Smothered Burritos With Homemade Spicy Gravy Recipe

Smothered Burritos

Let me paint you a picture. You take a soft flour tortilla and stuff it with seasoned ground beef, fluffy rice and black beans.

You roll it up snug, line the burritos side by side in a buttered baking dish, and then you do the thing that makes everyone at the table stop talking.

You ladle a homemade spicy gravy right over the top, bury the whole pan under grated Colby jack cheese, and slide it into a 350F oven until the cheese melts into one bubbling blanket.

About twenty minutes later, you pull out a dinner that eats like a casserole wrapped in a tortilla.

I will not lie to you. This is not a grab it and go burrito. This is a knife and fork situation, and it is worth every dirty dish in the sink.

Serve it with a simple salad of chopped lettuce and pico de gallo on the side, and you have a plate that looks like it came out of a little neighborhood restaurant instead of your own kitchen.

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You will see this dish called a few different things depending on where you are standing. Smothered burrito. Wet burrito. Enchilada style burrito. Same idea every single time. A standard burrito gets wrapped in foil and eaten with your hands. These get sauce, cheese and a trip through the oven, and that changes everything.

Now, before we get to the good stuff, I owe you a confession. This post has been sitting in my drafts through three attempts. Three.

I would open the file, write a paragraph, decide it was boring, and close the laptop like a coward. What finally got me moving was a story I have been telling at family dinners for years, and since this blog is basically a family dinner with better lighting, you are getting the story too.

Back when I was in nursing school, we had to learn sterile catheter technique before we ever touched a real patient. Our instructor told us to practice at home.

So I went home, dug one of my kids’ old teddy bears out of the toy box, and spent an evening practicing on a stuffed animal that had clearly been loved half to death. My kids thought it was hilarious.

The bear never complained once, which honestly made it the most agreeable patient I ever had.

Then came the real thing. My first actual insertion was on a man who had just had back surgery and could only lie on one side. There was no raising the bed to a comfortable working height, no adjusting anything.

I ended up in a squat at the side of the bed, holding my breath and praying my hands would stop shaking long enough to do the job right. I got it done.

I also learned that day that nursing is maybe 20 percent knowledge and 80 percent figuring out how to work in whatever position the patient and the furniture hand you.

Fast forward a bit. I graduated, and my practice catheter went into a drawer with a hundred other things I could not bring myself to throw away.

Then my grandson was born, the week before finals during my last semester, because apparently my family enjoys dramatic timing. That baby started teething like it was his full time job.

Somebody, and I am not naming names, handed him my old practice catheter to chew on. It was soft, it was clean, and it was the perfect size. He loved it.

Which brings me to the church incident. We were sitting in a pew one Sunday with the baby happily gnawing on his favorite chew toy, and the man behind us leaned forward to see what the little guy was so attached to. He looked.

He leaned back. He did not say a single word for the rest of the service. My daughter still brings it up every holiday, and honestly, fair enough.

Anyway. None of that has anything to do with burritos. I just wanted you to know the kind of household you are dealing with here.

What does connect to the burritos is the patience part. A good smothered burrito is not difficult, but it asks you to build things in order. You make a spice blend.

You brown the beef with onion and garlic. You simmer the meat until the liquid cooks down. You make a roux for the gravy.

You warm the tortillas so they roll without cracking. Then you assemble, sauce, cheese and bake. Skip a step and you can taste it.

Do it in order and you get something that tastes like a Sunday project, which it is, and that is exactly the point.

I still remember the first time I made this pan for a crowd. The burritos were rolled and waiting, the oven was hot, and my gravy was still thin enough to pour like milk.

I stood over that saucepan whisking like my life depended on it, convinced I had wrecked dinner. Ten more minutes of simmering and it pulled together into that glossy, tomato sauce consistency I was after.

So if yours looks loose, give it time before you panic. Gravy has a mind of its own and it usually comes around.

The other thing I love here is how well it feeds a crowd. Six big burritos fill a 9 by 13 inch pan, which means a family of four eats twice, or a table of six eats once and leaves nothing behind but the smell of cumin and chili powder hanging in the kitchen. Around my house, that counts as a win.

