Top 8 wraps for Tex Mex burritos and a relaxed family dinner

This meal is an ideal way to get children to try new foods and to give them some control over their choices

Most of these options can be frozen and pulled out individually

Tex Mex burritos originated in California where the livin’ is easy and a handful of food can be fun. According to my quick survey, many Irish families consume them at least once a week. They typically follow the traditional approach, serving warmed tortilla wraps with various side dishes, allowing diners to pick and mix according to taste. This relaxed meal is an ideal way to get children to try new foods and to give them some control over their choices.

You can present different vegetable options — sliced, diced, grated — to ensure layers of textures and tastes. Vary meats from chopped rashers, thin chicken slices, plump ragu, and pulled pork. Put sauces in attractive side bowls — it won’t increase the washing up too much.

Wraps are a favourite of those who like a neutral casing instead of the spongy texture of sandwich bread. While the ingredients are similar, wraps don’t contain yeast.

Heat for six to eight minutes at 160C. You can also try crisping tortillas in the oven or air fryer for eight minutes at 180C before cutting into pieces for dipping into hummus, a spicy tomato sauce, or peanut rayu.

Most can be frozen, ideally layered with greaseproof paper so you can pull them out individually. They’re suitable for vegetarians, too. Arriba!

Old El Paso pockets 223g €3

Old El Paso Tortilla Pockets. Pictures: Chani Anderson

Established in 1917, this brand was many testers’ first introduction to burritos. Here, eight tortilla pockets make for a tidy desk meal. Each 28g pocket has wheat flour, sunflower oil, and various stabilisers and emulsifiers, as do the extra-thin tortillas (192g €3.99). Sugars from dextrose come to 2.6%, with salts a low 1%. Tasters liked these best. Made in Spain.

Score: 9.5

M&S Olive oil Piadina wraps 192g €3.25

M&S Tortilla Wraps

There’s a comforting yet lively taste of olive oil here. It’s a welcome change to many of our rejected samples made with palm oil without indicating whether it was responsibly sourced. Slightly heavier than some larger wraps, but when heated, it got lighter. We also liked the seeded half wholemeal, half white wraps for the extra bite in the texture (496g €2).

Score: 9

Fitzgerald’s tomato & basil wraps 370g €2.55

Fitzgerald’s Tomato & Basil Wraps

A good range from this producer provides choice. We liked the idea of some flavouring, and the result here is very mild, more a taste of combined dried herbs than a specific one. Like its wholemeal wrap, the texture was good and tasters enjoyed them. Made in Midleton, Co Cork.

Score: 9

Valcom Rice paper 250g €2.69

Valcom Rice Paper

These rice paper, gluten-free rounds are made from tapioca, rice flours and salt. They are quite fiddly to make — soak in water for 30 seconds, then dry on a paper towel. They can break, but they are worth it for wraps, spring rolls filled with tasty vegetables, or cooked minced pork, prawns, vermicelli, and vegetables. Follow the recipe on the pack. Produced in Vietnam.

Score: 7

Santa Maria flour tortilla 320g €3.15

Santa Maria Super Soft, Medium Tortilla, Plain Flour

Eight medium-sized wraps have wheat flour, rapeseed oil, and sugar beet fibre, which may account for the 2.5% sugars. It provides more gut-friendly fibre than the other samples we tested. A relatively short list of ingredients includes salt at 1.47%, which gives it just the right amount of flavour. Try dry frying for a few seconds on each side, as suggested on the pack.

Score: 9

Itza wraps 320g €1

Itza Original Wraps

The cheapest of our selection, these have wheat flour and beetroot fibre, which seems to help keep products fresher for longer. Sugars are 2.5%, salts are 0.8%. The pack suggests heating in the oven or microwave but also shallow-frying for 1-2 minutes, which makes them more like poppadums. From the Netherlands.

Score: 8.5

Dunnes 6 tortilla wraps 370g €1.99

Dunnes Stores Large Tortilla Wraps

These wraps have 67% flour, rapeseed oil, glycerol, salt 1.5%, various stabilisers, acidity regulators and emulsifiers and preservatives. Salt 1.5%, sugars 1.7% low. A little chewy, unremarkable, but enjoyed by all. Packed in the Netherlands.

Score: 8

Tesco 8 mini tortilla wraps 248g 95c

Tesco Mini White Tortilla Wraps

Wraps are made from wheat flour and responsibly sourced palm oil. They contain various emulsifiers, and the texture is best when warmed. Tasters liked them.

Score: 8.25