A burrito is a Mexican dish consisting of a flour tortilla** wrapped around a filling of meat, beans, rice, cheese, and various toppings. Unlike the smaller, more traditional Mexican tacos, the burrito is a large, cylindrical package designed to be eaten with hands — a portable meal that can contain an entire balanced dinner within its tortilla shell.
The burrito’s origins are disputed. Northern Mexico (particularly Chihuahua) claims it as a regional invention from the 19th century, when cowboys needed transportable food. The name means “little donkey” in Spanish — possibly because the wrapped bundle resembled a donkey’s bedroll, or because donkeys were used to transport them. The modern Mission-style burrito, oversized and stuffed with rice, was developed in San Francisco in the 1960s by Mexican immigrants.
Why It Matters
The burrito is the defining Mexican-American food — more American than Mexican in its current form. Chains like Chipotle, Qdoba**, and **Taco Bell** have turned the burrito into a fast-casual industry. The “breakfast burrito” (eggs, potatoes, cheese, and meat in a tortilla) is a distinctly American invention that has spread back to Mexico.
Culturally, the burrito represents the American tendency to take another cuisine’s element and make it bigger, more portable, and more customizable. The “build your own burrito” model — choose your protein, beans, rice, salsa, and toppings — is now the standard format for fast-casual Mexican dining worldwide.
Examples
- Mission burrito: The San Francisco style — oversized, with rice and beans.
- Breakfast burrito: An American invention, now standard in New Mexican cuisine.
- Chipotle: The chain that mainstreamed fast-casual burrito culture.
Related Terms
- Taco, enchilada, fajita
- Mission style, California Mexican
- Tortilla, beans, rice, salsa