Burrito vs. Enchilada – What’s The Difference?

Mexican food is perhaps the most convenient, cheap, and easy-to-make out of all the food you can buy. There are tons of dishes from Mexico that hypnotized the whole world. These include Chili, burritos, enchilada, tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, and many more.

With this many food items to choose from, one can be easily overwhelmed to decide, especially when you are standing at a Mexican food truck and the hunger is killing you. So, it is important to know what each of these dishes consists of to make the choosing process easier. Knowing what goes into the food item can help you choose what suits you best.

And if you have been eating the same Mexican food for years and don’t eat the rest of the dishes, you’re missing out on a lot. These dishes not only have a unique flavor, but they are made using different ingredients, and some of them are eaten differently from the rest.

This article will talk about two such food items; Burrito and Enchilada. Both have similarities, but they also have some subtle differences that set them apart. So which saying anything else, let’s get into it.

Enchilada

Enchiladas are very popular in Mexico and the US as well. It is believed that the Mexicans have been eating enchiladas (in one shape or another) for thousands of years. Before you assume that our ancestors ate the same Enchiladas as we do, let us stop you right there. Enchiladas were not the same as today; there has been a lot of evolution that made them what they are today.

It is also believed that the Enchiladas were popular among the Aztecs long before the arrival of the Spanish. The Mayan people were also avid consumers of Enchiladas during 2000 – 2500 BCE. The Aztecs made Enchiladas differently, though; they made them by filling a corn tortilla with nothing more than chili.

But today, your local chef might make the Enchilada with tons of different ingredients. But that’s what fascinates us about culinary art; there is always room for improvising, and (through the collective effort of the whole culinary community) the results are superb. Today, Enchiladas are made with a wide variety of ingredients, including rice, various vegetables, meat, and a lot of sauces.

Once the Enchilada is made, more sauce is added on top of it to make things saucy. Many chefs also prefer adding chees and the sauce to add an extra kick to the whole dish, making it exciting and hearty. The most common type of cheese used is queso fresco, a popular Mexican cheese made directly from fresh goat milk (or cow milk).

Burrito

When talking about burritos, the first thing that comes to mind is their sheer size. We mean, it’s not even possible for lightweight eaters to finish a complete Burrito in one go. Burritos are inspired by the Mexicans, but they have their roots in the Mission District (San Francisco).

We are talking about the specific style of making a Burrito which involved wrapping different ingredients like rice, various vegetables, meat, and sauces in a flour tortilla, and then wrapping it in aluminum or tin foil, rolling both ends of the foil into the Burrito (so the fillings don’t fall out), and serving it hot. But there are still a lot of places, especially those close to the Mexican borders and the south, where Burritos are made in the Mexican style. And if you live somewhere in the North, you’ve most likely been eating the Mission Style Burrito.

The difference between the Traditional Mexican Style Burrito and the Mission Style Burrito is that the former is made using fewer ingredients. Generally speaking, no more than two fillings are used while making a Mexican Style Burrito, and they are usually vegetables and beans.

Differences

After reading the article so far, you might be thinking that a Burrito and an Enchilada are the same things. You just have to wrap a tortilla around different fillings, and both of them also have the same Mexican roots. But that’s not the case; several subtle things set the two apart.

Firstly, Burritos are always made using a flour tortilla (softer, less crispy, and more flexible than a corn tortilla). In Mission Style Burritos, the flour tortilla is wrapped around various fillings such as meat, guacamole, various vegetables, meat, cheese, and beans. On the other hand, an Enchilada is made using a corn Tortilla (Which is crunchier, harder and less flexible). Another thing about Enchiladas is their size, which is usually smaller than a Burrito’s.

Secondly, Enchiladas and Burritos have different ingredients used in making them. Although many common ingredients are used in making Enchiladas and Burritos, they are not exactly the same. Enchiladas involve a lot more sauce than Burritos, so If you are an avid lover of extra sauce, the Enchiladas are the way to go for you.

Finally, Enchiladas and Burritos are served in different ways. Enchiladas are served on a plate (usually covered in sauce and cheese), and the Enchilada is then eaten with a fork and knife. This is because there is too much going on the plate, and you can’t possibly enjoy the Enchilada without making a mess. On the other hand, Burritos are wrapped in foil and given directly in hand, and they can be eaten easily while on the go.

If you ask which one is superior to the other, we would say that it all comes down to your personal preferences. If you are the kind of person who usually eats while traveling and moving, the Burritos are the right choice because they involve no cutlery.

So What’s the Difference Between Burrito and Enchilada?

• Burritos are served directly to the hand, while Enchiladas are served on a plate.
• Enchiladas are made using corn tortillas, while Burritos use flour tortillas.
• There is a lot more sauce and cheese involved when making an Enchilada than a Burrito.

Sources

• Greatist
• EddieMexican
• Quora