Wet Burritos

Mexican food has always been my comfort food. If my family lets me pick dinner, there’s a good chance it’s going to involve tacos, enchiladas, burritos, or just about anything covered in cheese and salsa. If I could retire somewhere in Mexico and spend my days trying little family-owned restaurants, I’d be one happy girl. Until then, I recreate our favorites at home, and this easy wet burrito recipe is one that gets requested again and again.

After making these wet burritos more times than I can count, I’ve learned a few tricks that make a big difference. My favorite is pulsing the cooked ground beef in the blender before adding the seasoning. It gives the filling that fine texture I always loved in restaurant burritos, and now it’s something I never skip. It’s a tiny extra step, but one my family notices every single time.

I also love how forgiving this recipe is. I’ve made it with leftover roast beef, rotisserie chicken, and even whatever beans happened to be in the pantry. Whether I’m cooking for a busy weeknight or feeding a house full of hungry teenagers and their friends, these wet burritos are one of those dependable dinners I know everyone will happily gather around the table for.

Everyone loves a good burrito, especially one smothered in sauce and cheese. Regular burritos are delicious enough, but a burrito that is stuffed with all of the goodies and then smothered in sauce and melted cheese is an actual “burrito mojado” or a wet burrito. Delicious served with guacamole, pico de Gallo, and sour cream.

What I Love About This Easy Wet Burrito Recipe

• Restaurant-style wet burritos made with simple pantry ingredients.
• Easy to customize with ground beef, shredded chicken, pork, or roast beef.
• Great for busy weeknights, meal prep, or feeding a hungry family.
• Rich enchilada sauce and melted cheese make every bite comforting and satisfying.

Wet Burrito Ingredients

• ground beef – I like to buy sirloin ground beef because it has very little grease. If you can’t find sirloin, then use a lean beef
• taco seasoning – we are taking a shortcut here. If you have your own recipe for seasoning your beef, then by all means
• burrito-sized taco shells – this is important to making burritos, but I suppose in a pinch you could use a smaller shell and get twice the amount of burritos. We’ll just call them mini burritos
• cooked rice – here is a fun way to customize your burritos. I used Spanish rice and cooked it with Rotel, which is a spicy canned tomato. You could use a mild can of diced tomatoes to make the Spanish rice for a mild burrito You could also use cilantro-flavored rice or rice and beans
• beans – I used black beans and cooked them down so they are mushy, but you could use pinto beans or even refried beans
• cheese – I used a Mexican blend of shredded cheese, but you could also use cheddar cheese. As long as it is a good melting cheese
• butter – unsalted butter is what is preferred
• flour – You’ll want to use all-purpose flour
• broth – Beef broth is preferred, but you can use chicken broth if necessary
• enchilada sauce – This is a matter of preference. I used red sauce, and I used a can of red enchilada sauce for an easy shortcut. Feel free to use a homemade red sauce recipe or a green enchilada sauce if you would like that better

Equipment You’ll Need

• A 9×13 inch baking dish
• blender is suggested but optional
• saucepans
• whisk

How to make Wet Burritos

Step 1 – Brown the Beef

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook ground beef, drain if necessary

I like to use a blender to blend the beef super fine

Sprinkle the taco seasoning and the amount of water recommended on the seasoning packet

Mix with the cooked beef and cook until the sauce has thickened up

Step 2 – Make the Sauce

In another saucepan, melt the butter, and whisk in the flour to make a thinned-out paste

Step 3 – Thicken the Sauce

Gradually whisk in the broth and enchilada sauce

Cook until the sauce thickens

Step 4 – Burrito Filling

Cook the beans in another saucepan so they soften up

Set your cooked rice nearby

Step 5- Fill the Burrito

Set out a burrito and scoop a couple of spoonfuls of beef on the edge of the tortilla – spread it out but don’t go all the way to the edges. You’ll need to fold the burrito inward, so leave about 1&1/2 inches of edge without filling

Add some rice, beans, and cheese to the top of the beef – you can adjust the fillings to fit everyone’s needs

Step 6 – Folding the Burrito

Now, roll the burrito once around the filling, fold the two sides in, and finish rolling it up

Step 7 – Placing in Prepared Pan

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and as you finish rolling the burritos, place them seam-side down

Step 8 – Saucing it Up

Pour the sauce over the burritos

Sprinkle cheese over the burritos

Step 9 – Bake

Bake for 20 minutes

Suggested Serving: Guacamole, Pico De Gallo, Spanish Rice, and Sour cream

Melissa’s Tips for the Best Wet Burritos

Melissa’s Tip	Why It Works
🥩 Blend the cooked beef.	This is my favorite trick! A few pulses in the blender gives the beef that fine, restaurant-style texture I grew up loving.
🌯 Don’t overfill the tortillas.	Leave about 1½ inches around the edges so they’re easy to fold without the filling bursting out. (Ask me how I know! 😄)
🔥 Warm the tortillas first.	A few seconds in the microwave makes them much easier to roll and helps prevent cracking.
🧀 Be generous with the sauce and cheese.	A fully covered burrito stays soft while baking and gives you that classic smothered wet burrito everyone loves.
🥑 Set out toppings buffet-style.	I like letting everyone add their own guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, jalapeños, or hot sauce after baking. It’s an easy way to make everyone happy.

Variations for Wet Burritos

Roast Beef Wet Burrito – Use leftover roast beef that has been cooked in broth and seasoned as your meat

Chicken Wet Burrito – shred up a rotisserie chicken and use that in place of the beef for a super easy wet burrito

Pork Wet burrito – cook a pork roast low and slow in broth and seasonings then shred the beef to use in place of the ground beef

What to Serve with this Mexican Wet Burrito

• Mexican cornbead
• Jalapeno cornbread
• Chili’s Copycat Salsa
• Corn and black bean salsa
• Guacamole
• Sour Crem
• Spanish Rice
• Cilantro Rice
• Refried Beans

FAQs

Storing and Reheating

Storing: Store leftover burritos covered in the refrigerator

Freezing: Freeze burritos before you get the sauce part. Just place finished burritos in a freezer-tight bag for up to three months

Thawing: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours

Baking: Place thawed burritos in a greased baking dish, pour sauce over them, spread cheese over the sauce, and bake until warmed through

Baking from Frozen: Pour enchilada sauce and sprinkle cheese. You will need to bake longer than normal. Check to make sure they are heated through

Reheating: Reheat refrigerated burritos in the microwave or covered with foil in the oven

More Mexican Dishes You’ll Enjoy

Mexican food is my “go-to” style of food recipe. If I could retire in Mexico and eat their delicious cuisine all day, I’d be so happy. For now, I’ll fill my recipes with lots of Mexican Main Dishes and Sides to tide me over. Like Mexican Lasagna, or this recipe for a beef enchilada casserole. No Mexican meal is complete without Jalapeno Cornbread

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Watch My Video on How to Make Wet Burritos

Printable Recipe

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