The Ultimate Wet Burrito that’s stuffed with slow-roasted shredded pork carnitas and melted cheese, smothered in red enchiladas sauce, more cheese and piled with fresh fixings. Chopped lettuce, fresh pico de gallo and drizzled with chipotle aioli, these wet burritos are a fast food favorite made at home. 

It starts with a hefty bone-in pork shoulder rubbed all over in your favourite yellow mustard and dry rubbed with a blend of herbs and spices.  I like to use my hands for this process to make sure the mustard is nicely rubbed on and the spices stick. I tend to leave all the fat on because it helps with the overall flavour and keeps the meat moist. Plus the fat can be easily spotted once cooked and comes off smoothly so you can discard it afterwards. But really I tend to cook it for my good girl. She’s a spoiled pup. 

PORK CARNITAS

It starts by prepping and seasoning the meat as described above. I like to use a nice big pork shoulder with the bone in rather then tenderloins, mostly for cost and volume. Carnitas are made by slow roasting in the oven and then shredding the meat and is very similar to pulled pork. The main difference is that for carnitas the shredded meat is cooked again either by returning in the oven or in a pan to crisps up. I am so please with how the meat turned out, I love that it cooked in some orange juice and broth/ water to keep it nice and juicy and bring in some acidity. I would Use this method to make Cuban sandwiches- which I plan on doing soon. 

Cooking the pork is the timeliest part of this recipe. It does make a lot which is great for leftovers, reheating and many meals afterwards. So the assembly and putting together the meal is very quick once the meat is all shredded and ready to go. But good food does take time, the good thing is that its quick to prep and the oven will do the work or a slow cooker. The process is entirely the same for the slow cooker except I would probably opt for low and 6-7 hours. 

FIXINGS AND ADD ONS

I stuck to the classics just like Mucho Burrito and Chipotle, except I didn’t have any avocados on hand and I would most certainly add those if possible. Shredded lettuce is a nice touch to add some crunchy texture and a pop of green to the plate. Of course you can’t skip the pico and instead of sour cream I made a chipotle aioli using chipotle chilies in adobo that I pureed, mixed with some mayonnaise and lime juice and drizzled on top to smother it even more. Some other favourites are beans and rice but they require some time which is why I skipped them. Alternatively, I would use the leftovers and turn them into burrito bowls by serving over beans and rice with all the same fixings. 

Wet Burritos are well known and super popular especially amongst Mexican Restaurants, you’ll likely see one on the menu. Sometimes they are referred to as smothered burritos and what they are is a burrito that is baked covered in sauce and melted cheese. Usually enchiladas sauce, red or green, or even salsa verde, and require you to use a fork and knife rather than holding it in your hands.  They are super filling and 1 is plenty. 

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Print Recipe

Wet Burritos

Filled with slow roasted pork carnitas and shredded cheese, then topped with enchiladas sauce, more cheese and served with homemade pico, shredded lettuce and chipotle aioli.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Additional Time25 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 4-5 lb pork shoulder
• 4 garlic cloves
• yellow mustard
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 TBS salt and pepper
• 2 TBS smoked paprika
• 2 TBS mesquite dry rub
• 2 TBS ground cumin
• 1 TBS chipotle chili powder
• 2 TBS dried oregano
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 2/3 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups red enchiladas sauce homemade or store bought
• XL burrito wraps
• to serve: pico de gallo shredded lettuce, limed wedge, chipotle aioli

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• To prepare the pork: combine sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, mesquite, cumin, and oregano in a bowl. Optional to trim fat from pork ( I did not). Rub the pork on both sides with mustard using your hands to cover most of the shoulder. Season with the dried spice mixture all over ensuring fully covered. Place pork in a large oven safe dish and toss in those 4 garlic cloves. Pour the orange juice into the dish from the side ensuring not to remove any of the rub or spice from the meat. Do the same with the broth. Cover with foil and Cook for 3 1/2 hours until tender.
• Remove from the oven and shred the meat. It should easily come apart using your hands, if not return to the oven for 20-30 minutes. Keep the shredded meat in its juices and discard fat here. The fat should easily come apart and be noticeably visible.
• For the burritos: generously layer some shredded pork in the centre, top with shredded cheese and roll tightly ensuring both ends are closed. Repeat until all the burritos are rolled.
• Place the burritos seam side down into a large baking dish. Spoon the enchiladas sauce overtop each burrito and spread to cover the entire tortilla. Top with additional shredded cheese and bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until warmed through.
• Serve warm with shredded lettuce, fresh pico, and chipotle aioli. Enjoy