We Tried 5 Fast Food Burritos, and the Best One Was a Total Surprise

The bottom-ranked one was unexpected, too.

For our money, burritos are the pinnacle of casual cuisine. They're entire meals packed into one tidy, delicious tortilla pouch—and it can be any meal, from breakfast to lunch to dinner to late-night snack—that fits in one (or maybe two) hands. As for cleanup? If you’ve been careful and the burrito is well-folded, all you need to do is toss the foil.

How the Burrito Became So Popular in the US

Portability seems to be woven into the burrito’s complex and mysterious origin story. The first known reference to a burrito is from an 1895 Mexican dictionary, defining it as a “rolled tortilla with meat or other thing inside.” While we're not sure where the name comes from, we can reasonably assume it’s derived from "burro," Spanish for donkey—possibly because burritos were easy to transport on the long-eared beast of burden.

It took some time for the burrito to make its way north. The first Mexican-American immigrants in the 20th century came from central Mexico, where corn tortillas were still the standard and tacos were more popular (a trend that would soon catch on in the U.S.). It wasn’t until the 1940s and 1950s, when braceros (migrant workers) from wheat-growing parts of Mexico began packing flour tortilla burritos in their lunch pails, that Americans got their first taste of this portable, almost sandwich-like food. Burritos quickly caught on, especially in Southern California, where they're still a specialty.

From there, the burrito rolled across the country. Today, you'd be hard-pressed to find a corner of American civilization without some version of the burrito—whether frozen, from a food truck, at a Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant, or made at home.

Now, several national and regional chains have built their reputations on burritos. Which one is best? That’s a complicated question. Part of what makes burritos so wondrous is that a broad, steamed flour tortilla is essentially a blank canvas. You can fill it with anything from eggs to fish to veggies to tofu, folding it into an edible work of art.

How We Chose and Tested the Burritos

When comparing and ranking the major players, we felt it was important to stick to the basics. We went with ingredients that all the eateries likely had in common: rice, beans (I prefer black beans), and cheese. For protein, we chose steak instead of ground beef since Chipotle doesn't offer ground beef. We added queso, guac, pico de gallo, and sour cream. To give it a little texture—and make us feel slightly better about our health—we topped it with lettuce. And for an extra kick, we added their hottest salsa or hot sauce, and we were ready to roll.

The Best Fast Food Burritos, Ranked

5th Place: Chipotle Steak Burrito

So much of the burrito experience depends on the person making it. Stretching, folding, and rolling the tortilla so it holds together without tearing is an art form. But that also depends on how much you’re trying to stuff inside. The other key is balancing the right amount of each ingredient. No one expects to get every flavor in every bite, but you don’t want pesky pockets of pure guac or sour cream either.

Unfortunately, this burrito had way too much rice, which spilled out after just a few bites. The steak was a bit bland, too. It probably could’ve used a bit more of Chipotle’s creamy guacamole for flavor—and to help hold everything together.

4th Place: Taco Bell’s Burrito Supreme Steak

It’s hard to compare fast food taco joints to the build-your-own burrito places. Taco Bell's classic Burrito Supreme is usually a mushy mix of refried beans, ground beef, and sour cream. But if you sub in black beans and add seasoned rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, and a dash of chipotle sauce, you've got yourself a pretty satisfying meal. It may not be as hefty as some of its burrito-slinging cousins, but it won't leave you with a belly bomb either.

3rd Place: Taco John’s 'The Boss' Burrito

While we had to Frankenstein a qualifying contestant at Taco Bell, Taco John’s seems to have anticipated our challenge—and delivered with vigor. The Boss comes standard with rice, black beans, cheese, pico, sour cream, and your choice of grilled chicken or steak. But it was the tangy, smoky chipotle lime sauce that brought everything together. We just added a dollop of creamy guac and desperately resisted the urge to toss in some of its irresistible potato olés.

2nd Place: Moe’s Southwest Grill Sirloin Steak Burrito

The protein should be the star of any burrito. After all, it's usually the one ingredient mentioned in the name: Chorizo Breakfast Burrito, Poke Burrito, Southwest Tofu Burrito, etc. But with a fully loaded burrito, it's easy for the meat to get lost. Not at Moe's. That’s why the chain ranks so high here: Even under a mountain of rice, beans, and sauce, the sirloin steak stood out in smoky, juicy splendor. Bonus points for Moe's Hard Rock N’ Roll sauce, which added a tangy, fiery kick.

1st Place: Qdoba Grilled Steak Burrito

As we mentioned earlier, balance is key when it comes to burritos—the more ingredients you add, the more that can go wrong. That’s why Qdoba stood out—nearly every bite had at least three ingredients. First, juicy steak, rice, and pico de gallo; then, rice, sour cream, and beans. Plus, Qdoba is known for its three-cheese queso and its zesty hand-smashed guacamole, both of which got equal billing in this lunchtime feature. We might grab another one for tomorrow's lunch.

Read the original article on All Recipes.