California Burrito with Carne Asada and Crispy Fries

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The burrito San Diego invented after midnight: charred, citrus-marinated carne asada chopped fine, a fistful of hot crispy fries, cool guacamole and sour cream, all rolled tight in a griddled flour tortilla. Oven or air-fryer fries keep it doable on a weeknight — the only real rule is that the fries go in while they're still crunchy and the meat is still steaming.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb flap meat or skirt steak
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, stems included

• 1.5 lb russet potatoes (about 2 large)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp finely diced white onion
• 1 serrano chile, minced (optional)
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 4 burrito-size flour tortillas (12-inch)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
• hot sauce or salsa roja, for serving
• 1 lime, cut in wedges

Instructions

1. Whisk the orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, 2 tbsp oil, garlic, cumin, oregano, 1 tsp salt, pepper and cilantro in a bowl or zip-top bag. Add the steak, turn to coat, and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the fridge. Don't go past 6 hours — the citrus starts to cure the meat.
2. Cut the potatoes into 1/3-inch batons (leave the skin on). Rinse in cold water until it runs clear, then soak in cold water for 10 minutes while the oven heats to 450°F with a sheet pan on the middle rack.
3. Drain the potatoes and dry them thoroughly on a towel — wet fries steam instead of crisping. Toss in a dry bowl with the cornstarch until dusty, then with 2 tbsp oil and 3/4 tsp salt.
4. Carefully spread the fries on the preheated sheet pan in a single layer. Roast 15 minutes, flip with a spatula, and roast 12–15 minutes more until deep golden and crisp at the edges. (Air fryer: 400°F for 18–20 minutes, shaking the basket twice, in two batches.)
5. While the fries roast, make the guacamole: mash the avocados coarsely with a fork and fold in the lime juice, onion, serrano, cilantro and 1/2 tsp salt. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface so it stays green.
6. Pull the steak from the marinade and pat it dry — dry meat is the difference between a sear and a simmer. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until it just starts to smoke, 4–5 minutes.
7. Sear the steak in batches without crowding, 2–3 minutes per side for flap meat or 1.5–2 minutes per side for skirt, until deeply charred outside and medium-rare to medium inside (130–135°F). Rest 5 minutes on a board, then chop crosswise into rough 1/2-inch pieces, mixing the crusty bits back in with the juices.
8. Warm the tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet over medium heat, 20–30 seconds per side, until soft and pliable with a few blisters. Stack them under a clean towel.
9. Assemble one at a time, working fast so nothing cools: lay a tortilla flat, sprinkle cheese in a horizontal band slightly below center, then add a quarter of the hot chopped carne asada, a big spoonful of guacamole, a stripe of sour cream, and a generous handful of hot fries. Don't overfill past a 4-inch-wide band.
10. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in both sides tightly, then roll forward, tucking as you go to keep it compact. Set the finished burrito seam-side down in the hot dry skillet for 45–60 seconds per side to seal and toast the outside. Cut on a sharp diagonal and serve immediately with hot sauce and lime.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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