Exotic and traditional-the Mexican cuisine has a lot of flavors to amuse and enlighten its audience. The rich usage of spices, as well as the massive cultivation of crops, such as corn and cacao beans, makes the cuisine exuberant. Perhaps, it is the exciting and undefined nature of the Mexican cuisine that lures a lot of food explorers towards it.

However, another reason happens to be the presence of many look-alike dishes—for example, the most loved look-alike pair of Burrito and Enchilada. The two have almost an identical appearance, and often, people get confused between them. Although many perceive them as variants of the same dish, both have quite notable differences.

Are you too confused between a Burrito and Enchilada? Well, then worry no more because I have laid down the Burrito VS Enchilada debate in the simplest and comprehensible way possible. Dig in!  

What is Burrito?

Even if you haven’t already had a burrito, you might have seen one on the TV or perhaps in the magazines. As one of the major highlights of Mexica cuisine, this particular dish cannot go unnoticed.

By definition, a burrito is a cylindrical shaped foodstuff that encloses a rather interesting combination of meat, beans, sauces, and vegetables. A flour tortilla forms the exterior of this dish.

Unlike most other dishes, the tortilla of a burrito is often steamed or grilled to soften it. It does not only make it easier to chew but also keeps the inner ingredient intact in place by keeping the exterior tortilla tightly wrapped. Usually, it is eaten by hand. 

A burrito is also known as a wrap as it is a kind of a wrap. However, we cannot say vice versa because a wrap might not necessarily contain the components of a traditional Mexican burrito. Also, a burrito itself has different types. These include:

• Classic Traditional Burrito
• California Burrito
• Breakfast Burrito
• Wet Burrito
• Kogi Burrito
• Mission Burrito

Each differs by the other in terms of its filling. However, the wet burrito comes smothered with sauces on the exterior and often baked in cheese. Thus, it is eaten with the help of a spoon or fork.

What is an Enchilada?

A Mexican delight food, the Enchilada traces its origin back to the ancient times when the Mayan community practiced the consumption of corn tortillas wrapped around small fishes. Later, the initial formal mention of the Enchilada got recorded in the 19th century when the first Mexican cookbook got published.   

An Enchilada refers to a corn tortilla that gets wrapped around a filling and covered with sauce. Depending on the recipe, a diversity of ingredients can get used in Enchilada’s composition. Some common ingredients for filling include potatoes, cheese, and meats. To enhance flavors, the Enchilada also gets garnished using sliced Avocados, Salsa, Cilantro, and other ingredients.

Overtime, a lot of different Enchilada variations have evolved. These include:

• Enchiladas with red chile
• Enchiladas with mole   
• Enchiladas Poblanos
• Enchiladas Montadas

The Key Differences

As mentioned earlier, most people often confuse the two terms. So, after getting our definitions straight, let us learn about the key differences between these two highly resembling foodstuffs.

Firstly, the two differ in regard to their tortillas. A burrito gets prepared from a flour tortilla while an enchilada gets prepared from a corn tortilla. Thus, the taste of each one’s bread varies substantially. Secondly, an enchilada is usually smaller in size than a burrito and usually has a chicken or mutton filling when a burrito mostly contains a filling of beans and meat. Thus, a burrito is also more nutritious.

An enchilada is also layered with sauces and often soaked in them too. Hence, you will surely need a spoon and a fork to devour it. On the contrary, a burrito does not always get soaked in sauces. Therefore, you can eat it by hand.

And, where the Chimichanga come from?

Although Burrito and Enchiladas are the main sources of confusion, they are not the only ones. Apparently, a recent invention that belongs to both Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine has contributed to confusion as well.

The Burrito and Enchilada look-alike, called Chimichanga, refers to a flour tortilla that gets filled with various ingredients and wrapped in rectangular shapes. Then, it gets deep-fried and served with salsa, sour cream, or any other sauce.

Although the origins are unknown, a majority claim that it got invented by accident in Arizona, USA, when the owner of a restaurant dropped a Burrito in a deep-fryer during the early 1920s. However, some say a Macayo’s owner invented it in 1955 when experimenting with a Burrito.