Layered Veggie Burrito with a Griddled Seal

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A taqueria-style vegetarian burrito built the way the pros do it: hot cilantro-lime rice and smoky black beans go down first so they steam the tortilla from inside, then cool guacamole, salsa and shredded lettuce ride on top so nothing wilts. A tight roll and two minutes on a dry skillet fuse the seam shut, giving you a crisp, sliceable burrito that never leaks.

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
• 2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup water or vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 large ripe avocados
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp finely diced white onion
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 medium Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup finely diced white onion
• 1 small jalapeño, minced
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 4 12-inch flour tortillas (burrito size)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 cups shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp neutral oil, for the skillet (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the rice: combine the rinsed rice, water, 1 tbsp neutral oil and 3/4 tsp salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce to the lowest heat and cook 15 minutes. Off heat, rest covered 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Keep the lid on so it stays hot — hot rice is what steams the tortilla soft from the inside.
2. Cook the beans while the rice steams: heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook 6 to 7 minutes, stirring, until softened and browning at the edges. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and chipotle powder and stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add the black beans, 1/3 cup water or broth and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer 5 to 6 minutes, mashing about a quarter of the beans against the pan with a spoon, until the mixture is thick and scoopable with no loose liquid. A dry bean filling is non-negotiable — wet beans blow out a burrito. Keep warm.
4. Make the guacamole: mash the avocados in a bowl with the lime juice, diced white onion and 1/2 tsp salt, leaving it a little chunky. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate.
5. Make the pico: toss the tomatoes, white onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl. Tip it into a fine-mesh strainer set over the sink or a bowl and let it drain while you build — 5 minutes of draining is the difference between a crisp burrito and a soggy one.
6. Warm the tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet over medium heat, about 20 seconds per side, until soft and pliable. Stack them under a clean kitchen towel. A cold tortilla will crack the second you roll it.
7. Build in this order, and only in this order. Lay a warm tortilla flat and imagine a 4-inch-wide, 6-inch-long rectangle just below center, leaving 2 to 3 inches bare on both sides. Scatter 1/4 of the cheese there first, then top with about 3/4 cup hot rice and 3/4 cup warm beans. The heat melts the cheese into a glue layer and keeps the moisture pointed inward.
8. Now the cold layers, on top of the hot ones so they never touch the tortilla directly: 2 tbsp sour cream, 1/4 of the guacamole, 2 heaping tablespoons of drained pico, and finally a small handful of shredded lettuce. Do not overfill — the pile should sit no taller than 2 inches.
9. Roll it tight: fold the near edge up and over the filling, then use your fingertips to pull back and compress the log into a firm cylinder. Fold both sides in toward the center, then keep rolling forward, staying snug, until the seam is on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
10. Griddle to seal: wipe a large skillet or griddle with 1 tsp oil (or leave it dry) and heat over medium. Place the burritos seam-side down and press gently with a spatula. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until golden and the seam has fused, then flip and cook 2 minutes more. Rest 1 minute, then cut on a sharp diagonal and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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