About the Recipe

These burritos are built like a casserole wrapped in a tortilla. Meat, beans and rice go inside, spicy gravy and cheese go on top, and a lettuce and pico de gallo salad goes on the side. That is the whole architecture of the dish, and once you see it that way, the long ingredient list stops feeling scary.

Speaking of that sauce, here is the one rule I will not bend on. Make it from scratch. I tried the shortcut once with a jar of premade beef gravy and a can of enchilada sauce, tasted it, and threw the whole batch in the trash.

It tasted flat and tinny next to the real thing. Yes, the homemade version means more measuring, but almost everything in it is a pantry staple you probably already own.

Chili powder, cumin, onion powder, oregano, garlic powder, salt, chipotle chile powder and black pepper do most of the heavy lifting.

On the bean front, keep it simple. Open a can of black beans, drain them, rinse them, and drain them again. That second drain gets rid of the cloudy canning liquid and keeps your burritos from turning soupy in the oven.

For the rice, you have options, and the one you pick changes the personality of the whole burrito. Cilantro Lime Rice is my pick because the bright, herby flavor cuts right through the rich meat and gravy.

Mexican rice works beautifully too, though it lands in a similar flavor lane as the meat and sauce, so the contrast is smaller. Plain cooked white rice is the quiet option, and if you are short on time you can cook it in the microwave.

Combine 1/2 cup uncooked white rice with 1 cup water in a deep microwave safe bowl, cover it, and cook on high for 20 minutes.

Use a deep bowl, because that water bubbles hard and you do not want it spilling all over the inside of your microwave. If your microwave has a rice function, use it.

Optional toppings for serving include guacamole, pico de gallo, avocado slices, sour cream and chopped lettuce. I usually set them out in little bowls and let everyone build their own plate.

Spice Blend

• 3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, crushed
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Meat

• 1 1/4 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, medium diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons Spice Blend
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups unsalted beef stock

For the Spicy Gravy

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups unsalted beef stock
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons Spice Blend

Additional Ingredients for the Burritos

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups prepared Cilantro Lime Rice, Mexican rice, or plain cooked white rice
• 6 large 10 inch burrito style tortillas
• 12 ounces Colby jack cheese, grated

For the Spice Blend

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Set aside.

For the Ground Beef

1. Use a deep frying pan with a lid. Heat the pan over medium heat, then cook the ground beef, onion and garlic together, breaking up the beef well. When the beef is no longer pink, take the pan off the burner and drain the grease.
2. Return the pan to the burner. Sprinkle the meat with 3 tablespoons of the Spice Blend and stir well. Whisk together the tomato paste and 2 cups of beef stock, then pour it over the meat.
3. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover the pan with the lid slightly askew so steam can escape. Simmer, stirring now and then, until most of the liquid has evaporated but the meat is still moist. If it looks too dry, add a splash of water or extra stock. Start the gravy while the meat simmers.

For the Spicy Gravy

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk until smooth to make a roux. Cook, whisking constantly, just until the roux turns a light golden brown and smells nutty.
2. Whisking briskly, slowly add the beef stock to the roux. Watch out, because it will steam and sputter when it hits the hot pan. Add the tomato sauce, the sugar and the remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons of Spice Blend, then whisk well.
3. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the gravy thickens to about the consistency of tomato sauce. If it gets too thick, add a little water to thin it out.

For Assembling the Burritos

1. Heat the oven to 350F and lightly butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
2. Warm the tortillas. Lay one end of a kitchen towel on a dinner plate, stack the tortillas on the towel, and fold the rest of the towel over them. Microwave for 1 minute at 50 percent power, then check that they are warm and pliable. Repeat if needed. You can also warm them one at a time in a hot skillet, heating each side until soft, then keep them tucked inside the folded towel.
3. Work with one tortilla at a time on a cutting board or a clean counter. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture, 1/4 cup of the rice and 3 tablespoons of black beans a little off center across the tortilla. Fold in the sides, wrap one end snugly over the filling, and roll it up, tucking the sides as you go. Place the burrito in the baking dish and repeat with the rest.
4. Ladle the spicy gravy over the burritos. You may not need all of it, and any extra is welcome passed at the table. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top, then bake until the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes. Serve as you like.

