito that flops open is not a burrito. It's a salad. We are not making salads today. We are making burritos. The BEST burritos. Believe me.
Ingredients
- 1 lbboneless skinless chicken thighs(thighs, not breasts, thighs have flavor, breasts have regrets)
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1 tspchili powder
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1/2 tspblack pepper
- 2 tbspneutral oil
- 2 cupslong-grain white rice, cooked and cooled(day-old rice is better — drier, less mush)
- 2 tbsplime juice, fresh
- 1/4 cupfresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 (15 oz) canblack beans, canned(drained AND rinsed, do not pour the slime in)
- 1.5 cupssharp cheddar or Monterey Jack, shredded
- 1/2 cupsour cream
- 1 tsplime zest
- 1/2 cupyour favorite salsa(thick salsa, drain off liquid if it's runny)
- 4large flour tortillas (burrito-size, 10-inch)
Steps
- 1
Pat the chicken thighs dry and toss with cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- 2
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook 4-5 minutes per side, until deeply browned and the internal temp hits 165F. Transfer to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes, then chop into bite-size pieces.
- 3
In a bowl, toss the cooked rice with the lime juice and chopped cilantro. Season with a pinch of salt.
- 4
Warm the drained black beans in a small saucepan or microwave just until heated through. Lightly mash about a quarter of them with a fork — this helps them stick to the rice.
- 5
In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and lime zest to make a quick crema.
- 6
Warm the tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet over medium heat, about 15 seconds per side, until pliable. Stack and cover with a towel.
- 7
Build each burrito: lay a tortilla flat, spread a stripe of lime crema down the center, then layer rice, beans, chicken, cheese, and a spoonful of salsa. Do not overfill — about 1.5 cups of filling per burrito.
- 8
Fold in the sides, then roll from the bottom up, tucking the filling in tightly as you go. Place seam-side down.
- 9
Wipe the skillet, return it to medium heat, and add a thin film of oil. Sear each burrito seam-side down 1-2 minutes until golden and the seam is sealed, then flip and sear the other side another 1-2 minutes.
- 10
Slice in half on the bias and serve immediately with extra salsa and crema.
One more thing
That is the burrito. The seared seam. The drained beans. The dry rice. The lime crema that ties it together like a beautiful, beautiful bow on a beautiful, beautiful gift to your face. You eat one of these you will look at every other burrito in your life and feel a quiet sadness, which is the price of greatness, that is the cost of knowing the truth. I pay that price every day. You can too. Now go eat.
★ QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? ★
Ask Bigly about The Best Burritos.
Substitutions, what to serve it with, why other chefs are wrong about it. He's got opinions.
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