High-Protein Burritos: Every Build Ranked by Protein Density
A burrito's protein density is decided by two things: how lean the filling is and how much of the weight is tortilla and rice. Grilled chicken or steak keeps it in Gold; carnitas, breakfast burritos and bean-and-cheese slip to Silver; a rice-and-bean burrito falls to Avoid. The tortilla alone is a large share of the calories, which is why the same chicken filling in a bowl, or in a protein-boosted tortilla, lands in a different tier.
9 builds ranked by Protein Density · best pick: Chicken Burrito (30.4%) · estimates reconstructed from USDA SR-Legacy ingredient data
The ranking
Sorted by Protein Density (% of calories from protein). Platinum 40%+ · Gold 25–39% · Silver 15–24% · Avoid under 15%. Every figure is an estimate (est.), one burrito at a time, with a large (~90 g) flour tortilla unless the build says otherwise.
| # | Dish | Protein | Calories | Density % of calories from protein | g / 100 cal | Tier | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicken Burrito Bowl (no tortilla) 1 bowl (same filling as the chicken burrito, tortilla left out: ~100 g grilled chicken breast, ~50 g rice, ~40 g black beans, ~20 g cheddar) | 40.2g | 351 | 45.8%est. | 11.5g | Platinum | Complete |
| 2 | Chicken Burrito on a Protein Tortilla (home-baked) 1 burrito (home-baked tortilla from ~35 g vital wheat gluten + ~35 g all-purpose flour + ~5 g olive oil, dry weights; ~100 g grilled chicken breast, ~50 g rice, ~40 g black beans, ~20 g cheddar) | 70.2g | 652 | 43.1%est. | 10.8g | Platinum | Complete |
| 3 | Chicken Burrito 1 burrito (~90 g flour tortilla, ~100 g grilled chicken breast, ~50 g rice, ~40 g black beans, ~20 g cheddar) | 47.6g | 626 | 30.4%est. | 7.6g | Gold | Complete |
| 4 | Carne Asada Burrito 1 burrito (~90 g flour tortilla, ~100 g grilled lean steak, ~50 g rice, ~40 g black beans, ~20 g cheddar) | 47.2g | 645 | 29.3%est. | 7.3g | Gold | Complete |
| 5 | Carnitas Burrito 1 burrito (~90 g flour tortilla, ~100 g braised pork shoulder (lean), ~50 g rice, ~40 g black beans, ~20 g cheddar) | 43.7g | 708 | 24.7%est. | 6.2g | Silver | Complete |
| 6 | High-Protein Breakfast Burrito (egg and cottage cheese) 1 burrito (~90 g flour tortilla, ~150 g scrambled egg (about 3 eggs), ~60 g low-fat cottage cheese, ~40 g black beans, ~5 g oil) | 32.1g | 645 | 19.9%est. | 5g | Silver | Complete |
| 7 | Breakfast Burrito (egg, ham, cheddar) 1 burrito (~90 g flour tortilla, ~150 g scrambled egg (about 3 eggs), ~40 g ham, ~30 g cheddar, ~5 g oil) | 36.3g | 732 | 19.8%est. | 5g | Silver | Complete |
| 8 | Bean and Cheese Burrito 1 burrito (~90 g flour tortilla, ~120 g black beans, ~40 g cheddar, ~30 g rice) | 28.5g | 637 | 17.9%est. | 4.5g | Silver | Complete (mod.) |
| 9 | Rice and Bean Burrito (no meat) 1 burrito (~90 g flour tortilla, ~100 g rice, ~60 g black beans, ~20 g cheddar) | 20.2g | 567 | 14.3%est. | 3.6g | Avoid | Complete (mod.) |
The tortilla question: bowl, or a protein tortilla?
The tortilla is the lever. The chicken burrito and the chicken burrito bowl share the same filling, so the gap between them is the tortilla alone: 30.4% Protein Density (Gold) with it, 45.8% (Platinum) without it.
If you want the wrap, change what it is made of. A home-baked tortilla made with vital wheat gluten takes the same chicken burrito to 70.2g protein and 43.1% (Platinum), against 47.6g and 30.4% on a standard flour tortilla (90 g).
Estimate: the home-baked tortilla is modelled from dry ingredient weights (35 g vital wheat gluten + 35 g all-purpose flour + 5 g olive oil); water not counted. Store-bought protein tortillas are not ranked here.
What actually moves the number
Dropping the tortilla is the biggest single move in this table: same filling, far fewer calories from refined flour.
~40.2g protein · 351 kcal · 45.8% (est.)
Replacing part of the flour in a home-made tortilla with vital wheat gluten turns the shell from a carb wrapper into a real protein source. The filling is identical to the plain chicken burrito, so the whole gap is the tortilla.
