Six unconventional burritos to try in North Jersey on National Burrito Day

Shredded chicken, well-done steak or pulled pork.

From chain restaurants to holes-in-the-wall (and even the freezer section), is anyone else tired of having the same three burrito options?

I mean, sure; every once in a while you come across chorizo or shrimp, but, for the most part, it's those proteins — which are usually overcooked — with bland rice and dry beans.

Since burritos are such an easy concept, don't you ever wonder why a local restaurant wouldn't just wrap a tortilla around literally anything else (I'm thinking chopped cheeseburgers, crispy bacon or Korean fried chicken)?

Luckily, I've done some digging and found a few spots that are doing just that.

Right in time for National Burrito Day, here are six unconventional burritos you can enjoy in North Jersey.

Fried Buffalo Chicken Burrito, Tito's Burritos & Wings

Tito's Burritos & Wings is known for top-notch burritos and saucy wings, so it makes sense that they'd offer a killer fusion of both. The Fried Buffalo Chicken Burrito — one of the restaurant's fan-favorite items — is that concept, realized.

Featuring crispy chicken tenders, "gnarly" buffalo sauce, bleu cheese and more, this sloppy cylinder is far from dry, and packed with flavor. With a side of cookie dough empanadas, it's my go-to Tito's order.

Go: Three locations (Ridgewood, South Orange, Summit); titosburritos.com.

Golden Avocado Burrito, Tacoria

When Tacoria says "golden" avocado, they mean golden-brown avocado — because the fatty green vegetable (or fruit?) in this burrito comes dipped, battered and fried.

Locally popular for its fun take on Mexican classics, the Jersey chain serves all kinds of cool burritos, like a charred Brussels sprouts one with a kickin' sauce. However, those mentioned above just smoke every other option on the menu.

Picture three beautifully textured wedges of breaded avocado dripping with creamy chipotle aioli and covered in a blanket of cheese.

That rich image, my friends, is what you can expect inside this tortilla.

Go: Various North Jersey locations; tacoria.com.

Sushi Burrito, Inspiration Roll

Sushi rolls are essentially tiny, little burritos, so when Inspiration Roll started blowing them up into full-sized wraps? High school me was psyched. By senior year, my friends and I even made it a point to leave campus to hit the local spot for lunch.

The sushi burrito, at the time, was all the rage.

And today? It's still great.

Stuffed with shrimp tempura, guacamole, crab, and/or mango (to name a few filling options), each sushirito is held together by a "tortilla" of sticky rice and nori. Dip one in a side of wasabi mayo, and you're in for an awesome meal.

Go: 46 S Park Pl, Morristown (with a second location in Westfield); 973-998-9449, inspirationroll.com.

Caliente Breakfast Burrito, Salt Pepper Ketchup

Personal opinion: breakfast burritos are better than normal burritos.

Stuffed with eggs, sausage, bacon and cheddar, each is moist, salty, sloppy and cheesy — in all the right ways. Set me loose in the ShopRite freezer aisle, and you bet I'm coming back with a saucy El Monterey XXL morning banger before I'd ever touch something with steak and beans.

But, to each their own.

If you feel similarly, I suggest heading to Salt Pepper Ketchup and trying Rey De La Cruz's Caliente Breakfast Burrito.

Loaded with buffalo chicken, eggs, cheddar and hash browns, the mildly spicy meal is sinfully indulgent, decadently hefty and the king of the acclaimed spot's menu.

Go: 230 Central Ave., Hawthorne; 973-304-4916, saltpepperketchupnj.com.

Beer Battered Cod Burrito, El Azteca

Fish tacos are the best tacos, so I've always wondered why the delicious flavor wasn't offered in burrito form.

Like, what works on a small tortilla should be even better on a big tortilla, right?

Well, apparently Park Ridge Mexican restaurant El Azteca agrees with me, because the team serves a massive beer battered cod burrito. Stuffed to the brim with avocado, rice, beans, cheese, sour cream and more, the whopping entrée is pretty much just a larger, more satisfying version of the classic summertime taco.

Go: 91 Park Ave., Park Ridge; 201-391-4422, elaztecaparkridgenj.com.

PizzaRitto, Russo's

WARNING: This is two miles over the New York border.

But it's a pizza in the shape of a burrito.

So, I'd say that's worth driving for.

Go: 8 E Central Ave., Pearl River, NY; 845-735-0867, instagram.com/feedmerussos.

Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can't find her in Jersey's best restaurants, she's probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: National Burrito Day dishes to try in North Jersey April 4