Taco vs Burrito: Difference and Comparison

Mexican dishes emerged in the 16th century when the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire occurred. Food such as corn and beans.

Squash, chili papers, meat from domesticated animals, herbs, spices, and dairy products such as cheese have been the basic staples since then. However, the key spices of Mexican cuisine are also native to Mesoamerica, such as a large variety of chili peppers.

Key Takeaways

1. Tacos are a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla filled with various ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and salsa; burritos are a larger, more filling dish originating from northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, featuring a flour tortilla wrapped around a variety of fillings, including rice, beans, and meat.
2. Tacos use corn tortillas, while burritos are made with larger flour tortillas.
3. Tacos are open and easier to eat by hand, whereas burritos are fully enclosed, making them more portable and less messy.

Taco vs. Burrito

The difference between Tacos and Burritos is that tacos are much smaller than burritos, as one would have to consume several tacos to feel that he or she had a meal. In the case of burritos, one single piece of it comprises a whole meal.

Taco is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of hand-size corn or wheat folded or rolled tortillas filled with various mixtures, including meat such as beef, chicken, beans, mince, vegetable salsa salads, and spices such as chili peppers and herbs. A Burrito is a Mexican made with a cylindrical shaped rolled tortilla filled with various ingredients such as beans, meat, tomatoes, black olives, cheese, and onions.

It is lightly grilled or steamed to sit, allowing it to adhere to itself when wrapped. They are also served wet, covered in savory or spicy sauce.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Taco	Burrito
Definition	Taco is a folded, thin, flat bread filled with meat, cheese, and vegetable salad fried and served with various sauces.	Burrito is a type of food originally from Mexico that is made by folding a thin, round piece of bread and putting meat or beans inside of it.
Size	Tacos are small in size. They are light snacks.	Burritos are large. It is a full meal.
Origin	Tacos are Mexican cuisine that emerged in the 16th century.	Burrito emerged in the 19th century as a Mexican Dish.
Garnishing	Tacos are served with salsa, sour cream, sauce, onion, and cilantro.	Burritos have no specific garnishing when it is served.
Ingredients	The main ingredients used to make tacos are tortillas, meat, vegetables, and vegetable.	The main ingredients in burritos are tortillas, refried beans or meats, rice, and cheese.

What is Taco?

 A taco is a corn or flour tortilla filled with meat such as beef or chicken and vegetables such as lettuce, tomato, onion, and peppers. There are two kinds of tacos.

Soft tacos are made with flour tortillas; crisp tacos are corn tortillas deep-fried in oil to make them crisp.

Toppings include cheese, guacamole, sour cream, chopped tomato, onion, Serrano peppers with salt, lime juice, and cilantro. The tortillas for the Mexican tacos are made from a dough of maize flour and a little plain flour, which are then rolled into small thin circles and then deep fried.

Taco emerged after the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico. There is evidence that the indigenous people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico traditionally ate tacos filled with small fish.

What is Burrito?

A burrito is a large flour flatbread filled with rice, beans, and meat, like ground beef or shredded beef, pork, or chicken. It is also filled with different things like lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, cheese, and onions.

Burritos can be topped with guacamole, sour cream, tomato, onion, Serrano peppers with salt, lime juice, cilantro, or salsa. The origin of the burrito is not known. In 1895 Feliz Ramos identified the burrito as a regional item from the Mexican state of Guanajuato. 

Some have speculated that in the 19th century, it may have originated with vaqueros, the cowboys of northern Mexico.

Main Differences Between Taco and Burrito

1. The Burrito is never considered to be a snack. The size of a burrito is much larger than that of a taco. Therefore, a burrito is normally eaten more as a whole meal. On the other hand, Taco is simply a snack, and one has to eat several of them to substitute for a full meal. Hence, there is a distinct difference in the size.
2. The basic constitution of both Tacos and Burritos is roughly the same. They both are made up of fillings wrapped up in tortillas. However, there are distinct differences in their wrap as a taco is smaller and trimmer in size and has a soft corn tortilla for the wrap. The Burrito, on the other hand, is much thicker and large. Therefore, thick flour-made tortillas are used for burrito wraps instead. They are also flavored, like tomato, spinach, etc.
3. The filling of both the taco and burrito is essentially different. The taco is a single filling item making it a light snack to munch on. The burrito is a whole meal supplement and provides a huge double filling, many enough to fill up the large wheat tortilla completely.
4. The ingredients used in both tacos and burritos are different from each other. The taco has some meat filling wrapped in a warm corn tortilla. The meat could be pulled pork or chicken, but it’s essentially only one kind of meat. On the other hand, a burrito offers a healthy mix; there can be rice, beans, meat, vegetable, and cheese, all wrapped up in a huge flour tortilla.
5. Tacos are an ancient food item and have been around for centuries. Some believe that tacos were innovated in the early 16^th century, whereas burritos are a relatively recent arrival. It is believed that it emerged in the 19th century as Mexican cuisine.

References

1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=avFXqIIomuwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=taco+and+burritos&ots=ms_SxYglW5&sig=9hmGeK1UcZ-K0nxoqwvMB2UQVqA
2. https://www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/title/535816#page=245

Last Updated : 11 June, 2023