~70.2g protein · 652 kcal · 43.1% (est.)
Grilled chicken breast is the leanest filling in this set. Ask for double chicken and go light on the rice to push the number up.
~47.6g protein · 626 kcal · 30.4% (est.)
Lean grilled steak lands within a point or two of chicken on density, and holds up well when frozen for meal prep.
~47.2g protein · 645 kcal · 29.3% (est.)
Swapping the ham for cottage cheese keeps density about level with the ham version at fewer calories. It is a lighter breakfast burrito, not a higher-protein one.
~32.1g protein · 645 kcal · 19.9% (est.)
Eggs carry the protein, but the tortilla and cheddar add calories faster than the eggs add protein, so a breakfast burrito sits a tier below the lunch builds. Skip the hash browns and extra cheese.
~36.3g protein · 732 kcal · 19.8% (est.)
What looks like protein but isn't
Popular burrito builds that the Protein Density math ranks lower than they look.
Carnitas is fattier than chicken or steak, so the same filling weight carries more calories per gram of protein. Fine for flavour, but it ranks below the lean builds. This estimate uses lean-only pork; restaurant carnitas often includes more fat.
~43.7g protein · 708 kcal · 24.7% (est.)
Beans bring protein but also carbohydrate calories, and the flour tortilla is mostly refined carbohydrate. The meatless burrito ranks well below any meat build on protein per calorie.
~28.5g protein · 637 kcal · 17.9% (est.)
Rice is the biggest ingredient by weight here, so most calories come from starch. This is the lowest-density burrito in the set.
~20.2g protein · 567 kcal · 14.3% (est.)
Burritos protein FAQ
Which burrito has the most protein?
Chicken Burrito has the most protein per calorie among the burrito builds we track: 47.6g protein in 626 kcal (30.4% Protein Density, Gold tier). Carne Asada Burrito (29.3%) and Carnitas Burrito (24.7%) follow close behind. That leaves rice and bean burrito (no meat) at the other end, at 14.3% (Avoid tier).
How much protein is in a burrito?
Across the 7 burrito builds we track, protein ranges from 20.2g to 47.6g per burrito, and Protein Density ranges from 14.3% to 30.4%. Filling leanness and the tortilla-and-rice share of the weight decide this far more than which meat is inside.
How much protein is in chicken burrito?
Chicken Burrito has 47.6g protein in 626 kcal (30.4% Protein Density, Gold tier) — that's 7.6g of protein per 100 calories, ranking it #1 of 7 burrito builds we track.
How much protein is in carne asada burrito?
Carne Asada Burrito has 47.2g protein in 645 kcal (29.3% Protein Density, Gold tier) — that's 7.3g of protein per 100 calories, ranking it #2 of 7 burrito builds we track.
How much protein is in carnitas burrito?
Carnitas Burrito has 43.7g protein in 708 kcal (24.7% Protein Density, Silver tier) — that's 6.2g of protein per 100 calories, ranking it #3 of 7 burrito builds we track.
How much protein is in a high-protein breakfast burrito?
The 2 breakfast burritos we track carry 32.1g to 36.3g of protein each, at 19.8% to 19.9% Protein Density (Silver tier). For comparison, Chicken Burrito reaches 30.4% (Gold tier). Eggs are good protein, but the tortilla and cheddar add calories faster than the eggs add protein.
Is a burrito bowl higher in protein than a burrito?
Per calorie, yes. The chicken burrito bowl is 40.2g protein in 351 kcal (45.8% Protein Density, Platinum tier); the same filling in a flour tortilla is 47.6g protein in 626 kcal (30.4% Protein Density, Gold tier). Leaving the tortilla out removes 7.4g of protein but 275 kcal, so the bowl is the denser meal while the burrito is the bigger one.
Does a high-protein tortilla make a burrito higher in protein?
It can, a lot. The chicken burrito on a home-baked vital-wheat-gluten tortilla is 70.2g protein in 652 kcal (43.1% Protein Density, Platinum tier), versus 47.6g protein in 626 kcal (30.4% Protein Density, Gold tier) on a standard flour tortilla - 22.6g more protein for 26 more kcal. We computed this from USDA vital wheat gluten and flour weights. We have not ranked store-bought high-protein tortillas because we do not hold verified label data for them.
Are burritos good for meal prep?
Yes. Cooking and freezing do not change the protein in the ingredients, so the figures on this page hold for a prepped burrito. The densest build tagged for meal prep is Chicken Burrito at 30.4% (Gold tier). Cool the filling before wrapping, wrap each burrito individually, and reheat until steaming hot throughout.