Why Do Burritos Always Taste Better At A Restaurant?

The homemade burrito can be a sad thing compared to the majesty of what you get at your favorite taco stand or Mexican restaurant. You brown the meat, wrap it up in a store-bought tortilla with beans or rice, and toss some jarred salsa on top. It's a perfectly serviceable meal if you have access to decent quality premade ingredients, but one bite into a restaurant burrito puts all of your pretensions to rest — it's bursting with flavor, perfectly wrapped and stable, and has that intermingling alchemy of ingredients that makes you question everything you're doing in the kitchen. So what is the key to replicating that? Well, Tasting Table reached out to an expert, Yara Herrera, a chef and partner at Hellbender in New York City, to ask why burritos always taste so much better at restaurants.

Herrera told us something that will immediately ring true, saying, "A freshly made flour tortilla is something that sets a basic burrito apart from a great burrito." Just like how good fresh bread is the secret to a better sandwich, the flavor and texture of a fresh homemade flour tortilla blows the pre-made ones away and elevates the whole experience. But taste is just part of the equation. Herrera added that a fresh tortilla is also about "how properly it holds together as you eat it." Herrera explained that in addition to the tortilla, "All these results stem from the ratio and placement of ingredients."

So how do you properly fill a burrito just like a restaurant? Well Herrera has it down to a science, telling us, "25% rice, 25% beans, 30% protein, 10% guac, 10% salsa, 10% lettuce or pico de gallo is my go to ratio." Herrera notes, "You want to make sure you don't sauce your burrito to the point where it gets soggy." And while the ratio of fillings for your burrito is important, Herrera says you also have to build it correctly by starting with a good foundation so it holds together. Herrera's method is to start with the "first layer being rice, it's the strongest and can absorb the sauces. Followed by beans and protein and topping all of that off with sauces and lettuce."

If you are going to follow Herrera's advice and make a quality tortilla, there are plenty of tips for making homemade tortillas that will help you achieve restaurant-quality results. And while your properly filled fresh tortilla will be the biggest upgrade, don't think you can neglect the filling. You probably know the quality of your carne asada or beans is important, but making great homemade salsa is another upgrade that is absolutely transformative compared to using the stuff from the supermarket. It may be extra work, but if you want those restaurant-level results for your burrito, you need restaurant-level freshness from your ingredients.