Vegetarian Crunchwrap

This vegetarian crunchwrap is a textural dream! Creamy seasoned refried black beans, cheese and vegetables pressed in a tortilla with crunchy chips tucked right inside. It’s such a fun change on taco night.

When I visit St. Augustine in the spring every year, my husband and I visit a little taco shop off the beach that has something called a UFO on their menu. It’s basically a riff on the Taco Bell crunchwrap but it’s more fresh and PACKED with fillings. They describe it as “chewy, crunchy, cheesy and so full of flavor it’s out of this world”. Yes please!

I love the veggie option so much I knew I wanted to make something similar at home and to share here with you all. It’s like a hybrid of a taco and a quesadilla in the best way possible. This isn’t a new idea by any means but I love the idea of making it vegetarian with canned refried beans for an extra simple weeknight dinner. And making a crunchwrap at home really isn’t as hard as you think with a few key steps.

Here’s what you need to get started:

Ingredients for Vegetarian Crunchwrap

• burrito-size tortillas (you’ll need two for everyone one crunchwrap)
• refried black beans + taco seasoning
• tortilla chips or a tostada, but I like using the chips since I always have them
• shredded lettuce (iceberg, romaine, butter lettuce)
• avocado or guacamole
• shredded cabbage
• tomatoes
• cheese

The basic concept here is that you layer all of your favorite fillings in the center of a tortilla, then fold the sides over the top and cook it in a skillet. The crunchy chips in the middle make it extra special and delicious!

If you have a favorite taco fixing that isn’t listed, by all means use it. The only thing I would suggest is leaving out wet ingredients like salsa and sour cream and instead saving those for dipping or drizzling at the end.

How to Fold a Crunchwrap

This part might seem a little intimidating at first so here’s a step-by-step tutorial for properly folding a crunchwrap so you don’t lose any of the filling:

Step 1: Spread the beans, add the chips

Start with your refried beans. They act like a glue for the other ingredients. Make sure you leave about two inches around the edge so you have plenty of tortilla to fold. This will be your guide for the other ingredients moving forward. Next add a single layer of tortilla chips and press them in lightly.

Step 2: Layer on the remaining ingredients

Layer on the remaining vegetable fillings in this order: lettuce, avocado, cabbage, tomatoes, and cheese (which is always last). Go lighter than you think on the amount of each ingredient because if you overfill the tortilla, you may not be able to fold it without ripping.

Step 3: Place a smaller tortilla on top & fold the edges

This is where the second tortilla comes into play. If you try to fold the edges over now, you’ll notice that they don’t completely cover the center because of the height of the toppings. Believe me, I’ve tried to make it work!

Cut a small circle out of the center of a second tortilla (or just use a taco-size tortilla) and place it on top. Then fold one section over at a time, making sure to hold on with your fingers so it doesn’t come apart.

Once the folding part is complete, now you just need to cook it. Grease a medium to large skillet with a swirl of butter and place the crunchwrap in seam-side down to seal everything together. It should get brown and crispy. Flip and repeat on the second side.

After cooking, I recommend letting it stand for 2-3 minutes before cutting so everything doesn’t come oozing out of the center. Plus that cheese will be hot! While you wait, you can make a quick sauce for dipping or drizzling with sour cream, fresh lime juice and a pinch of kosher salt.

I love the creamy, crunchy contrast in this so much!

Slice the crunchwrap in half and voila. I’m never able to finish more than half of this thing because it’s so satisfying. Luckily it reheats well in the toaster oven for lunch the next day!

This is such a fun change from the usual taco night. I also love how easy it is to pick up and eat, no fork necessary. Fill it with all of your favorite ingredients and get creative with dipping sauces. These are sure to be a hit!

More vegetarian Mexican recipes:

• Vegetarian Tostadas
• Portobello Mushroom Fajitas
• Veggie Burrito Bowls

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