Burrito with shrimp, rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, sour cream and a side of red and green salsa.
Where this dish comes from
The burrito as a wrapped meal traces its modern form to Northern Mexico — particularly Sonora and Chihuahua — where large wheat-flour tortillas became common due to the region's wheat agriculture. The seafood burrito gained traction in Baja California coastal towns, where Pacific shrimp were abundant and cheap, and crossed into Southern California as a staple of Mexican-American taqueria culture. The shrimp burrito today is a fixture from San Diego to San Francisco, representing the Baja-California border food tradition rather than interior Mexican cuisine.
1 lb large shrimp (21/25 count), peeled and deveined
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
4 large (10") flour tortillas
1½ cups cooked cilantro-lime rice (rice cooked with chicken broth, a handful of cilantro, and juice of 1 lime)
1 cup canned black beans, drained and warmed
1 ripe avocado, sliced
½ cup pico de gallo (store-bought or fresh: 2 Roma tomatoes diced, ¼ white onion minced, 1 jalapeño minced, handful cilantro, lime juice, salt)
¼ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
¼ cup chipotle mayo (3 tbsp mayo + 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, blended)
1 cup shredded Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese
Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
1
**Season the shrimp:** Toss shrimp with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
2
**Cook the shrimp:** Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1–1½ minutes per side until pink and just cooked through. Do not overcrowd — cook in batches if needed. Remove from heat immediately.
3
**Warm the tortillas:** Heat each flour tortilla in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side until soft and lightly speckled. Stack under a clean kitchen towel to keep pliable.
4
**Build the burrito:** Lay one warm tortilla flat. Spread 2–3 tbsp of warm black beans in a wide stripe across the lower third. Add ⅓ cup cilantro rice, a handful of shredded cheese (it will melt from the heat), a few avocado slices, and 2–3 tbsp pico de gallo.
5
**Add the shrimp and sauces:** Arrange 4–5 shrimp over the filling. Drizzle with chipotle mayo and a spoonful of crema.
6
**Roll it:** Fold the sides of the tortilla inward, then roll from the bottom up tightly, keeping the seam pressed closed.
7
**Sear the burrito:** Place seam-side down in the same dry skillet over medium-high heat. Press with a spatula and cook 45–60 seconds until golden and sealed. Flip and sear the other side briefly.
8
**Slice and serve:** Cut diagonally in half, drizzle extra chipotle mayo over the cut faces, and serve with lime wedges and extra pico de gallo on the side.