This Tuna Hash California Burrito Is an Ode to a San Diego Favorite

As far as quintessential Californian menu items go, few items have a claim as strong as the eponymous California burrito.

When visiting Southern California for the first time, it’s a requirement, not an option, to try a California burrito. Crispy fries, tender meat, with a gooey mix of cheese, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, all wrapped in a massive flour tortilla— where could that even start to go wrong?

When a friend of mine, who is a recently minted Californian by way of Chicago, heard about the dish he was (almost) as excited as he was the first time he drove down a street lined by the state’s iconic palm trees. It’s that big of a deal.

The penultimate midnight meal, it’s a regional mishmash that could’ve only come to existence in San Diego, a city that lies only miles north of the Mexico-US border. For our newest recipe in collaboration with Bumble Bee® Seafoods, we looked to the city known for its roadside drive-thru’s that pump out tacos and burritos around the clock.

Meet the California Tuna Hash Burrito. Read on to see how to make this.

Before you get going, warm up some frozen crinkle cut French fries in your preferred fashion. Personally, I’d go with the oven, or an air fryer if that’s among the options.

The actual cooking element of this recipe only requires a couple ingredients: one 2.5 oz pouch of Bumble Bee® Jalapeño Seasoned Tuna, a small bell pepper, a small yellow onion, a ¼ cup Salsa Ranchera (which should be available canned at any local Hispanic grocery store), and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.

Throw a pan on medium-high heat, then add the vegetable oil, and dice the veggies. Once the pan is properly warmed up (a well-known test to check for this: sprinkle some water over it, if that sizzles then it’s ready), toss in the veggies. Sweat those down until they’re nicely browned, which should take around ten minutes. Add the tuna and salsa ranchero, and let that go for a couple minutes, which should reduce the salsa a bit. After that, it’s assemblage time.

Lay a tortilla flat on your counter, and place around four ounces of fries on it. Drizzle a ¼ cup each of: sour cream, guacamole, and salsa fresca. Top this ¾ – 1 cup of tuna hash, and a generous handful of grated shredded cheese.

Then, just fold in the sides and roll up the burrito.

Boom. We’re done here. All that’s left to do is to dive into the masterpiece that is the California burrito– and maybe make another one.