California Burrito Recipe

The first bite of this California Burrito Recipe is about to blow your mind! Seasoned carne asada, Mexican street fries, salsa, jalapeno sour cream, a blend of cheeses and my favorite creamy guacamole recipe. YUM!!

What more could you ask for? These are the best burritos if you’re craving Mexican food. The best part is definitely the fries. 

What is a California Burrito?

Never seen a recipe for California Burrito? You’re not alone! This french fry stuffed burrito style originated in southern California, in La Jolla, where you can find it in taco shops and food trucks alike.

The french fries or potatoes in this burrito replace rice and beans as the starch.

The fries in this California Burrito recipe have a blend of taco seasoning and cotija cheese. You can make extra fries then serve them as a side dish if you like!

I hope this carne asada burrito becomes a new family favorite!!

If you love carne asada in this Cali burrito then you’ll love my Chipotle Carne Asada Recipe! We make carne asada burritos on repeat all summer.

Ingredients in this California Burrito Recipe

• Large Tortillas – Use a large to extra large flour tortilla for these California Burritos
• Skirt Steak – Skirt steak is a flavorful cut of steak perfect for carne asada
• Carne Asada Seasoning – Okay listen, I am obsessed with this seasoning. Chef Merito Steak and Meat Seasoning is the best for the ultimate California burrito recipe. I also use this in my carne asada marinade.
• French Fries – I use store bought for this recipe but if you want to use homemade, by all means go ahead
• Sour Cream – I mix sour cream with a salsa verde type mix to make a jalapeno sour cream
• Jalapeno – Use fresh jalapenos because you will be roasting them
• Onion – Yellow or white onion is fine
• Garlic – Fresh cloves of garlic are best here
• Lime Juice – Lime goes into the sour cream mix
• Olive Oil – You’ll need a small amount of olive oil for the roasted veggies and the skirt steak
• Salsa – Store bought or homemade salsa works just fine. You can even use pico de gallo if you like
• Avocado – For the guacamole
• Red Onion – This also goes in the guacamole
• Tomato – Another ingredient for the guac
• Cilantro – Fresh cilantro
• Kosher Salt – This is used throughout the recipe
• Sharp Cheddar – You can use any shredded cheddar cheese you like but I prefer sharp
• Pepper Jack Cheese – This California Burrito recipe has a blend of pepper jack and cheddar cheese
• Cotija Cheese – This is a Mexican cheese that is pretty easily found in your local grocery store
• Taco Seasoning – Store bought or homemade is fine. For a homemade blend you can use chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, salt, oregano and a dash of smoked paprika

Equipment needed

• Cutting Board – A large cutting board is my favorite. You’ll need either 2 cutting boards or to thoroughly wash your board after cutting raw meat and before cutting any thing else on it to prevent cross contamination
• Sharp Knife – Using a sharp knife in the kitchen is SUPER important
• Large Skillet – You’ll need a large skillet to cook the skirt steak
• Food Processor – Use a food processor to blend the jalapeno mix
• Small Bowl – Mix the jalapeno sour cream in a small bowl
• Medium Bowl – Make the guacamole in a medium bowl
• Sheet Pans – You’ll need 2 sheet pans. One to roast the jalapeno and onion then one to bake the fries. You can also use large cookie sheets

How to make this California Burrito recipe

First, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the jalapeno and onion on a sheet tray, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt then roast for 20-25 minutes.

Place the roasted veggies into the food processor along with the garlic, lime and salt. Blend until almost smooth.

Stir the jalapeno mixture into the sour cream in a small bowl and set aside until needed.

Peel and seed the avocados then mash them together with the lime juice and salt in a medium bowl.

Add the red onion, tomato, garlic and cilantro. Mix well and set aside.

Bake the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet for the suggested time on the package directions. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and cotija cheese when done.

While the fries are cooking, make the carne asada. Cut the raw steak into small cubes about 1/4 inch thick.

Season the steak and heat your skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into the hot skillet.

Wait another 10 seconds for the oil to heat then add the steak. Let the steak cook undisturbed for 2 minutes to get a nice sear.

Cook the steak to desired doneness. Find a flat surface and make sure you have a clean workspace.

Heat the tortillas in a skillet over low-medium heat with non stick cooking spray until pliable. Just about 10 seconds per side.

Lay the burrito shells out on the flat surface. Layer the ingredients in the center of the tortilla starting with the guacamole.

