The Best Verde Wet Burrito Recipe

Name: Verde Wet Burritos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 large flour tortillas (10"); 3/4 cup pork carnitas ((or substitute seasoned chicken, shredded or ground beef)); 1/2 cup refried beans; 1/2 cup Mexican or Spanish rice ((we use Zatarain's)); 3/4 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (divided); 1 cup green chile enchilada sauce

Laura Lynch

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This Verde Wet Burrito Recipe feature slow-cooked carnitas with spicy Mexican rice and beans and melted cheddar cheese.

» Pair this with homemade refried beans and guacamole.

I’m addicted to this incredibly tasty verde wet burrito from a small Mexican eatery in southern California. Their burritos are the gold standard. They’re so good that I spent quite a bit of time cloning their recipe to make my own version that very closely resembles it.

That’s where this recipe came from. It’s about as close to that amazing burrito as I can get without authentic processes and ingredients.

Obviously, you can make all of the ingredients for this burrito yourself with patience and a great recipe, but since there are many different components, I’m not always up for that challenge. So I have found easy to source prepared ingredients to make this wet burrito. The only ingredient I make myself is the carnitas.

» If you have leftover carnitas you really need to try it in these carnitas burritos.

Ingredients You Need

A lot of what makes a burrito so good is in the ingredients. Second-rate flour tortillas and inferior rice will only lead to a dry and bland burrito. But it’s not always easy to find high-quality Mexican ingredients. I’ve learned that there are some really good products that are easy to find that still make a delicious burrito.

The ingredients we use for this recipe include:

Pork carnitas (recipe here)
Mission flour tortillas
Las Palmas green chile enchilada sauce
Zatarain’s Spanish rice
Rositas refried beans
Medium white cheddar cheese

You can absolutely make these burritos with other brands of the ingredients, but I have personally tested these store-bought products and recommend them for this wet burrito. You can absolutely make your own ingredients too, but we’ve found that most people don’t have the time or patience to make all of these ingredients separately.

We have an easy recipe for homemade refried beans and for Spanish rice. Here is a recipe for making your own homemade flour tortillas.

For the pork carnitas, I use my favorite Carnitas recipe. I usually cook a 3-4 lb pork shoulder and use the left overs for various dishes throughout the week. I always make these verde wet burritos with the leftovers. It’s too good not to.

There is just one other “secret” that I learned from eating burritos at the El Torito Meat Market in Hesperia, California, which I proclaim to be the best wet burritos anywhere inside the United States.

One of the secrets is to mix the rice and refried beans together before adding them to the burrito. It makes a BIG difference. The rice can be too dry on its own, but mixing the two together takes care of that and binds the ingredients together better, so they don’t fall out when you take a bite.

How to Make Mexican Wet Burritos

The first step is to prepare the meat. You can use any type of meat you wish in this recipe. As I said, I prefer pork and I make it “carnitas style“. You could use shredded beef or chicken, as well.

It’s best to braise the meat you’ll be using, so it cooks in liquid and turns out nice and juicy. Dry meat will make the burrito dry too. I’ve seen people use shredded chicken breast for this recipe and they usually think it turns out a bit bland.

That’s because plain chicken breast doesn’t have the amazing flavor carnitas do, but you can cook the chicken with the same ingredients as the carnitas for more flavor.

Look how tender and juicy the carnitas are. Tons of flavor in that recipe.

Mix together the rice and refried beans. Scoop a few spoonful’s into the middle of a flour tortilla. You want to use at least a 10″ tortilla. It makes a substantial burrito, but not too huge.

Pile on a generous amount of shredded meat, then top with shredded cheddar cheese. A few people have asked me if I’m using Jack cheese or something other than cheddar. I use white cheddar cheese, which is what we can buy in London. I do recommend using white cheddar – mild or medium – if possible, but Monterrey Jack cheese would work as well.

That’s all I put in the burrito. Be sure not to overstuff it, or it’ll be difficult to roll.

Fold the two ends up over the filling, then fold one side flap over the center, tightening it around the ingredients for a close fit, and roll the burrito.

Pour half the verde sauce into the baking dish. For two burritos, I use an 8×8″ glass dish. If I’m just making one burrito, which I do occasionally at lunch time, I use a 9×6″ pan (see image below), so the sauce doesn’t spread out too much..

Then place the burritos seam-side down in the baking dish and pour the rest of the sauce over the top. Bake for 10 minutes at 375F.

Pull them out of the oven and top with the remaining shredded cheese and return them to the oven for 3-5 more minutes until the cheese has melted.

Once you put them on the plate, you can add more verde sauce if you wish. Serve with guacamole and corn chips for a truly Mexican meal.

If you want to make these burritos ahead, you can roll the burrito and put it in the refrigerator, then add the sauce just before cooking. You can also freeze the burritos to take out anytime you want one. It’s always best to cook it just before eating, rather than cooking first, freezing, and reheating.

Tips & Notes

You can use any type of meat you want, but be sure to season it well for added flavor.
You can substitute the verde enchilada sauce with red enchilada sauce, for a different version.
A secret is to mix the rice and refried beans together before adding them to the burrito. It makes a BIG difference. The rice can be too dry on its own, but mixing the two together takes care of that and binds the ingredients together better, so they don’t fall out when you take a bite.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean for a burrito to be wet?

A wet burrito is served with enchilada sauce poured over the top and must be eaten with a fork. A regular burrito can be eaten with your hands.

What is the difference between a wet burrito and an enchilada?

A wet burrito is made with large flour tortillas and wrapped so that they are fully closed while an enchilada is made from corn tortillas and rolled with both ends left open.

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Verde Wet Burritos

These verde Wet Burritos feature slow-cooked carnitas with spicy Mexican rice and beans and melted cheddar cheese.

4.49 from 31 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Servings: burritos

Calories: 595kcal

Author: Laura Lynch

Ingredients

2 large flour tortillas 10"
3/4 cup (177 g) pork carnitas (or substitute seasoned chicken, shredded or ground beef)
1/2 cup (120 g) refried beans
1/2 cup (84 g) Mexican or Spanish rice (we use Zatarain's)
3/4 cup (85 g) shredded white cheddar cheese divided
1 cup (237 ml) green chile enchilada sauce

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C).
Warm the flour tortillas to make them pliable. Mix the rice and beans together and spread equally onto the center of each tortilla. Divide the meat equally on top of the bean mixture. Top with half the cheese.
Fold in the sides of the burrito and roll it tightly.
Pour half the enchilada sauce into an 8×8" baking dish. Place the rolled burritos seam-side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Equipment Needed

8×8 baking dish

Notes

You can use any type of meat you want, but be sure to season it well for added flavor.
You can substitute the verde enchilada sauce with red enchilada sauce, for a different version.

Nutrition

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