This article was co-authored by Randall Chambers. Randall (Randy) Chambers is a Personal Chef and the Owner of Luxury Meals From Home based in Arvada, Colorado. He has more than 16 years of commercial kitchen experience, five years of sous chef experience, and two years of experience as an executive chef. Chef Randy draws inspiration from his half Bolivian background and his forte is South American cuisine. He holds an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute.
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The California burrito is a staple of classic West Coast cuisine. There are many variations, but the basic recipe is the same: meat, cheese, french fries, and guacamole, all rolled up into a warm flour tortilla. The burrito is often served with steak or chicken, but feel free to leave out the meat for a vegetarian option. The ingredient portions below will make six servings.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs flank steak or chicken – marinated, cooked, and chopped
- sour cream (to taste)
- guacamole (homemade or pre-made)
- a batch of french fries, 5-15/burrito (should be large, soft fries—not the hard, skinny kind)
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese, or to taste
- 1 flour tortilla per burrito
Steps
Preparing Ingredients
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1Marinate the steak. First, combine these spices in a large, sealable bowl: six minced garlic cloves, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves, the juice of three limes and one lemon, one teaspoon of cumin, and a dash of salt and pepper. Mix well. Place the flank steak into the bowl and coat with the mixture. Cover and place into the refrigerator. Allow the steak to marinate for at least one hour – but do not marinate overnight.
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2Cook the steak. Lightly grease the grill grates of an outdoor grill. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and season it on both sides (lightly) with salt and pepper. Cook the steak on the grill, flipping once, until the steak has reached your desired doneness. Once the steak has finished cooking, remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Slice the steak across the grain into thin slices.Advertisement
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3Make the guacamole. You'll need 3 ripe avocados (peeled and pitted); the juice of one lime; one teaspoon of salt; half a cup of diced onion; 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro; 1 teaspoon of fresh, minced garlic; and one pinch of cayenne pepper. First, mash the avocados in a medium bowl. Squeeze the lime juice and season with salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, garlic, and cayenne pepper. When the guacamole is ready, cover it and refrigerate it until you are ready to dole it into the burrito.
- If you don't want to make the guacamole fresh from scratch, you can use pre-made or store-bought guacamole. Feel free to simply slice avocado directly into the burrito. Avocado (in whatever form) is a crux of the California burrito.
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4Make french fries. You can buy frozen, pre-shaped fries, or you can cut your own fries from raw potatoes. Space the french fries out in a single layer atop a large baking sheet. Bake or deep-fry the french fries according to your personal preference and the package directions.
Wrapping the Burrito
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1Warm the flour tortilla to soften it. Lay it onto the burner of a gas stove for 5-10 seconds, or lightly warm it in a skillet. For a quick fix, try warming the tortilla in the microwave for 30 seconds, or folding it into quarters and lightly browning it in a toaster.
- If you lay your tortilla directly onto a gas burner, be very cautious to ensure that it doesn't catch fire. Do not leave the stove until there's nothing over the flame.
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2Fill the burrito. Lay the tortilla out on a flat surface. Place a line of toppings from one edge of the tortilla about 2/3 of the way to the other edge. A smear of hot, refried beans, some warmed chopped meat, some cheese, warmed rice, avocado, salsa, grated cheese, a bit of sour cream. Don't stack your pile more than 1-2 inches wide and an inch high. If you fill your burrito too full, you might not be able to seal it.
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3Roll the burrito. Fold the corners towards the center, then grab the bottom and roll it up. To seal the burrito, try poking the ends in so that they remain tucked. It may help to dip a finger in water and run it along the margin first.
- Repeat as needed to make more burritos. At this point, you can serve them right away or toast them in a pan.
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4Consider cooking the rolled burrito in a pan. This will lightly brown the sides, seal the fold, and give the tortilla a crispy texture. First, spray a large skillet with cooking spray and turn it to a medium-high heat. Lay the wraps into the skillet, seam-side down. Cook until the burrito is golden brown and crisp on the bottom. Then, turn over and cook until golden brown on the other side. The process should take 2-3 minutes per side.
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5Finished.
California Burrito Shopping List and Recipe
About This Article
A California burrito is a classic staple of West Coast cuisine which consists of steak, cheese, french fries, and guacamole, all rolled up into a warm flour tortilla. To make a California burrito, first marinate your steak. In a bowl, combine six minced garlic cloves, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, the juice of three limes and one lemon, one teaspoon of cumin, and a dash of salt and pepper. Mix well then place your flank steak into the bowl and coat it with the mixture. Next, cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least one hour – but do not marinate overnight. Heat a grill to medium-high heat, then remove the steak from the marinade and season it on both sides (lightly) with salt and pepper. Cook the steak on the grill, flipping once, until the steak has reached your desired doneness. Once the steak has finished cooking, remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. After it has rested, slice the steak across the grain into thin slices. To make your guacamole, you'll need 3 ripe avocados (peeled and pitted); the juice of one lime; one teaspoon of salt; half a cup of diced onion; 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro; 1 teaspoon of fresh minced garlic; and one pinch of cayenne pepper. First, mash the avocados in a medium bowl, then squeeze the lime juice and season with salt. Mix in the onion, cilantro, garlic, and cayenne pepper until well combined. When the guacamole is ready, cover it to prevent it from browning and place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble your burrito.Next, make your french fries. You can buy frozen fries, or you can cut your own from raw potatoes. Space the french fries out in a single layer atop a large lined baking sheet, and bake them according to package directions or at 450°F (232°C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy. To assemble your California burrito, warm your flour tortilla by laying it onto the burner of a gas stove for 5-10 seconds. If you do not have a gas stove, you can lightly warm it in a skillet or microwave it for 30 seconds. Lay the tortilla out on a flat surface and add your meat, cheese of choice, french fries and guacamole until they cover about 2/3 of the tortilla, leaving 1/3 empty to roll. At this time, you can also add refried beans, rice, salsa, or sour cream if you’d like. Don't stack your pile more than 1-2 inches wide and an inch high. If you fill your burrito too full, you might not be able to seal it. To roll your burrito, fold the corners towards the center, then grab the bottom and roll it up. To seal the burrito, try poking the ends in so that they remain tucked. You can seal the burrito by spraying a skillet with cooking spray and browning the burrito on medium-high seam side down. For a crispy burrito, turn it over and cook until golden brown on the other side. The process should take 2-3 minutes per side. Carefully remove your burrito from the pan and enjoy! If you want to learn how to properly roll your burrito, keep reading the article!
