Taco versus burrito is a complicated comparison to make since both are very popular Mexican dishes. The main difference between a taco and a burrito is the way they are prepared and served. Tacos are usually made with soft or hard shells and filled with various meats, cheeses, beans, and other toppings.
Burritos are larger than tacos, usually made with flour tortillas, and filled with the same ingredients as tacos plus rice and other ingredients. Let’s dig in to find out more what’s the difference between tacos and burritos.
What Is Taco?
The most popular cuisine for centuries has been tacos. These are typically small corn tortillas with a hard or soft shell and a variety of fillings.
They have existed for a very long time and are regarded as ancient foods. Burritos are substantially larger than tacos, which are much smaller. They typically consist of a hand-sized, warmed maize tortilla wrapping a straightforward filling.
A single taco is offered as a light snack, whereas tacos for dinner require the consumption of multiple tacos and constitute an open-ended meal. In addition, the tortilla used to wrap the taco is considerably smaller than the tortilla used to wrap the burrito.
What Is Burrito?
The burrito is a well-known Mexican savory food that consists of a flour tortilla wrapped around tightly packed tasty fillings. The majority of the time, it may be consumed as a full meal due to its wide range of flavors. It comes in a variety of tastes, including chicken, beef, and pig, and is either satisfying or a nutritious meal.
Typically, burritos begin with a huge wheat tortilla that has a circumference of roughly 30 centimeters. You can place your preferred inside filling in the center and roll it up, neatly tucking the ends inside the roll. The burrito should be sealed from the inside out.
Compared to tacos, burritos can hold more, and they typically start with beans and rice. Burritos come in a wide range of variations.
The words “burrito” translate to “small donkey” in Spanish. A packed burrito bowl can nonetheless live true to its name without the tortilla because a burrito can incorporate, much like a donkey can carry a lot on its back simultaneously.
Related: Top 30+ Most Popular Mexican Foods
Main Differences Between Tacos and Burritos
Tacos and burritos differ mostly in their serving size and method of consumption. While a burrito is frequently consumed as a dinner, a taco is typically eaten as a snack. The kind of wrap that is utilized and how they are put together are also influenced by their fillings.
Different Serving Sizes
Tacos and burritos differ significantly in terms of serving size and function. Many people would classify a taco as a snack. It includes some seasoned beef, cheese, sauce, and vegetables. Typically, it is quite little and slender, approximately palm-sized 5 to 8 inches long. To fill up, you’d likely need two or more tacos.
Contrarily, a burrito is a Mexican or Tex-Mex cuisine made with a soft flour tortilla encasing a hearty filling, much like this wonderful chicken burrito.
Burritos often measure 10 to 12 inches in length, are thicker, and have an oval shape than tacos. Many consume them as a complete meal. Furthermore, it includes a lot of filling items including rice, refried beans, veggies, and meats.
Different Fillings
You’ve probably noticed by now that tacos and burritos both feature comparable fillings. The toppings for these adaptable Mexican recipes have, however, grown increasingly diverse and inventive throughout time.
Salsa, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and a type of seasoned meat like beef or chicken are some of the lighter elements used in tacos. More contemporary varieties, like this simple morning taco, now use other types of protein, like salmon, shrimp, and even eggs.
Authentic Mexican tacos do not have the shredded cheese and sour cream that is typically found in other tacos, which is also a crucial distinction to make.
As for the filler ingredients, burritos are stuffed to the brim with rice, refried beans, salsa, avocado, cilantro, sauce, and a variety of meats like carne asada, pulled pork, chicken, and even fish. Ingenious items may also be found in certain contemporary burrito dishes, like Cheetos, kalbi beef, cheese sauce, and French fries.
Uses Different Wraps
Either hard corn taco shells or soft flour tortillas are used to make tacos. Although there are occasions when restaurants may serve your tacos on wheat tortillas or in fried tortillas for an added crispiness and flavor.
