These Smothered Burritos are filled with shredded chicken, cheese and spices, baked until crispy, and then smothered in the best homemade green chile sauce. 

There’s almost nothing I love more than homemade Mexican food! If you love smothered burritos be sure to try my Pollo Fundido Burrito, Chicken Taquitos, and Mole Enchiladas.

A plate with a smothered burrito and Mexican rice on it.

A Smothered Burrito is a burrito that has been covered in sauce and cheese.  These green chile burritos are smothered in a creamy green enchilada sauce that you’ll be tempted to eat straight from the pot with a spoon.  You could also make these smothered burritos with red enchilada sauce.

What I love about Green Chili Burritos:

  • From scratch. They’re made with real, fresh ingredients (no canned enchilada sauce or canned “cream of” soups!) because we should all agree by now that everything tastes better from scratch! 😉
  • Restaurant quality. They’re just as good as anything you’d get at your favorite Mexican Restaurant! Serve them with Authentic Mexican Rice, refried beans or charro beans!
  • Freezable! I like to double the recipe and serve half for dinner, then freeze the other half for another night.

How to Make Smothered Burritos:

1. Make burrito filling: Mix chicken, salsa, cumin, oregano, cheese and onions. Place a heaping ½ cup of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Fold the sides of the tortilla in and roll up like a burrito. Place seam-side down on baking sheet.

Two process photos for making chicken filling for smothered burritos and adding some to a flour tortilla.

2. Bake: Brush lightly with olive oil or spray with non stick cooking spray. Bake at 400°F for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

3. Make the green chile sauce:  Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted and bubbling, whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes.  Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in chicken broth. Add cumin, oregano, and a dash of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in green chilies, cheese and sour cream. Tastes and add more seasonings if needed.

Burritos on a baking sheet, then sauce poured on top to make smothered burritos.

4. Broil smothered burritos: Remove burritos from oven and turn the oven to HIGH broil.  Ladle a spoonful of sauce over each burrito and top with a handful of shredded cheddar cheese.  Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Enjoy!

Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:

To make ahead: The chicken filling and green chile sauce can both be made a day or two in advanced, making dinner prep super easy! Store them separately, covered in the fridge.

To freeze:  Make the burrito filling as instructed and roll up in tortillas (either uncooked or regular tortillas). Place in a freezer ziplock bag. Make the sauce but do not add the sour cream. Freeze sauce in a separate container. To bake from frozen place frozen burritos on a lined baking sheet, cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until warmed through and crisp on the outside. Add frozen sauce to a saucepan and warm. Stir in sour cream. Serve over cooked burritos.

Three burritos on a baking tray smothered in green chile sauce and topped with cheese and green onion.

Recipe Variations:

  • Use cooked or uncooked flour tortillas: If using uncooked flour tortillas you don’t need to cook them first. Just roll the chicken filling in the uncooked tortilla and it will bake perfectly in the oven. I highly recommend the uncooked tortillas but you can also use packaged, ready-to-eat flour tortillas.
  • Substitute red enchilada sauce.
  • Swap the protein: Feel free to substitute steak carne asada steak, or pork carnitas.

Consider serving these with:

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Recipe

A plate with a smothered burrito and Mexican rice on it.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Total 50 minutes
Save Recipe

Ingredients
 
 

Chicken filling:

  • 3 cups cooked chicken , chopped or shredded
  • 1 1/2 cups salsa , your favorite kind
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves , crushed
  • 1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 green onions , chopped
  • 6 large flour tortillas *
  • olive oil , for brushing on burritos

Green Chile Sauce:

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
  • Make the filling: Mix chicken, salsa, cumin, oregano, cheese and onions. Place a heaping ½ cup or so of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla.
  • Fold the sides of the tortilla in and roll up tightly like a burrito. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil or spray with non stick cooking spray.
  • Bake at 400°F for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
  • Make the sauce: Meanwhile, prepare sauce by melting butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in chicken broth. Add cumin, oregano, and a dash of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in green chilies, cheese and sour cream. Tastes and add more seasonings if needed.
  • Broil: Remove burritos from oven and turn the oven to HIGH broil. Ladle a spoonful of sauce over each burrito and top with a handful of shredded cheddar cheese. Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Notes

Tortillas: I prefer to use uncooked flour tortillas, but regular flour tortillas work as well. 
Make ahead Instructions: The chicken filling and green chile sauce can both be made a day or two in advanced, making dinner prep super easy! Store them separately, covered in the fridge. 
Freezing Instructions:  Make the burrito filling as instructed and roll up in tortillas (either uncooked or regular tortillas). Place in a freezer ziplock bag. Make the sauce but do not add the sour cream. Freeze sauce in a separate container. To bake from frozen place frozen burritos on a lined baking sheet, cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until warmed through and crisp on the outside. Add frozen sauce to a saucepan and warm. Stir in sour cream. Serve over cooked burritos.

