The Meat You Need To Stop Sleeping On For Unbeatable Burritos

If there's one thing almost everyone can agree on, it's that it's hard to go wrong with burritos. That applies whether you're putting together quinoa and chicken burritos with some shredded rotisserie chicken, some meat-free bean and cheese burritos, or if you're starting your day off right with steak and avocado breakfast burritos. There's a seemingly infinite number of ways to assemble burritos that will please the entire family, but there's a good chance there's one meat that you may be overlooking.

That's pulled pork, which has a place of honor when it comes to platters of slow-cooked meats, cornbread, and coleslaw. When it comes to burritos, though, it might not be the first protein that comes to mind... but it should definitely be up there on the list.

For starters, burritos are a great way to use up leftover pulled pork. Add cheese, beans, rice, and onions, or, you could even opt for using up that leftover coleslaw, too, by serving up your favorite pulled pork sandwich in the form of a burrito. Wrap it with sliced avocado or guacamole and some fresh cilantro, and you've got a brilliant way to give new life to leftovers — and honestly, it's so good that it's a great reason to make that pulled pork in the first place. 

There are a variety of barbecue sauce styles that have become ingrained in the foodie culture of various regions, and they're all great for using on a super simple pulled pork burrito. Take some of that leftover pulled pork shoulder, slather on some sauce, wrap, and you've got some meaty burritos that no one's going to complain about.

Pulled pork is also a great vehicle for all those amazing flavors that are predominant in Mexican cuisine, and you might want to consider incorporating them right from the beginning. Cochinita pibil is a type of slow-cooked pork — usually the shoulder or butt — that's popular in the Yucatan. True cochinita pibil probably isn't something you'll make in your own kitchen (unless you happen to have an underground pit for smoking), but you can definitely make a version of it with traditional ingredients like achiote, cumin, chili powders, and oranges. Pulled pork made with these spicy citrus notes is perfect for burritos topped with fresh herbs, pickled onions, refried beans, cotija cheese, queso fresco, and a drizzle of crema. 

Whether you're making a burrito with authentic Mexican flavors or using delectable leftover southern barbecue-style pulled pork, this succulent meat will take this dish to the next level.