Top 18 Western American Sandwiches and Wraps

Carne asada burrito is a type of burrito that originates from San Diego. The dish consists of a large flour tortilla topped with carne asada meat, pico de gallo, and guacamole. The carne asada parts is made with a combination of beef (skirt or flank steak), lemon juice, lime juice, salt, pepper, and onions. The pico de gallo consists of tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, and cumin, while the guacamole is made with avocados, pico de gallo, lemon juice, lime juice, and a dash of hot sauce. The ingredients are placed on a warm tortilla, sometimes with additional toppings such as french fries or cheese, if desired, and the tortilla is then folded to form a burrito, which is always served hot.Expand

Burrito is a dish consisting of a wheat flour tortilla that is wrapped in such a way that it is possible to fully enclose the flavorful filling on the interior. The filling consists of a combination of various ingredients such as meat, beans, rice, lettuce, guacamole, and cheese, among others. Its name means little donkey in Spanish, and a popular theory suggests that it stems from the way the bedrolls and packs appeared on the donkeys that carried them. Some claim that the dish originated in the 19th century by either the vaqueros in Northern Mexico, farmers in California, or the miners from Sonora. The first appearance of burrito in American restaurants was recorded in the early 1920s in Los Angeles, when the owner Alejandro Borquez opened the Sonora Café and started serving the dish. He changed the name of the restaurant to El Cholo Spanish Café, and it's still in business. Once it became popular across the United States, numerous variations of the dish started appearing, such as Thai chicken burrito, Chinese pork burrito, and breakfast burrito.Expand

The first Mission burrito was made either at El Faro taqueria in San Francisco's Mission District on September 26, 1961 or at La Cumbre taqueria on September 29, 1969. The burrito is quite large and consists of a big, press-steamed tortilla that is usually filled with baked beans, rice, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, shredded lettuce, and jalapeños. It should always be served wrapped in tin foil, ensuring that the tortilla doesn't break due to its size. There is also a popular practice of adding some salsa to the burrito in between bites to make it even juicier.Expand

The United States of America is famous for many creative recipes consisting of a succulent meat patty placed inside of a bun, and elk burger is Montana’s spin on the nation’s beloved dish. The state of Montana is widely known for its game meat, especially elk, and juicy elk burgers made with tender, dark-red meat are among the most popular local dishes. They are leaner and higher in protein than those made with beef, yet equally tender and delicious. Elk’s delicate, slightly sweet flavor pairs nicely with pretty much any classic burger topping, but it is important not to overcook it - due to its low-fat content, elk meat dries easily, so medium rare is the best way to go.Expand

Green chile cheeseburger is New Mexico’s variation of the classic burger, made with green New Mexico chile-topped beef patty inside a burger bun. A slice of melted American cheese on top of the patty is mandatory. The dish has been popular at least since the 1950s, and nowadays it is practically a symbol of New Mexico. This cheeseburger typically also contains other toppings such as onions and lettuce.Expand

French dip is a Californian sandwich that, despite its name, doesn't have much to do with France, except for the fact that it is served au jus, a French expression meaning with juice/broth. The sandwich consists of thinly sliced roast beef (alternatively, roast pork, leg of lamb, turkey, or ham), black pepper, mustard, and horseradish on a long white French roll (or a baguette) that has been dipped into pan juices or gravy. Sometimes, Swiss, American, Monterey Jack, or blue cheese is added to further enhance its flavors. The usual accompaniments include coleslaw, potato, and macaroni salad, hard-boiled eggs, sweet or sour pickles, black olives, and yellow chile peppers. The sandwich was invented by Philippe Mathieu, the owner of an L.A.-based deli and sandwich shop called Philippe the Original, who unintentionally dropped the sandwich into a roasting pan full of drippings and served it to a hungry policeman. The policeman returned the next day and brought his friends along to try this new delicacy, and the French dip sandwich was born. Today, it is so popular that it has spread across the country, all the way over to beef-mad cities such as Montreal, New York, Toronto, and Wichita.Expand

California burrito is the specialty of San Diego, which is also the place where it was invented. It was originally made as a way to feed the city's hungry surfers, because there is a dominant beach culture in San Diego. The burrito usually consists of a flour tortilla stuffed with carne asada, large amounts of cheese, french fries, sour cream, and guacamole. It is believed that the potatoes and avocados were added to the burrito in order to mask or neutralize the intense Mexican spices. Interestingly, the earliest mention of California burrito was found in an article from the Albuquerque Tribune, published in 1995.Expand

Chimichanga is a wrapped, deep-fried flour tortilla filled with a variety of ingredients such as shredded chicken, beef, rice, beans, onions, and cheese. Although the dish is especially popular in the Mexican regions of Sinaloa and Sonora, most people believe that chimichanga was either invented in a Tucson restaurant or in a Phoenix restaurant in the early 1920s. Regardless of its origins, chimichanga is a widely known favorite throughout Mexico and the United States up to this day, with numerous regional variations. It is recommended to serve chimichangas with salsas, sour cream dips, or guacamole.Expand

Monte Cristo is a sweet-and-savory battered sandwich filled with sliced ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese, then fried until crisp, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with fruit preserves. Thick slices of sturdy white bread are needed to make the sandwich. Thinly sliced roast turkey, cured ham, and firm Swiss cheese are stacked evenly between the bread slices. The whole sandwich is pressed down with a heavy weight to flatten it and keep the layers from separating during cooking. It is then completely coated in a batter made with whisked whole eggs, milk, and a pinch of salt. The battered sandwich is cooked either in a hot skillet with melted butter or in a deep vat of hot neutral oil. As it cooks, the egg coating forms a golden, crisp shell on the outside, while the heat inside melts the cheese and warms the sliced meats. Some omit the turkey entirely and use only thick slices of cured pork. A fully savory version skips the powdered sugar and fruit jam, replacing them with sharp Dijon mustard for dipping and a side of sour dill pickles. The cooking method also creates two distinct versions. Pan-frying produces a flatter, egg-soaked exterior, while deep-frying the entire battered sandwich creates a thicker, more even crust that seals the meat inside. The exact origins of the name point to Southern California in the mid-20th century. Printed menus in Los Angeles, including Gordon’s restaurant, listed the sandwich in the 1930s. It developed as a local adaptation of older toasted meat-and-cheese sandwiches, designed to use leftover roast meats in a very filling, high-calorie form. The sandwich became widely known in 1966, when the Blue Bayou restaurant inside Disneyland added it permanently to its menu and began serving it in large quantities to thousands of park visitors each day. Monte Cristo is served piping hot, usually cut cleanly into halves or quarters. A thick, snowy layer of powdered sugar covers the fried crust. A small bowl of strawberry, raspberry, or red currant jam is placed beside the plate, serving as a sweet-and-tart dipping sauce that cuts through the richness of the fried sandwich. Because the battered bread is soft, greasy, and heavy, it is usually eaten with a knife and fork rather than picked up by hand.Expand

Avocado toast is a dish consisting of a piece of toasted bread topped with a combination of mashed avocados, salt, pepper, and (sometimes) citrus juice. There are many varieties of this dish, so it can be enriched with ingredients such as salmon, tomatoes, onions, eggs, garlic, cheese, olive oil, or red pepper flakes. Although the dish is quite simple and straightforward, the location of its origin is not – some claim that it is an Australian invention, while others proclaim that Los Angeles is the place where it was born. Regardless of its origin, avocado toast started its modern-day revival on Instagram, and it has been trending across the globe ever since.Expand