This is a great recipe if you are looking for a tutorial on how to make a quesarito. The quesarito started as a secret menu item at Chipotle and was later added as a regular menu item at Taco Bell. This recipe is more like the one you would find at Taco Bell as far as the ingredients go but it could be adapted as a copycat recipe for either restaurant. The quesarito is basically a quesadilla that is wrapped up into a burrito. This burrito is stuffed with taco meat, cilantro-lime rice, chipotle sauce, and sour cream. The best way that I found to prepare the quesadilla is to microwave the cheese between two tortillas wrapped in paper towels. Once the tortillas come out of the microwave, the cheese is melted and the tortillas are soft and easy to roll into a burrito. The burritos can be browned in the pan but that is totally optional. There is a lot of work involved in this recipe but you can save time by using things such as packaged taco seasoning. Enjoy.
How to make a quesarito
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Ingredients
Beef
- 1 1/3 lbs lean ground chuck
Taco seasoning (or use packaged taco seasoning)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons masa corn flour
- 4 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon
Cilantro-lime rice
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- juice and zest of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
Chipotle sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons minced jalapenos (from a jar)
- 2 teaspoons juice from jalapeno jar
- 3/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch of salt
Other
- 8 burrito-sized flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Sour cream
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Make the chipotle sauce. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, minced jalapenos, jalapeno juice, ¾ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- Make the taco seasoning. In a small bowl combine masa corn flour, chili powder, onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, seasoning salt, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon cumin, garlic salt, ¼ teaspoon sugar, minced onion and beef bouillon. Mix well and set aside.
- Cook the ground beef. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck into the skillet and cook while breaking the meat up into chunks with a spatula until browned. Drain off any excess grease. Add 3/4-1 cup of water and the taco seasoning to the ground beef. Mix well and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Simmer until almost all of the moisture has cooked away.
- Make the rice. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the rice and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper, zest and lime juice, cilantro and ¼ teaspoon cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for about 15-16 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the rice to sit covered for an additional 10 minutes.
- Make the quesadilla. Lay out a sheet of paper towel onto a microwave safe plate. Add one tortilla on top of the paper towel. Add a thin layer of cheese, then another tortilla. Pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds or until the cheese is melted.
- Finish the burrito. On top of the tortilla, add a tablespoon of sauce down the middle. Top with rice and seasoned beef. Roll and spray the outside lightly with cooking spray. Place a skillet over medium heat and lightly grill the outside of the burrito on all sides.
Notes
You can also use packaged taco seasoning instead of making your own.