Burritos, however, use bulky, tender flour tortillas. To hold all of the ingredients in a burrito, such flexible flour tortillas are required. Although most burrito tortillas are simple in color and flavor, flavored tortillas with flavors like spinach, tomato, and even roasted garlic have begun to appear on grocery store shelves recently. Your burritos will have more color and a richer flavor thanks to these flavorful wraps.
Assembled Differently
Hard corn tortillas are used to create open-shelled tacos. These crunchy tacos are served upright on plates in a U shape with a guacamole-like dipping sauce on the side. For tacos made from soft tortillas, the situation is different. The fillings for soft tacos are stacked high when they are served flat.
When a taco is served, you have the option of eating it like a burger by tightly wrapping it. Yet, the fillings of both hard and soft tacos are visible.
Burrito assembly is a completely different process. If you’ve observed, burritos are never wrapped in hard corn shells; instead, their ingredients are rolled up in soft tortilla wrap like an envelope so you can’t see what’s inside.
Imagine it as a large roll that contains rice, meat, vegetables, cheese, and condiments as well as a whole meal. Corn shells struggle to hold everything together due to their large serving.
For this reason, mastering the art of professional burrito folding with tortilla wraps is a talent you must develop.
Burritos and Tacos are Consumed Similarly
We can probably all agree that eating tacos and burritos with your hands is the only acceptable method. Eat burritos like you would a hamburger since everything is neatly wrapped. Eating is made simple by the foil and paper wrappers that are added to it.
A soft taco must be eaten like a sandwich by pinching the ends. That might sound a little unusual, but this technique really helps keep the fillings in place.
Yet while it’s not absolutely impossible, eating crunchy tacos is not quite as simple. The secret is to take nibbles from both sides of the taco while holding it in the middle, right below the meat line. To ensure that the fillings remain intact, maintain the taco’s balance by avoiding taking too much of a mouthful on any side.
Some Tacos Have Increased Calorie, Fat, and Salt Content
Tacos can often be considered a calorie-efficient source of fiber and protein.
The amount of calories, salt, and fat in a dish can be greatly increased by adding specific condiments or extras.
Tacos from restaurants are a good example of this. One order of tacos at a restaurant may have more than 1,500 calories and 60 grams of fat.
Tacos are probably higher in saturated fat, especially when they combine cheese and meat. This type of fat can be included in a healthy diet, however, it may be advisable to consume it in moderation.
Furthermore, a number of studies have found that consuming too many fried foods may raise your chance of developing heart disease and death.
Although the body needs salt, which is an essential ingredient, too much salt can elevate blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease. For those who have high blood pressure, this is very crucial.
Burritos and Tacos Can Be Made Healthier
The easiest method to manage how many calories, sodium, and fat they contain is to make your own burritos and tacos. Instead of fried hard-shell tacos, pick soft-shell tacos when dining out. You should also choose a veggie and bean burrito over a beef burrito and a chicken or shrimp taco prepared al fresco over a beef taco.
Cheese and sour cream should be avoided or used in very tiny quantities because they are all heavy in calories and fat. Even while guacamole has beneficial unsaturated fats, it still has a lot of calories, so consume it in moderation.
And choose quinoa in your burrito rather than rice. It is a complete grain rich in protein that can help you feel fuller for longer and fuel your workouts.
Taco Vs Burrito: Which One Is Better?
Despite the fact that tacos and burritos are frequently confused, it is clear that they are completely different foods.
The size of a taco is comparable to a snack.
In contrast, a burrito’s large and incredibly satisfying ingredients, like rice and refried beans, ensure that a single dish will provide a substantial meal.
The appearance, wrapping, assembling, and ingredients of tacos and burritos all differ.
Ultimately, this leaves us with only one choice to make: burrito or taco? Both are great on their own since they may be altered to suit our desires. But if you enjoy eating as much as we do, you must try these two Mexican specialties! Possibly more than one taco at once.