How to Fold a Burrito Like a Pro!
You probably just need help visualizing the steps all together. Well I won’t waste your time with a long story. Here is a “How To Fold a Burrito” cheatsheet. Go share it with your friends (or your mom so she can finally make burritos right).
BUT if you want to know the secrets on how to fold a burrito from an ACTUAL Professional who was Born and Raised in Mexico, keep reading!
My name is Jose, and I’ve been cooking carnitas since I was 13 years old! I mean literally learned from my father who learned from his father who learned from HIS father. That’s 3 generations of men who only know how to cook Mexican food.
After spending 25 years cooking carnitas in Michoacán, Mexico, I decided to move to San Diego, California and show the United States what real Mexican food from Michoacán is like!
I’m going to teach you how to fold a burrito, the right way! My goal is for you to be able to fold a burrito that:
- Stays in your hand
- Doesn’t rip apart
- and stays wrapped up until you’re finished!
As a bonus, I’ll even show you how to pick the right tortillas for the perfect burrito.
You’ll never have to worry about it overfilling or from breaking apart again!
After this post is done, you’ll know how to fold a burrito and impress your friends and family. As my son says, all my homies eat!
Pick the tortilla
You need to get the big flour tortillas. The ones that look like this.
Can you use other ones? Yes but they’re small and that means you’ll get a small burrito like this:
Also, stop using those awful Mission Foods tortillas! They aren’t big enough to make a classic overstuffed burrito and the tortillas are usually made in a factory with added preservatives.
They may last longer than fresh flour tortillas from your local mercado (or “store” for my English only homies).
I know it might be convenient to buy flour tortillas from Albertsons or Safeway but you’ll be missing out on the fresh and savory tastes of an authentic flour tortilla.
Go check out your local Mexican Market and pick up a fresh batch of large flour tortillas.
How to Heat Up Tortillas
Stop microwaving your tortillas. Although it’s faster, your tortilla will come out unevenly hot and even steamy.
This can make your burrito either way too hot to hold or worse, randomly cold with each bite.
There’s actually a five step process to this but you can just put it on the stove, wait til it bubbles, and flip it again.
More importantly, don’t make it too crispy or else it’ll be too hard to fold a burrito.
If you’re fingers aren’t already heat resistant from years of flipping tortillas by hand, then feel free to use tongs
Use the corner fold test to make sure you heat it up correctly. You simply take a corner and fold it gently.
If it cracks then it still needs more heat. If it retains its elasticity then you’re good to go! Eventually, with some practice, you will be able to eyeball when your tortilla is ready.
Get your meats and sauces
Obviously I love choosing carnitas and red salsa for my burrito filling. However, you can pick whatever. Just be sure to place all of your ingredients on one side closest to you.
Because I’m using carnitas, I’ll be adding cilantro, beans, rice, onions, and red salsa!
Learn How to Fold a Burrito in 6 Easy Steps
Once you’ve placed all your ingredients in center of the burrito it’s time to learn how to fold a burrito like a pro!
1. Tuck the bottom
You fold the bottom. That’s step one.
2. Scoop the food closer to you
Now use the bottom of the tortilla as a glove to scoop the food closer to you.
3. Fold the sides
Now use your index finders to fold the sides of the tortilla on both ends while keeping the bottom in place with your thumbs.
4. ROLL and Fold Your Burrito!
Now roll your burrito!
And now you know how to fold a burrito!
5. Bonus Step! How To Fold a Burrito like a Pro!
If you want to learn how to fold a burrito like the chiefs at a taco shop, then wrap your burrito in aluminum foil! This helps wrap the burrito shut!
6. Enjoy!
Now that you’re done folding, enjoy the burrito!
Buen provecho!
My Final Burrito Folding Thoughts
Now that you know how to fold a burrito like a real authentic pro, you can enjoy your breakfast, lunch, and dinners like me! With a tortilla.
If you’re a foodie who loves Mexican food, check out our instagram for some hot pics.
If you want to see more of our San Diego cooking style at Carnitas Express, check out our YouTube channel.
And if you want to order the Best Carnitas in San Diego, call us right now! We’re trying to raise enough money to start a local delivery service for our loyal patrons.
And if you want to send thanks to the guy who translated all this “How to fold burrito” tutorial for FREE, hit his Venmo @UCSanDiego or follow him on Linkedin @Chris Landeros. He actually built this site and can help you build yours too!
Happy folding amigos!