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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!

wet burrito smothered in red enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese on a plate

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.

brown ground beef and black beans in skillet

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.

brown ground beef and black beans with shredded cheese in center of large tortilla

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.

baked smothered burritos in a baking dish with red enchilada sauce and melted cheddar cheese

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.

wet burrito enchilada style with red sauce on a plate with lettuce and tomatoes

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!

5 from 2 votes

Wet Burritos Recipe

By: Dee
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!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion chopped, about 1 cup
  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • taco seasoning homemade or 1 packet
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans low sodium
  • 1 cup low sodium beef broth or water
  • 6 large flour tortillas burrito size
  • 1 28-ounce can red enchilada sauce mild
  • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend
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Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375° f
  • grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with non stick spray or olive oil
  • In a large skillet, cook onion in olive oil on medium high heat until soft and translucent. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
  • Add taco seasoning, black beans and beef broth or water, and stir. Reduce heat to medium, and allow liquid to reduce, stirring occasionally. When, liquid is mostly absorbed, turn heat off
  • Meanwhile, heat enchilada sauce in small pot on medium heat.
  • Place tortilla on a large plate, spoon on some of the meat mixture and top with some of the cheese. Fold in the sides and roll the tortilla up to form burrito
  • Place burrito in prepared baking dish, and repeat process until pan is full
  • Pour about half of the enchilada sauce over the burritos, and spread to make sure tops are covered
  • Sprinkle remaining cheese over the burritos, place in oven and cook for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted
  • Serve with remaining enchilada sauce and your favorite toppings

Notes

You can make more or fewer burritos with this recipe depending upon how full you like them. 
For an alternate method, pour some warm enchilada sauce over burrito, top with cheese and microwave. You can also heat wet burritos in an air fryer oven if you have one.

Nutrition

Calories: 533kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 50g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 153mg, Sodium: 732mg, Potassium: 722mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 567IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 456mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main
Cuisine: American, Mexican
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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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2 Comments

  1. Matt says:

    Wow, This was simple and looks like I spent a ton of time making them. Kids loved them too! Wet Burrito Wednesdays????5 stars

    1. Dee says:

      Love that idea, Matt! Thank you so much!