Easy Beef Wet Burritos Recipe
This Easy Beef Wet Burritos recipe features savory, cheesy beef burritos smothered in zesty enchilada sauce. Perfect for a weeknight meal, you can even assemble them in advance and pop them in the oven when you’re ready.
Mexican food is on the menu at my house at least once a week, and burritos are at the top of the list. One of my favorite recipes is these easy wet burritos. Homemade flour tortillas are loaded with seasoned, juicy ground beef, refried beans, and fluffy white rice. They’re rolled up and smothered with sauce and melty cheese, then baked to hot and gooey perfection.
The best part about these burritos is that they make a hearty and delicious meal that the whole family loves, even your picky eaters. They are delicious on their own, or you can serve them with chips and traditional homemade salsa. So much better than picking up supper at the local Mexican restaurant, you can have these homemade beefy burritos on the table in under 45 minutes.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
- QUICK AND EASY: These burritos are made with simple ingredients in under 45 minutes.
- DELICIOUS MEAL: This is a great recipe loaded with juicy beef, cheese, beans, and rice, all bundled and baked inside a flour tortilla.
- VERSITLE RECIPE: You can easily swap out the filling ingredients or add your favorite toppings to change things up.
What’s Needed to Make Amazing Wet Burritos
- Ground beef
- Seasonings: sea salt, black pepper, taco seasoning
- Diced onion and green bell pepper
- Olive oil
- 9-inch flour tortillas
- Refried beans
- Cooked white rice
- Cheese: shredded cheddar cheese and white cheddar mixed
- Red enchilada sauce
- Sliced jalapenos
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Sour cream
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and instructions
Substitutions and Additions
- Protein: You can swap the lean ground beef with ground turkey, ground chicken, cooked shredded chicken.
- Rice: We used white rice, but you can use brown rice, Spanish rice, or whatever you have on hand.
- Sauce: We use store-bought red sauce, but you can use green enchilada sauce or even make your own enchilada sauce if you prefer.
- Beans: Swap the refried beans with black beans or whole dark red kidney beans.
- Toppings: You can add tasty toppings such as Pico de Gallo, diced avocados, Salsa Verde, chopped green onions, and black olives.
How to Make Easy Wet Burritos
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large skillet that is ovenproof.
Step 2. Season beef with salt and pepper.
Step 3. Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Cook the beef, onion, and bell pepper together for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from the stove and drain the grease. Stir in cilantro and the taco seasoning.
Step 4. Place a large flour tortilla on a flat working surface. Divide the meat mixture, refried beans, and rice into 8 portions. Place each portion in the center of each tortilla. Use 1 cup of cheese to add on top of the beef mixture.
Step 5. Roll the tortillas into burritos, encasing all the fillings, and place seam side down in the ovenproof skillet.
Step 6. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes in the middle of the oven.
Step 7. Open your oven and carefully drizzle the enchilada sauce on the burrito.
Step 8. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the whole dish and place it back in the oven.
Step 9. Bake burritos for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Step 10. Remove from the oven, garnish, and serve.
Storage Instructions
If you have leftover wet burritos, allow them to cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container. Place them in the fridge for 3–4 days.
You can also freeze them. Wrap the container with a double layer of plastic wrap, then with a layer of foil. Place them in the freezer for up to a couple of months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regular burritos are typically served dry and you can eat them by hand. Wet burritos have a similar filling, but the stuffed burritos are covered with flavorful sauce and melted cheese on top. Wet burritos are often served with a knife and fork.
No, they are covered in regular enchilada sauce, which is not spicy. If you want to add some heat, you can add a little bit of hot sauce.
You shouldn’t have that issue with this recipe because they are prebaked before the sauce is added. By taking this extra step, it slightly toasts the tortillas, preventing them from getting soggy when the sauce is added.
Top Tips for Making Burritos
If your tortilla shells aren’t as soft and easy to roll, place them between layers of wet paper towels and microwave for about 20 seconds.
It’s important to roll your tortillas up tightly. If they are too loose, you’ll end up losing the filling.
Allow the baked burritos to rest for a few minutes before serving. This helps the flavors to settle and makes them easier to eat once plated.
The type sauce you choose is important because it’s one of the main ingredients. You’ll want to use a really good quality canned sauce or make your own sauce.
Spoon the sauce over the rolled burritos, making sure to cover them evenly. You want the sauce to coat and slightly smother them without totally drowning them. See the photo of how much sauce I add.
Other Delicious Mexican-Inspired Recipes
- Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Pork Carnitas Street Tacos
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Taco Casserole
- Healthy Nachos
Easy Wet Beef Burrito Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef 453 g
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 small green bell pepper diced (3.17 oz | 90 g)
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 8 tortillas 9 inch
- ¾ cup refried beans 7.05 oz | 200 g
- 1 cup cooked rice 7.9 oz | 225 g
- 2 cups shredded cheddar and white cheddar mixed 16.57 oz | 470 g
- 1 15 oz can enchilada sauce
- Sliced jalapenos
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 352 F | 190 C. Lightly grease an ovenproof skillet.
- Season beef with salt and pepper.
- In a medium skillet, heat oil, cook beef, onion and bell pepper together for 6-8 minutes by stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from the stove and drain the excess of liquid. Stir in cilantro and the taco seasoning.
- To assemble: Place tortillas on a working surface. Divide beef mixture, refried beans and rice in 8 portions. Place each portion in the center of each tortilla. Use 1 cup of cheese to add on top of the filling. Fold each tortilla into burritos and place in the ovenproof skillet.
- Bake for 15 minutes in the middle of the oven.
- Open your oven, drizzle enchilada sauce on the burrito and sprinkle remaining cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove, garnish and serve.
