Quesadilla vs Taco vs Burrito: Differences You Need to Know
Quesadilla, Taco, and Burrito are the three Mexican dishes that come to the mind of patrons, whenever they visit the Mexican restaurant. Each of these dishes is quite popular and delectable in taste and flavor, and often patrons get confused about which one to pick. In this guide, we will outline the differences between each of them and help you decide which one best suits your cravings and preferences.
What Are Quesadilla, Taco and Burrito?
Quesadilla, Taco, and Burrito are classic Mexican dishes, each crafted with fresh tortillas and packed with a variety of fillings according to your preferences.
Quesadilla
A quesadilla is a large corn tortilla, folded in half, and filled with an enormous amount of cheese (queso) and other delectable toppings. It is then, grilled to a delightful golden color to bring crispiness to the outside texture.
Taco
Tacos are generally smaller than the size of your palm and come in soft or hard tortillas. They are served either open-faced or slightly folded. It is loaded with a wide range of ingredients such as chicken, pork, beef, and seafood and garnished with salsa, guacamole, and other vegetable items.
Burrito
The burrito consists of a large flour tortilla, wrapped around a diverse selection of fillings, similar to roll. It shares the same ingredients as Tacos, which are chicken, pork, seafood, and beef, along with additional items like beans, cheese, and rice.
What Are the Difference Between Quesadilla, Taco and Burrito?
Although quesadillas, tacos, and burritos all belong to Mexican cuisine and are made with tortillas, they have significant differences in size, texture, ingredients, presentation, eating process, and meal type.
| Particulars | Quesadilla | Taco | Burrito |
| Size | – Flatter in size and folded in half – Comes in 8-inch, 9-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch | – Smaller in size – Street tacos come in 4-6 inches and soft tacos in 6-8 inches in diameter | – Larger in size – Mostly comes in 10-inches, sometimes 11-12 inches |
| Texture | – Crispy on the outside – Creamy, crunchy, and soft | – Comes in a soft or hard shell outside – Crispy and crunchy | – Slightly doughy on the outside – Soft and creamy |
| Ingredients | – Stuffed with cheese, meat, vegetables, and spices – Occasionally comes in guacamole, salsa, and beans | – Filled with beef, chicken, seafood, and pork – Topped with guacamole, beans, salsa, and other items | – Filled with beef, seafood, pork, and chicken – Comes along with rice |
| Presentation | – Folded tortilla in half – Cheese and other ingredients are put inside – Grilled to golden brown color before serving | – Filled in a hard or soft tortilla shell – Comes additional bowl of toppings – Served on a board or plate | Wrapped like an egg roll with fillings Fillings are put on a doughy tortillaPresented in a half-cut before serving |
| Eating Process | Mainly eaten by hand, or sometimes fork and knife are used | – Eaten by hand by following the proper procedure | Eaten by hand by holding it |
| Meal Type | – Lighter meal – Can be enjoyed as an appetizer, snack, or lunch | – Lighter meal – Served as an appetizer, snack, or lunch | – Hearty meal – Can be enjoyed at lunch or dinner |
1. Size
Quesadilla is generally flatter in size and folded in half. It comes in a variety of sizes such as 8-inch, 9-inch, 10-inch, or sometimes 12-inch. Mostly, 10-inch quesadillas are preferred by people, which are usually made with flour tortillas.
Tacos are normally found in smaller sizes, often smaller than the palm of your hand. The size of tacos can vary based on their type. Street tacos are typically smaller, around 4-6 inches in diameter, whereas soft and corn tacos come in 6-8 inches in diameter.
Burritos come in generous portion sizes, with a large tortilla wrapped around it. It is often considered a substantial meal and usually consists of 10 inches in diameter, but also can be found in 11-12 inches.
2. Texture
Quesadillas are crispy on the outside, and inside it is perfectly blended with cheese and other necessary ingredients, and are served in a toasted half-size tortilla. After each bite, it offers a combination of crispiness, creaminess, and softness to satisfy your taste buds.
Taco offers a diverse selection of textures, including creamy, crunchy, firm, or chewy. It depends on the type of tortillas, whether it is soft or hard. For example, soft corn tortillas are relatively small and come in soft tortillas to provide you with the taste of flavors inside, while hard shell tacos are usually crispy and crunchy due to being fried or baked in the oven, and provide you with the crispiness and crunchiness in your mouth.
Burritos usually come in a combination of softness and creminess. It is slightly doughy on the outside, and inside various amounts of ingredients are mixed, and wrapped like an egg roll by tortilla.
3. Ingredients
Quesadillas are mostly stuffed with cheese, meat, vegetables, and spices, and sometimes they come with an inclusion of guacamole, salsa, or beans.
On the other hand, a wide variety of ingredients are used in Tacos such as beef, chicken, seafood, and pork for filling inside, and topped with salsa, beans, guacamole, and other items.
In the case of a burrito, ingredients similar to tacos like beef, chicken, seafood, and pork are commonly used in them, but with an inclusion of rice.
4. Presentation
The quesadilla is presented by folding a tortilla in half and melting cheese along with other ingredients inside. After that, it is grilled to a golden brown color before serving.
In the case of tacos, fillings are placed onto a soft or hard tortilla shell and then presented on the middle board, along with a bowl of toppings.
When presenting burritos, the fillings are put in the middle of a large dough tortilla, then wrapped like an egg roll, and presented in a half-cut to show the ingredients.
5. Eating Process
The process of eating quesadillas is mainly done by hand, simply pick up the quesadillas and take a bite as it is considered an on-the-go meal. However, some people preferred to use utensils like a fork and knife by cutting them with a knife into smaller pieces and using a fork to eat them by maintaining proper table etiquette.
Tacos can become quite messy if not eaten properly. To do so, simply pick up the taco with your hand and take a bite from one end until making your way towards the middle where the fillings are, and then repeat the process on the other end, and lastly put it all together in the mouth.
The process of eating a burrito is comparatively easy and simple. As it comes like a roll, simply hold it with your hand, and start biting from the top to the end until it finishes.
6. Meal Type
Quesadillas are often served as a lighter meal, which can be enjoyed as an appetizer, snack, or sometimes lunch, depending on the fillings in the tortilla.
Tacos can also be served as an appetizer, snack, or lunch, which mainly depends on the number and size of tacos you are craving for.
Burritos are often considered a hearty or substantial meal due to their fillings and size. It can enjoyed at lunch or dinner as it is served along with rice and beans.
