If you had asked me how to fold a burrito a year ago, I wouldn't have been able to answer. However, this year I started working at Fresh Gatherings Café, a local café run by the Nutrition and Dietetics department at Saint Louis University. On my first day at work, I was faced with what seemed like an impossible task back then: making breakfast burritos.
One thing you have to understand is that Fresh Gatherings' breakfast burritos have become the most requested item on the menu. After working multiple morning shifts and making hundreds of burritos, I can proudly say I know how to fold a burrito so the filling doesn't spill out.
Step 1: Warm Up Your Tortilla
In order to achieve burrito perfection, you must begin by warming up your tortillas. This will enable you to fold and wrap your burrito much easier, without tears or rips. Trust me on this one, I speak from experience.
Step 2: Add Your Toppings
Start by adding your first base of toppings. If you're making a breakfast burrito, then you should begin by adding your cheese (so that it melts and sticks to the tortilla), followed by your eggs. If you're making a Chipotle-style burrito, start by adding your rice and beans first.
Step 3: Add The Rest Of Your Toppings
Proceed to add the rest of your toppings before you start wrapping your burrito. When I make burritos at home, I like to add roasted sweet potatoes, more veggies, and maybe even more cheese. At Fresh Gatherings, we add roasted potatoes, sausage, or bacon, and a big drizzle of our house-made chipotle aioli.
#SpoonTip: The secret to successful burrito making is to not over-stuff your burrito.
Step 4: Fold Both Sides Of The Tortillas In
Once you're satisfied with the amount of filling you've added thus far, you can start the folding process. Line up all your toppings in the middle, and start by folding in the two outer ends of the tortilla, to create a pocket or envelope shape.
Step 5: Push All Your Filling Into The Folded Pocket
Then, you push all of your fillings into the folded pocket, leaving a figurative "lid" with the top part of the tortilla that remains.
Step 6: Fold The Remaining Sides Of The Tortilla In
Once you've gotten all of your ingredients in, fold in the remaining sides of the "lid" that remained on step 5. This really helps seal the burrito and prevent all of your fillings from spilling out.
Step 7: Tightly Roll Your Tortilla To Make A Perfect Burrito
Continue to roll the burrito in and keep holding it tightly so that the filling stays wrapped in. After you wrap the burrito tightly, heat it up in the oven or on the stove. This will bring your burrito together, make a slightly crunchy shell, and, most importantly, melt the cheese inside.
Step 8: Slice The Burrito In Half
Last but not least, slice the burrito in half, serve, and enjoy! Take it with you on the go, and experience how people stare at you impressed at the sight of a perfectly wrapped burrito.
Once you learn to master these eight easy steps for how to fold a burrito, you'll never have to witness the sad reality another burrito wrap falling apart ever again.