Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua, Mexico — early 20th century, associated with street vendor Juan Méndez who used a donkey (burro) to carry his food
Burritos originate in Chihuahua and Ciudad Juárez — a large flour tortilla rolled tightly around a simple filling of beans, meat (machaca, guisado), or potato and chile. The authentic Chihuahuan burrito is smaller and more austere than US versions — no rice, no sour cream, no excessive cheese. It is a working-class lunch food: portable, filling, single-filling. The US Mission burrito (San Francisco) is a descendant tradition, but the Chihuahuan original is fundamentally different in scale and philosophy.
Simple, hearty, flour-forward — the tortilla is part of the flavour, not neutral packaging
{"Single primary filling — not a multi-component bowl wrapped in tortilla","Flour tortilla heated on comal until pliable — not cold from package","Roll tightly to prevent unravelling — a loose burrito falls apart when eaten","Filling quantity proportioned to the tortilla — overfilling prevents proper rolling","Beans (frijoles de olla or refried) are the most common single filling in Chihuahua"}
{"For burrito wrapping: heat tortilla, place filling in lower third, fold bottom up over filling, fold sides in, roll up from bottom","A smear of refried bean on the tortilla before filling acts as glue","The Juárez-style breakfast burrito with machaca con huevo is the canonical version","For catering: pre-wrap and hold in a towel — burritos stay warm for 20 minutes when wrapped"}
{"Over-filling — the burrito tears and the filling falls out","Using cold flour tortillas — must be warmed to achieve pliability for rolling","Adding US-style components (sour cream, iceberg lettuce, rice) — changes the dish identity","Rolling loosely — a properly rolled burrito holds its shape without a foil wrapper"}
The Tex-Mex Cookbook — Robb Walsh; northern Mexican tradition