Why it works: Beans and tomato match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,713 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Burritos
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Cook the ground beef and onion until the meat is brown and the onion is tender.
Drain the beef mixture.
Stir in the black beans, the undrained can of tomatoes with green chilies, and the chili powder.
Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached.
Reserve 1/4 cup of the filling and set it aside.
Assemble and serve
Wrap the tortillas in foil and heat in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes to soften.
Spoon 1/4 of the remaining mixture onto each tortilla just below the center.
Fold the bottom edge of the tortilla up and over the filling, fold the opposite sides in until they meet, then roll the tortilla up from the bottom.
Top each burrito with some of the reserved filling.
Sprinkle with chopped green onion.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Tortilla | 1 medium flour (45g) | 140 |
| Black Bean | 1/2 cup canned (120g) drained | 114 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Green Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Beans + tomatotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,713 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + beanstop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,242 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beef + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,448 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ground beef
- Provides the savoury, meaty body that fills the burrito.
- Black beans
- Add bulk, soft texture and earthy flavour to the filling.
- Flour tortillas
- Form the pliable wrapper that holds the filling when softened and folded.
- Tomatoes with green chilies
- Contribute moisture and acidity that loosen and season the filling.
The step that matters
Simmer the filling to the right consistency. If the filling is too wet, it leaks out of the tortilla and makes it hard to fold. Simmering uncovered lets excess liquid evaporate, so the mixture holds together when spooned and rolled.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, beef, beans, tomato):
- Okrafits better
- Sweet potatofits better
- Chivefits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, beef, beans, tomato. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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