Crispy Bacon Quesa Burrito with Citrus Rice and Guacamole

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A griddled cheese-lined flour tortilla packed with hard-crisped bacon, lime-and-orange cilantro rice, and pickled jalapeños — then the cool guacamole goes in last, after the burrito has been seared shut. The melted cheese layer waterproofs the tortilla and the late guac keeps everything crisp instead of steamy, so the last bite is as good as the first.

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

• 10 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho or regular chili powder
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced pickled jalapeños, drained
• 4 burrito-size flour tortillas (10 to 12 inch)

• 2 large ripe Hass avocados
• 2 tablespoons finely diced white onion
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pinch ground cumin

Instructions

1. Cook the rice: combine the rinsed rice, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce to the lowest heat, and cook 15 minutes. Off the heat, let it stand covered 10 minutes.
2. Crisp the bacon hard: lay the bacon in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, dust with the chili powder, and bake at 400°F for 18 to 22 minutes, until deeply browned and rigid — it should snap, not bend. Drain on paper towels, then chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
3. Finish the rice: fluff with a fork, then fold in the butter, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, and cilantro. Taste and add salt as needed. Spread it out on a plate for 5 minutes so it stops steaming — warm rice is fine, wet steamy rice is what makes a soggy burrito.
4. Make the guacamole: mash the avocados in a bowl with a fork, leaving some chunks, then stir in the onion, lime juice, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cumin. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until assembly.
5. Build the cheese seal: heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with the reserved bacon fat. Lay one tortilla in the pan, scatter 3/4 cup of the mixed cheeses over the entire surface, and cook 60 to 90 seconds, until the cheese is fully melted and the bottom of the tortilla is spotted golden. Slide it onto a cutting board, cheese side up.
6. Fill immediately while the cheese is molten: spoon about 3/4 cup citrus rice in a horizontal line across the lower third, top with a quarter of the bacon and a scant tablespoon of pickled jalapeños. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in the left side only, and roll into a tight cylinder — leave the right end open.
7. Return the burrito to the skillet seam side down over medium heat and griddle 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, turning to sear 3 sides, until the tortilla is crisp, blistered, and firmly sealed.
8. Off the heat, spoon a generous 1/3 cup guacamole into the open right end, packing it in with the back of the spoon. Fold that end closed and set the burrito seam side down on the board for 1 minute to set — no need to return it to the pan, so the guacamole stays cool and bright.
9. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, wiping the pan and adding a little more bacon fat between burritos. Cut each burrito in half on a sharp diagonal and serve right away.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

One-Pot Chicken Creole

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem