If you could take a peek inside my Seamless order history…
you would discover that I’ve recently become a bit obsessed with mushroom burritos — and so I decided it was time I make my own.
As it turns out the most difficult thing about this recipe is mastering your burrito rolling but once you do, it’s a skill that will not go to waste because you’ll want to make these again and again.
After all, if you, like me, live for dynamic, layered flavor, burritos are literally a dream come true: all of that savory, spicy, crunchy, creamy goodness married underneath a soft, warm blanket of tortilla. Hello! Every bite is like taking a tiny flavor adventure.
For this burrito, tender, umami mushrooms are tossed in a buttery spice blend and layered with savory rice, sharp cheddar and creamy pinto beans - but please do not stop there! Include your add-on’s of choice: I like mine with crunchy radishes, homemade guacamole & sour cream. And don’t forget your favorite salsa or hot sauce. As always, follow your flavor intuition and make this recipe your own.
Savory Shiitake & Creamy Pinto Bean Burritos
Makes 1 Burrito
1 burrito-sized flour tortilla
2 medium Shiitake Mushrooms, cleaned & dried (you can also substitute with other mushroom types)
Kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Neutral oil (avocado, sunflower, safflower, canola)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp Adobo Seasoning
Shy of 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
Shy of 1/4 tsp Ancho Chili Powder or Cayenne Powder
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
2 Tbsps Creamy Pinto Beans
3 Tbsps cooked rice, cooked in vegetable broth with a pinch of salt
2-4 thin slices Sharp White Cheddar, more if you want it extra cheesy!
2-3 Tbsps Sour Cream
OPTIONAL: thinly sliced radish rounds, homemade guacamole or pico de gallo
First cook up a batch of 1/2 cup uncooked rice and my Creamy Pinto Beans. These will render a few burritos but the following is instructions for making one burrito.
TIP: You’ll want to cook your rice in vegetable broth instead of water (half broth, half water works too), and add a pinch of salt. This imparts it with a lot more flavor.
If you plan to make homemade guacamole or pico de gallo, you will prep those first, too.
Then once your rice, pinto beans and any add-on’s are ready, make your mushrooms: score your clean, dry shiitakes along the top side, making cuts that are about an 1/8 inch deep. This helps them to lay flat in the pan and cook evenly. Hit both sides with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat, and then add the mushrooms to the pan, scored side down: they should sizzle! If they don’t, remove them and let the pan get sufficiently hot first.
When the top side is golden brown, flip and sear until the bottom is golden - a few minutes per side.
Then remove the pan from the heat and place mushrooms on a cutting board until cool enough to handle. Cut into strips that are 1/2 inch wide .
Place your now empty pan back over a medium heat. To the pan add 1 Tbsp of butter and 1/4 tsp each of: Adobo Seasoning, Garlic Powder and freshly ground Black Pepper. Add just shy of 1/4 tsp of Smoked Paprika, and Ancho Chili Powder or Cayenne Powder. Stir everything together so that the spices are evenly distributed throughout the butter. When the butter is starting to get bubbly, add your strips of mushrooms back to the pan and toss in the butter and spice mixture for a minute.
Then remove the mushrooms again and set aside, leaving all of the excess butter and spices in the pan over medium heat. Now, don’t walk away! Stand over the butter just until it starts to smell toasty and turn brown. At that point immediately remove the pan from the heat and add your 3 Tbsps of cooked rice to the brown butter and spice mixture. Toss so that the rice is thoroughly coated. If you burn your butter and spices, don’t worry just skip this step and use plain cooked rice. You can also add fresh cilantro to your rice if you like.
Set the pan off to the side and make sure your burner is turned off. It’s time to build your burrito: to a large burrito sized flour tortilla, lay down your rice, beans and mushrooms a little bit off-center. Then top with your add-ons: sliced cheddar cheese, radish, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo etc. The key here is making sure you don’t overstuff the burrito or make it too liquid-y. If you do, it will be impossible to wrap (that’s why I’ve given you measurements for how much rice & beans to add).
To go about wrapping your burrito, first fold in the two sides. Then lift the side of the burrito that is facing you and fold it over those two sides and all of the ingredients. Use that to tuck in all of your ingredients, pulling them towards you into a little pouch. Finally turn the burrito over to seal that last side. If you’re a visual learner I love this video tutorial from Thrillist.
Now that your burrito is rolled, it’s time to get it warm and crunchy. This is where the magic happens!
That pan you had your spices & butter in? Give it a good rinse and then dry it off completely (seems annoying, I know, but using one pan for all of this really just means fewer dishes later!). Place this pan back over a medium-high heat and add enough of a neutral, high-smoke point cooking oil to just coat the entirety of the bottom of the pan. When the oil is shimmering and hot, add your burrito to the pan FLAP SIDE DOWN. You first want to seal this side off. Allow it to get golden brown and crispy, a few minutes depending on how hot your pan is. Then flip and repeat on the top side, until golden and crispy.
Eat while warm and enjoy with even more of your favorite toppings and hot sauces!