Here's What's Really In El Guzii's Jailhouse Burrito - Exclusive

There is no rice in El Guzii's jailhouse burrito, but there are ramen noodles. There is no chicken or ground beef or beans, refried or otherwise, but there are (wait for it) Slim Jims. We know what you're thinking. But El Guzii's jailhouse burrito is living proof that sometimes a whole really is greater than the sum of its parts. It's been four years since he first demoed them on YouTube. And the unusual dish is something that Gustavo Figueroa (that's the name El Guzii goes by when he's not making YouTube videos for his 5.88 million followers) still thinks about. While having a soft spot for any, single food item for four years is impressive, since debuting the jailhouse burrito, El Guzii has gone on to create Kung Fu Panda's dumplings, brownies made with beans, and Nutella pizza with cream cheese-stuffed crust (via YouTube) — to name a few.

Suffice to say, the YouTube sensation has more than a few contenders vying for a special place in his heart. And yet, El Guzii swore to Mashed in an exclusive interview that the jailhouse burrito is "something that has lived with me and sometimes I crave this." He's quick to clarify, "I've never been to prison, but in prison, sometimes prisoners, they eat the same thing over and over again. So they save up their money and they try to eat something new, something with more flavor." We double-dog dare you to try it, and so does El Guzii. "I know right now for many chefs, they're like, 'What is this guy saying?,' But you should try it out," El Guzii urged. "It's really good."

Here's what you'll need to make El Guzii's jailhouse burrito: a cup of boiling water, a bag of Doritos (Nacho Cheese-flavored), a Slim Jim, a bag of ramen and half of its flavoring pack, and a slice of yellow cheese. In his YouTube video, El Guzii doesn't specify what kind of cheese, but a Kraft Single would probably work. Needless to say, you won't need to have graduated from The Culinary Institute of America to master this recipe.

To Mashed, El Guzii described the process like this: "You mash them up ... and you mix it and you just add boiling water. And you squish it around and you roll it into a burrito, and just let it sit there." If you want further tips and tricks, we strongly recommend watching his YouTube tutorial, but that's the gist of it — with three small clarifications. First, cut the Slim Jim and the cheese into pieces instead of crushing them. Second, pour all of the mashed-up ingredients into your bag of crushed Doritos, and then roll the Dorito bag into the shape of a burrito with the help of a larger napkin underneath. Third, "just let it sit there" means letting it sit ... for 20 minutes.

The end result should look something like a tamal. "So the ramen and the Doritos, they absorb all that water," El Guzii explained to Mashed. "And it's crazy, because it actually tastes good. I have no idea why, maybe all the MSG. I don't know, but it tastes like rice. It tastes like a cheesy rice." 

For more recipes like the jailhouse burrito, follow El Guzii on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok!