Easy Wet Burritos Recipe

This Easy Wet Burritos Recipe turns a regular burrito into a smothered burrito topped with red enchilada sauce and lots of cheddar cheese. Your whole family will love this delicious dinner that tastes like it came from your favorite Mexican restaurant!

Burritos are on the menu almost weekly around here. My family loves simple beef and bean burritos, and along with hamburgers, they’re one of our favorite ground beef recipes.

This wet burrito recipe is similar to what we get at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Instead of shredded beef, I use ground beef. And instead of refried beans, I add black beans to the filling.

And what’s a wet burrito? It’s actually a smothered burrito covered in enchilada sauce and cheese. Or as we say in Arizona, enchilada style burrito or burro enchilada style!

I don’t have a special wet burritos sauce recipe. We just use our favorite mild red enchilada sauce or green enchilada sauce – just like the restaurants do!

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients for this wet burrito recipe. If you don’t already have them in your pantry or fridge, you can find the ingredients in your local grocery store.

• Lean ground beef — So I don’t have to drain grease
• Black beans — canned black beans, low sodium if you can find it
• Onion — chopped, yellow or white onion
• Taco seasoning — I use homemade taco seasoning, but you can use a packet if you want
• Water — Or beef stock or beef broth
• Red enchilada sauce — look for mild if you don’t want a lot of spice
• Shredded cheese — cheddar, Mexican blend, Colby Jack or Monterey Jack
• Flour Tortillas — Large burrito size tortillas
• Toppings — shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, salsa or pico de gallo

How to Make Wet Burritos with Red Enchilada Sauce

First, brown your ground beef in a large skillet on medium high heat. You can also make Instant Pot taco meat in the pressure cooker!

Then, add the taco seasoning, black beans and water or beef broth. Stir the meat mixture until it’s well combined.

Let the beef mixture simmer on medium heat until the liquid is mostly absorbed. If it seems too dry, you can add a little more liquid.

But, you don’t want the beef mixture to be too wet. Otherwise, the burritos will be hard to fold.

Next, lay a large tortilla on a plate or flat surface. Sprinkle cheese — about a quarter cup on the middle of the tortilla.

Then, spread some of the ground beef mixture — about half cup or so over the cheese.

Add a little more cheese on top of the meat layer if you like. Then, fold the sides of the tortilla up and over the meat mixture.

Fold the top of the tortilla over the meat, tucking it in as you roll the tortilla. If you’ve never folded a burrito before, I have step-by-step instructions in my beef and bean burrito recipe.

After rolling the burrito, place seam side down in a prepared baking dish. You can grease it with non stick spray or use olive oil.

Repeat the process until you have used all of the filling ingredients. You can make a bunch or save some of the beef for later.

Next, heat the enchilada sauce in a small pot on the stove. Just bring it to a simmer, reduce the heat to low.

When all of your burritos are in the baking dish, pour enough sauce over the burritos so that they are covered.

You may have to spread the sauce over the burritos with a spoon or knife. Then, sprinkle cheese over the burritos.

Cooking Time

Place the baking dish in a preheated oven. Bake at 375 degrees f until the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbly.

The cook time is about 10 minutes or so, depending on your oven. You can even bake the wet burritos in an air fryer oven if you have one.

You can spoon some of the enchilada sauce over the wet burritos before serving. Or, allow people to add more sauce if they want.

Top these smothered burritos with sour cream, guac, green onions and olives. Or let people choose their favorite toppings.

Variations

This is my favorite version of a wet burrito, but you can change this delicious burrito up to suit your own tastes.

Use shredded beef instead of ground beef. Or, use ground chicken or turkey or shredded chicken for the filling.

Use green enchilada sauce or salsa verde instead of red sauce to make salsa verde wet burritos. Or, use your own enchilada sauce if you like.

If you want a grande burrito, add spicy Mexican rice, refried beans and jalapeño peppers to the filling.

How to Store

Store leftover wet burritos in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They are good for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze in a freezer safe container.

Or, you can store plain burritos without sauce and prepare sauce when you serve them. Burritos freeze and reheat easily and are perfect for meal prep!

I hope you enjoy this easy wet burritos recipe as much as my family does! It’s the ultimate comfort food!

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