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A blue plate filled with a smothered beef burrito with chili con carne sitting next to a salad topped with diced tomatoes.

Smothered Beef Burritos with Chili Con Carne

Course: Entree
Cuisine: Cal-Tex, Mexican / TexMex, Midwest
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 875kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
Smothered Beef Burritos with Chili Con Carne is better than anything you will ever order in a restaurant. If you can make it all from scratch, it's just so good. You can do it all in one day, no problem, just carve out a few hours to do it. Or, do like we do and make the various components in advance and then quickly reheat before serving. A burrito party is about as fun of a dinner party as you'll ever have!
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 1 12-inch skillet
  • 1 Blender

Ingredients

For the Chili Sauce (Do Ahead)

  • 16 guajillo peppers dried, stemmed, and most of the seeds removed
  • 16 arbol peppers dried, try and remove as many seeds as you can
  • Water for boiling
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 chicken bouillon about 1 tsp
  • 2 teaspoon Kosher salt

For the Meat Filling

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup beer dark or amber

For the Chili con Carne Sauce

  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 4 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup chili sauce previously prepared
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes roughly crumbled
  • 5 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano dried, preferably Mexican
  • 1½ tablespoon Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper

For the Burritos

  • 4 large flour tortillas burrito size
  • 2 cups refried beans
  • 2½ cups cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

Make the Chili Sauce (Do Ahead)

  • Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Add the prepared chiles and let boil for 15 minutes.
  • Use a slotted spoon to transfer the softened chiles to a blender along with the garlic, chicken bouillon, salt, and 1 cup of the chile broth. Purée until smooth. Let cool somewhat and then transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Use at once, or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Make the Meat Filling

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring often.
  • Add the beef and use a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Cook, stirring often, until the beef is no longer pink. If desired, tilt the skillet and use a large spoon to remove most of the grease that has been rendered while cooking. Discard safely.
  • Add the tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, and stir until tomatoes are softened and beginning to break down, about 5 minutes. Add the beer and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add more beer if getting dry (the meat should be very moist). Set aside and keep warm.

Make the Chili Con Carne

  • Place the roughly chopped onion, garlic cloves, and 3 cups of water into a blender. Purée for about 1 minute, until smooth.
  • Add the ground beef to a 12-inch skillet and break up with a large wooden spoon. Pour the onion-water purée and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all of the water is gone, about 40 to 50 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan, turn the heat to medium-high and add the vegetable oil. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking until fully combined. Stir with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes. This color will darken slightly to an amber hue. Turn off the heat and set it aside.
  • Add the roux, chili sauce, bouillon, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper to the meat and stir to combine. Stir in 3 cups of water and bring to a low simmer. Cook for about 8 minutes.

Assemble and Finish Off the Burritos

  • Place the tortillas in between paper towels and sprinkle tap water on them with your fingers. The towels should be damp, but not drenched. Place in the microwave on HIGH for about 30 seconds, or until they are warm and pliable.
  • To build each burrito, place a warm tortilla on a cutting board. Spoon about ⅓ cup of warm refried beans on one half of the tortilla (the half closest to you). Top with a generous handful of shredded cheddar. Spoon a generous ½ cup (more or less, depending on the size of your tortilla) of the meat mixture over the cheese. Gently grab the edges of the tortilla closest to you, and press the inwards slightly. Begin to tightly roll the burrito over the filling, using your fingers to tuck in the sides as you go. Once the burrito is completely rolled and the sides are tucked in, place it on a plate or platter, seam-side down.
  • Use a ladle or large spoon to pour chili carne sauce all over the top and sides of the burrito. Top with a handful of cheese.
  • Turn your broiler on HIGH and place the plates on the middle rack for about 20 seconds, or until the cheese has melted and is a little bubbly. Use oven mitts to remove the plates and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
The chili sauce can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. The meat filling, chili con carne, and refried beans can all be made several days in advance. Keep in the fridge and reheat on the stove before assembling the burritos. 
Most modern dinner plates or platters can handle heat in the oven for a short amount of time. Don't place vintage dinnerware in the oven. Be sure to let your guests know that the plates are hot! 
You can freeze the assembled burritos for up to 2 months. Let thaw and then heat in the oven for 30 minutes at 350°F. 

Nutrition

Calories: 875kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 71g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 232mg | Sodium: 1489mg | Potassium: 1727mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 9190IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 772mg | Iron: 13mg