Then add the sour cream, cheese then fries. Top the fries with salsa then add the steak.

Fold in both sides of the tortilla then grab the end closest to you and roll it up away from you. Make sure to keep the sides tucked in while rolling so your ingredients don’t fall out.

Serve immediately.

This recipe for California Burrito is one of my favorite burritos! I hope you and your family can enjoy them as much as I do.

Next time you’re on the west coast, near the San Diego area, don’t forget to grab a California Burrito! But for now, you can enjoy them in the comfort of your own home.

What kind of tortilla should you use?

A large to extra large flour tortilla is best for this California Burrito recipe. You won’t be able to fit everything in a smaller shell.

I prefer extra large tortillas but can usually only find large unless I’m ordering wholesale.

A large to extra large tortilla should be 10″-12″. Mission burrito shells are a popular brand near me.

Flour shells work much better than corn when making burritos. They hold together much better.

What kind of steak should you use?

This California Burrito Recipe calls for skirt steak but you can also use flank steak. Those are the two most popular steak options for carne asada.

If you’re unable to find either of those then ribeye would be my next choice. It’s flavorful and had a lot of marbling. It would make a delicious, tender and juicy option.

One thing to keep in mind when using skirt or flank steak is to cut against the grain when slicing. This particular recipe calls for small cubes of steak cut while raw.

You can also cook the flank or skirt while it’s whole but then will need to slice against the grain to keep it tender.

Slicing against the grain means slicing in the opposite direction that the muscle fibers run.

Tips for California Burrito Recipe

• Warm tortilla before filling and rolling them so they don’t rip. I just heat a skillet over low – medium heat, spray the skillet with non-stick cooking spray then warm each side so that they’re pliable.
• If you’re not able to find skirt steak then you can use flank steak or ribeye. Ground beef is not recommended for this California style burrito.
• If you like things spicy then grab your favorite hot sauce.
• This can be made into a vegetarian option by leaving out the steak. Still very delicious.
• If you’re not fond of sharp cheddar and pepper jack then any blend can be used. I often see people use a Mexican cheese blend.
• For this California Burrito recipe I prefer to pre-cut my steak into small pieces while raw then season and blend. If you prefer to cut the steak after it’s cooked, that is fine, just remember to let it rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking. Also remember to cut the steak against the grain in thin slices to keep it tender.
• Make sure your skillet is very hot before adding the skirt steak. This will give you a nice sear and flavor on the meat.
• The jalapeno sour cream can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.

Best sides to serve with this California Burrito Recipe

• Mexican Street Fries – Make extra fries with the taco seasoning and cotija cheese and serve as a side
• Summer Fruit Salad
• Refried Beans
• Mexican Rice
• Elote

Storing California Burritos

Ideally you’d want to eat this California Burrito recipe as soon as it’s made and not have leftovers. Leftover burritos don’t hold up well in the fridge.

Fortunately though, you can freeze them. Then pull them out for dinner or a snack whenever you’re ready.

They will last up to 2 months in the freezer.

To freeze them, make sure they’re fully cooled then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap a couple times. Next, wrap them tightly in foil.

Place the burritos on a sheet tray and into the freezer for an hour or two. You want to freeze them first like this before stacking to make sure they don’t smash each other.

Remove them from the freezer and place them in a plastic bag. Place them back into the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheating the frozen burritos

When you’re ready to eat the California Burritos then remove them from the plastic bag and all the wrapping. Heat them in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes.

You can also reheat them in the microwave for about 4 minutes but they will be a little soggier. Crisp them up in the oven at 425°F for a couple minutes after microwaving them.

Additional toppings to add

• Jalapenos
• Hot Sauce
• Cilantro
• Fresh Pico de gallo

• Add some scrambled eggs and make it a breakfast burrito!

Variations & Substitutions

• Skip the tortilla! Make Carne Asada Fries. Use all the same ingredients minus the burrito and make a plate of loaded fries.
• Use regular sour cream or Greek yogurt instead of jalapeno sour cream.
• Use any blend of shredded cheese you like.
• Try corn tortillas instead of a flour tortilla shell to make this recipe into gluten free tacos.

Please leave a rating and/or review

If you make this California Burrito Recipe please leave me a star rating and/or review at the bottom of this blog post! It really means so much and I love to hear feedback.

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