For planning purposes, expect about 50 minutes of prep and 20 minutes in the oven, roughly 1 hour 10 minutes from start to table. The recipe makes 6 large burritos.

One note from my kitchen: warm tortillas roll without cracking. Cold ones fight back, and a cracked burrito leaks gravy all over your baking dish.

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Smothered Burritos Let me paint you a picture. You take a soft flour tortilla and stuff it with seasoned ground beef, fluffy rice and black beans.

• Total Time: 70 min
• Yield: 6 large burritos 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Spice Blend
3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Meat
1 1/4 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, medium diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons Spice Blend
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups unsalted beef stock

For the Spicy Gravy
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups unsalted beef stock
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons Spice Blend

Additional Ingredients for the Burritos
1 15 ounce black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups prepared Cilantro Lime Rice, Mexican rice, or plain cooked white rice
6 large 10-inch burrito-style tortillas
12 ounces Colby-jack cheese, grated

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Instructions

For the Spice Blend
1-In a mixing bowl, whisk together all: In a mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Set aside.

For the ground beef
2-Use a deep frying pan with a: Use a deep frying pan with a lid to cook the ground beef. Heat frying pan over medium heat; cook together the ground beef, onion and garlic, breaking up the ground beef well. When ground beef is no longer pink, remove pan from burner and drain grease.
3-Return pan with meat mixture to the: Return pan with meat mixture to the burner. Sprinkle with Spice Blend; stir well. Whisk together the tomato paste and beef stock. Pour it over the meat mixture.
4-Bring meat mixture to a simmer then: Bring meat mixture to a simmer then cover pan, leaving lid slightly askew to allow steam to escape. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, but the meat mixture is still moist. If meat mixture becomes too dry, add a little water or additional stock. While meat is cooking, make the spicy gravy.

For the spicy gravy
5-In a saucepan, melt butter over medium: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Make a roux by sprinkling the melted butter with flour and whisking together until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, just until the roux begins to turn a light golden brown and smells nutty.
6-While whisking briskly, slowly add the beef: While whisking briskly, slowly add the beef stock to the roux. Be careful because of the steam and sputtering when the stock is added. Add the tomato sauce, sugar, and Spice Blend; whisk well.
7-Bring to a simmer over medium heat: Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until gravy has thickened to the consistency of tomato sauce. If it gets too thick, add a little water to thin the sauce.

For the assembly of the burritos
8-Heat oven to 350F: Heat oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
9-To warm the tortillas: To warm the tortillas: Place one end of a kitchen towel on a dinner plate. Place the tortillas on the towel and cover with the remaining portion of the towel. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 1 minute at 50% power. Check tortillas for warmth and pliability. Repeat process in microwave if necessary. An additional method of warming the tortillas is to warm them one at a time in a hot skillet. Just heat one side of the tortilla until softened and then turn it over to warm and soften the other side. Keep warmed tortillas between a folded over kitchen towel.
10-Working with one tortilla at a time,: Working with one tortilla at a time, lay a tortilla on a flat surface such as a cutting board or a clean counter top. Spoon approximately ¼ cup meat mixture, ¼ cup prepared rice and 3 tablespoons black beans a little off center across the tortilla. Fold in tortilla sides, wrap one end snugly over filling and roll up in remaining tortilla, tucking in sides as needed. Place burrito in baking dish. Repeat process with remaining tortillas.
11-Ladle spicy gravy over the burritos: Ladle spicy gravy over the burritos. Note: You may not need all of the gravy. Extra gravy can be passed at the table. Sprinkle grated cheese over burritos. Place in oven and bake until cheese has melted, about 20 minutes. Serve as desired.

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• Prep Time: 50 min
• Cook Time: 20 min
• Method: stovetop