The flavor-packed, comfort food dinner your family has been waiting for: the Wet Burrito. It's got everything a Mexican food lover wants, and is a dish everyone at the table can get down with. In fact, for something so big and hearty, I couldn't believe how fast these burritos disappeared at the family dinner table!
This ultimate burrito is packed with taco meat, beans, and rice, and wrapped in a warm flour tortilla. It comes smothered in an authentic Mexican gravy that's rich and perfectly spiced. Top with cheese and send it to the oven to melt.
Serve with your favorite Mexican side dishes.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
If you hadn't already guessed, the name 'wet burrito' comes from the fact that this burrito is absolutely smo-thered in sauce—that's what makes it wet!
Like all of our best Mexican recipes, the magic is in both the filling and the sauce. These wet burritos borrow inspiration from two of our top Tex-Mex reader favorites, cheese enchiladas and rich tamale sauce, for the same flavor-packed finish.
Here's why this recipe really works:
Beloved Combo | Savory beef, fluffy rice, creamy beans, and gooey cheese all smothered in an over-the-top delicious sauce. What's not to love? Every bite is loaded with flavor and texture.
10-Minute Enchilada Sauce | Rather than topping off this burrito with a tomato-based enchilada sauce, chile-based enchilada sauce, or a green enchilada sauce, we're going a different route: a smooth, creamy, rich Tex-Mex gravy that comes packed with bold, Mexican flavors. After nearly a decade of developing Tex-Mex recipes, testing every shortcut as well as the from-scratch variations, I can confidently say that the extra 10 minutes is worth it. We're talking restaurant-quality Mexican food you won't believe came out of your kitchen.
Hearty Beef Filling | Similar to our favorite chimichanga recipe, this smothered burrito is packed with hearty taco-seasoned ground beef. It takes no time at all to cook and delivers major crave-worthy flavors you'd find in your favorite Mexican restaurant. Craving chicken, beef, or pork? Check out our filling subs below. If you're looking for a hearty steak filling, you may want to try this burrito.
Ingredients
Flour Tortillas | Flour tortillas are standard for burritos. Be sure to use burrito-sized tortillas!
Meat | To make this a quick and easy dinner to slam out on a weeknight, this recipe calls for taco meat seasoned with the signature taco seasoning blend. However, if you want to put your slow cooker to use or have a little more time on your hands, you can easily sub in any of the following proteins:
- Mexican Shredded Beef: the pot roast of Mexican cuisine that is fall-apart tender, covered in a savory, flavorful gravy.
- Crockpot Chicken Fajitas: your set-it-and-forget-it option to get that restaurant-quality sizzling chicken fajita but with zero effort!
- Pork Carnitas: bite-sized, tender, crispy pork seasoned perfectly for the Tex-Mex-loving palate.
- Chicken or Beef Birria: adobo sauce takes center stage for these birria proteins and will add an extra layer of Mexican flavor to your wet burrito dish.
- Carne Guisada: we've simplified the Carne Guisada process to make it super quick, so you still get that beefy gravy--perfect for stuffing a burrito--in less than 30 minutes!
- Ground Turkey Taco Meat: opt for a leaner protein without sacrificing the deliciousness! Savory and spicy, this ground turkey taco meat is a great option for a Mexican burrito.
- Carne Asada: Juicy, marinated sliced flank steak is the perfect grilled meat choice for building the burrito of your dreams.
Rice | You can use plain white rice, cilantro lime rice, or our super-easy rice cooker Mexican rice.
Beans | Black beans or pinto beans work great for this recipe; use refried or whole beans—your choice! Note, refried beans will add less moisture to the interior of your burrito, meaning they will be less soggy from the inside out. Need to sneak some veggies into the kiddos' meals? Check out these black bean burritos!
Cheese | We recommend a mild cheddar for topping off your wet burritos (freshly grated, of course). If you'd like to add in some Monterey Jack for a classic Tex-Mex cheese blend, we'd gladly tip our hat to you.
Enchilada Sauce | Rich and flavorful enchilada gravy that comes together with a combo of flour, oil, beef broth, and a quick and easy spice blend of chili powder, cumin, and paprika.
How Make Wet Burritos
Get your oven and pan ready by heating the oven to 375°F and greasing a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Make the Sauce | Over medium heat, add your oil to a medium sauté pan. Once hot, sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine.
Add the beef broth in one big splash at a time, whisking well after each addition.
Add the chili powder, salt, pepper, and paprika, and whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, then reduce the heat as needed to maintain this temperature. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Make the Filling | Add your oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté. Then, add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spatula. Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and paprika over the meat. Cook, stirring often, until fully browned. Remove from the heat.
Assemble the Burritos | Place tortillas between two damp paper towels on a microwave-safe dinner plate. Microwave for about 45 seconds to soften.
Divide the refried beans, rice, beef mixture, and cheese evenly among the flour tortillas. Then, fold in the ends of the tortilla and roll the burrito closed.
Bake | Spoon the sauce over the assembled burritos and top with the remaining cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, just until the cheese is melted.
Garnish, Serve, + Enjoy! Top with your favorite garnishes, such as sour cream, jalapeños, and chopped cilantro, and enjoy!
Make-Ahead, Store, and Reheat
Make Ahead | Assemble the burritos, wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and refrigerate up to two days in advance. You can make the sauce up to three days in advance. Refrigerate in an airtight container.
Store | Keep fully assembled, baked wet burritos in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Freeze | To freeze wet burritos, assemble them, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil, and place them in a freezer-safe, zip-top bag. Freeze the sauce separately. Both will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
Reheat | For frozen wet burritos, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before assembling in a baking dish and baking. If you are assembling the final dish cold from the refrigerator, cover with aluminum foil, and take note that the burritos will likely need an extra 8-10 minutes or so in the oven to heat through. If reheating leftovers, microwave at 30-second intervals until hot to your liking.
What to Serve with Wet Burritos
Line up the classic toppers for your burritos like sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
No Tex-Mex feast is complete without our favorite starters: chile con queso, salsa fresca, homemade tortilla chips, and refried bean dip.
And for sure, don't leave out the perfect side dishes like Mexican black beans, crockpot pinto beans, refried black beans, and Spanish rice.
5 More Mexican Recipes You’ll Love
- Bistec Ranchero
- Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas
- Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Shrimp Fajitas
- Beef Enchilada Casserole
Wet Burrito
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons avocado or canola oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups unsalted or low-sodium beef broth
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
For the Beef Filling:
- 1 tablespoon avocado or canola oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
For the Burritos:
- 4 large burrito-size flour tortillas
- 1 ½ cup refried beans
- 1 ½ cup cooked rice
- 3 cups mild cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13” baking dish. Set aside.
FOR THE SAUCE:
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine.
- Add the beef broth in one big splash at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- Add the chili powder, salt, pepper, and paprika, and whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, and reduce the heat as needed to maintain it. Simmer for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
FOR THE FILLING:
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté 2-3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spatula. Sprinkle over the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and paprika. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until fully browned. Remove from the heat.
ASSEMBLE BURRITOS:
- Place tortillas in between two damp paper towels on a microwave-safe dinner plate. Microwave for about 45 seconds to soften.
- Divide the refried beans, rice, beef mixture, and cheese evenly among the flour tortillas. Then, fold in the ends of the tortilla and roll the burrito closed.
BAKE:
- Spoon over the sauce and top with the remaining cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, just until the cheese is melted.
- Top with your favorite garnishes (like sour cream, jalapeños, chopped cilantro) and enjoy!
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