This burrito combines ground beef and Mexican chorizo with two homemade sauces — a three-chile red sauce and a blended avocado sauce — all wrapped in a scratch-made flour tortilla. It takes about 70 minutes start to finish, and most of that time is hands-off. The honest reason to make it: the ingredient list is flexible enough that you can pull it off with whatever chiles and cheese you have on hand.
Why this recipe works
Two things carry this recipe. First, cooking the ground beef directly in the rendered chorizo fat — not separate, not drained — means the beef picks up the paprika and garlic from the chorizo without any extra seasoning work. Second, the Tres Chiles Sauce uses three dried chiles with different heat levels and flavor profiles: guajillo is mild and fruity, morita adds a light smokiness, and arbol brings the heat. Roasting them briefly in oil before simmering with tomatillos and tomatoes pulls out fat-soluble compounds that water alone can’t reach. The result is a sauce with real depth that doesn’t require hours on the stove. Ground beef must reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) — cooking it in the chorizo fat over medium heat gets you there without drying it out, as long as you pull it off the heat as soon as it’s cooked through.
If something goes sideways
- Can’t find dried morita chiles: Substitute a chipotle in adobo sauce — one pepper, seeds scraped out. It’s a smoked jalapeño like the morita, so the flavor profile stays close. Rinse off most of the adobo paste first or the sauce will taste sweet.
- Avocado sauce turns brown before serving: The lime juice helps but won’t stop oxidation indefinitely. Blend a little extra lime juice in, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce, and use it within two hours. Don’t make it the night before.
- Tortilla tears when you fold it: The dough needs the full 20-minute rest so the gluten relaxes. If it’s still tearing, the tortilla is probably too thin at the edges — roll it slightly thicker next time, or warm the finished tortilla in a dry pan for 30 seconds per side before filling so it’s pliable.
- Sauce is too thin: Simmer it uncovered for an extra 5 minutes after blending. Pouring it back into the pan for a short reduction is faster than adding thickeners and keeps the flavor clean.
- Chorizo is too salty and the whole filling tastes over-seasoned: Hold off on adding any salt to the beef until after you’ve tasted the combined mixture in the pan. Mexican-style chorizo varies a lot by brand — some are heavily salted, some aren’t. Taste first, season second.
Keeping and reheating
Store assembled burritos wrapped tightly in foil in the fridge for up to 3 days. The avocado sauce doesn’t keep well inside the burrito — it goes grey and watery — so store it separately in a small sealed container for up to 1 day, or skip the garnish and just slice fresh avocado when you reheat. To reheat, unwrap the foil slightly and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 minutes, or toast in a dry pan over medium heat, turning every couple of minutes until heated through. Microwaving works but softens the tortilla. For freezing, wrap individual burritos in foil then a zip-lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months — leave out the avocado sauce and fresh toppings entirely, and add those after reheating from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 25–30 minutes.
Homemade Beef Burrito with Tres Chiles Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Tortilla Dough
1 cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - 125g, plus extra for kneading
1 tablespoon salt- 1 tablespoon lard - from the 2 tablespoons total
- ¼ cup warm water - or as needed, added 1 tablespoon at a time
Beef and Chorizo
8 oz ground beef (minced beef) - minced beef, 225g- 8 oz pork chorizo - soft Mexican-style, removed from casing, 225g
1 tablespoon vegetable oil - for cooking
Tres Chiles Sauce
1 medium yellow onion - diced- 3 medium tomatillos - husks removed, sliced
- 3 medium plum tomatoes - halved
4 cloves garlic - peeled- 1 medium dried guajillo chile - stem removed, halved, seeded
- 1 medium dried morita chile - stem removed, halved, seeded
- 1 medium dried arbol chile - hot, stem removed, halved, seeded
- 1 tablespoon lard - from the 2 tablespoons total, 14g
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Avocado Sauce
3 medium avocados - sliced
¼ cup cilantro - fresh ; roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish, 10g
2 small serrano peppers - stem removed
1 medium lime - juiced
Assembly
- ½ cup white cheddar cheese - mild, shredded, 55g
- ½ cup Oaxaca cheese - shredded, 55g
Instructions
Tortilla Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour and 1 tablespoon of salt. Add 1 tablespoon of lard and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Gradually add warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.1 cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK), 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon lard, 1/4 cup warm water
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes or until it doesn’t stick to your hands, adding flour as needed. Let rest for 20 minutes.1 cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK)
- Divide the rested dough into 2 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, shape each piece into a ball, then roll out with a rolling pin into a circle approximately 12 inches / 30cm wide, rotating the dough a quarter turn between each roll to keep it round.
Beef and Chorizo
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a 12-inch / 30cm cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook for 5–6 minutes until the fat renders and the chorizo is cooked through. Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook in the chorizo fat for 6–8 minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F / 71°C. Remove from the skillet and set aside.8 oz ground beef (minced beef), 8 oz pork chorizo, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Tres Chiles Sauce
- Remove stems from dried chiles, break them open, and shake out the seeds. Heat 1 tablespoon of lard in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chiles and roast for 30–60 seconds per side, pressing them flat with a spatula, until fragrant and slightly darkened — do not burn them. Add 1 cup of water, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes until the chiles are softened. Remove the chiles and set aside; discard the soaking water.1 medium dried guajillo chile, 1 medium dried morita chile, 1 medium dried arbol chile, 1 tablespoon lard
- In the same saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of lard over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup of the diced yellow onion with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the sliced tomatillos, halved tomatoes, and garlic cloves.1 medium yellow onion, 3 medium tomatillos, 3 medium plum tomatoes, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon lard
- Simmer on low heat for 15–20 minutes until the tomatillos and tomatoes have broken down and the garlic is soft. Transfer the vegetable mixture along with the softened chiles to a blender. Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Blend until mostly smooth — a slightly rustic texture is fine.1 tablespoon white vinegar
Avocado Sauce
- Put avocado pieces in a blender. Add the cilantro, a little bit of onion, serrano peppers, 1 clove of garlic, lime juice, a little salt, and about 1/2 cup of water. Blend until smooth.3 medium avocados, 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 small serrano peppers, 1 medium lime, 1 medium yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic
Assembly
- Warm both sides of a rolled tortilla in the cast-iron skillet to make it flexible. Melt some white cheddar and Oaxaca cheese in the skillet.1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Oaxaca cheese
- Place the rolled tortilla directly onto the melted cheese in the skillet. Press gently for 10–15 seconds until the cheese adheres to the tortilla, then carefully lift the tortilla out with a spatula and place it cheese-side up on a clean work surface.1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Oaxaca cheese
- Add chorizo and ground beef to one side of the tortilla; don’t overfill. Put tres chiles sauce on the meat, then the avocado sauce, some diced onions, and cilantro.8 oz ground beef (minced beef), 8 oz pork chorizo, 1 medium yellow onion, 1/4 cup cilantro
- Fold in left and right sides a little, then tightly roll the burrito, keeping the sides closed. Heat for a minute in the skillet to secure it.
Notes
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use store-bought tortillas instead of making them from scratch?
Yes, large (10-inch) flour tortillas from the store work fine. The homemade version has a softer, more pliable texture that holds the filling better, but a good-quality store-bought tortilla is a perfectly reasonable swap when you’re short on time.
What can I use instead of Oaxaca cheese if I can’t find it?
Low-moisture mozzarella is the closest substitute — it has the same mild flavor and melts in a similar way. Monterey Jack also works well and is easier to find in most supermarkets.
Can I skip the chorizo and just use ground beef?
You can, but the filling will be noticeably less flavorful since the chorizo does a lot of seasoning work. If you go all beef, add half a teaspoon each of smoked paprika, cumin, and garlic powder to compensate.
How spicy is this burrito, and can I dial it back?
The arbol chile is the main heat source — it’s genuinely hot. To reduce the heat, leave it out entirely and use only the guajillo and morita; the sauce will still have good flavor and complexity, just without the sharp kick.
Can I make the sauces ahead of time?
The Tres Chiles Sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container and actually tastes better the next day. Make the avocado sauce the same day you plan to eat — it doesn’t store well and is quick to blend.
Do I need lard, or is there a substitute?
Lard gives the tortillas a tender, slightly flaky texture that’s hard to replicate exactly. Shortening is the most practical substitute and produces a similar result; softened butter works too but adds a slight richness that changes the flavor a little.
Try these next
- Spicy Beef Stuffed Peppers
- Golden Colombian Beef Empanadas
- Levantine Spiced Beef Flatbreads
- Venezuelan Beef Hallacas Wraps