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 32gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 973mgPotassium: 550mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 891IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 326mgIron: 3mg

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I originally shared this recipe October 2016. Updated October 2020.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this tonight for dinner and we all loved it . Gonna make this again for sure. Already added to my Favorites. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us .

  2. I’d like to know what tortillas you used in this because I can’t find any tortillas that are under 30 g of carbs and this recipe state it’s only 26 g of carbs with the tortillas.

    1. Mission offers low-carb tortilla varieties that contain nearly half the carbohydrates compared to traditional tortillas. The nutritional information provided in our post is a general guideline, as the carb content can vary significantly between different brands. Hope you love the burritos!

  3. 5 stars
    Delicious!! Easy to make and kids loved it too! Tastes even better the next day.. Looking forward to making it again. Thank you!!

  4. I’m so excited to make these, but I prefer to make them as enchiladas using smaller flour tortillas. Would I get 12 enchiladas using a 6″ tortilla? Do you still recommend baking them before saucing them, or should I put the sauce on right away?

  5. 5 stars
    This was delicious! I added Mexican rice and Cilantro to the filling. This will be a new go to recipe, for sure! Thanks!

  6. 5 stars
    We made this last night. It was delicious. Easy to make. My 9 month old grandson even gobbled it up.

  7. 5 stars
    Delicious recipe. I did add my own variations. I added diced green chili and chopped white onions to the chicken.
    For the chicken I used blackened seasoning with Black pepper.
    Everything else I left the same. I’ll definitely make this again for the family.

  8. 5 stars
    Wow. So good!!! I used “that green sauce” for my salsa and Mixla (corn and wheat blend tortillas) …I will definitely be adding this to my regular rotation! Thank You!

  9. 5 stars
    With this recipe I finally get to make a Mexican meal my husband will not only eat but brags about to friends. Thank you!

  10. Lauren, I love your website. Could I substitute pork for the chicken with green chile burritos? If so, what cut of meat would you use for the pork? Do you have a recipe?

  11. My husband made green chili sauce with his leftover roasted hatch chilies from this summer. I’m really excited to try this recipe looks fantastic just pulled them out of the oven!

  12. 5 stars
    Made these last night, with the homemade rice and OMG WOW!!!!! Soooo fantastic! The burritos were the perfect size, the sauce was spot on. You were right about it being hard to not eat it start from the pot! The rice was perfect! A lot of rice for two people, next time I’d make less. Will definitely be making again!! Thank you.

  13. 5 stars
    This was absolutely amazing! I cut the chicken to 2 cups, skipped the green chilis and added some rice. So delicious! I ate 2 and couldn’t get enough! This would be really good with a green salad.

    1. I’ve made this with GF flour before and no issues. My problem are the four tortillas tend to not good very well.

  14. 3 stars
    We enjoyed these but found them very rich, I think next time I’ll add rice and beans to the burritos and possibly less cheese. The sauce is good .

  15. 5 stars
    Any time I can come home from work and throw together some good food fast, it is a plus for me. This did it, I had everything on hand including the meat from a rotisserie chicken so there was no pressure in the prep for this. The flavor was wonderful, I used up some of my hatch chiles in this. I will definitely make this again and have already shared it with my sisters.

  16. 5 stars
    I just found your website. While scrolling I found this recipe. I’m from Colorado but now live in Florida and we can’t find green sauce on burritos here. I had to make these. They were a big hit and we all rated them with 5 stars. I’m making some more and going to have them in the freezer to pull out when I need something fast. Thank you.

    1. 5 stars
      These are delicious! I have made this recipe twice now, and my family loves it! Tasty and comforting, very easy to make. I added some fresh cilantro to the chicken filling. Yummy!

  17. 5 stars
    These are definitely a keeper! We have quite a few leftover, my kids eat like birds. How would you recommend reheating them?

  18. Hi Lauren, this looks amazing! I have recently started making homemade flour tortillas, by making the dough and then cooking it on a skillet. For this can I just wrap the filling in the dough without cooking, and then stick it in the oven? Thank you!

      1. Hi, Lauren.. I had the same question – in your post you mention a couple times using uncooked tortillas.. what did you mean? I, too, have been making fresh flour tortillas for years, so to me, it sounds like you’re talking about the raw dough? I’m confused because when someone asked this same question, you replied that you think it would work.. lol.. can you clarify “uncooked” tortillas? Thanks much!!

  19. 5 stars
    Wow! I just finished making these (and eating them), and it’s another winner from Lauren! I made it exactly as written. I initially thought it would be too much sauce, but you really do want to “smother” the burritos, just like the title implies. The tortilla soaks up all the wonderful yumminess. Positively addictive. Can’t wait for the leftovers!

  20. Planning on making these for dinner but I just realized we’re out of cumin! Before I get ready and run to the store, do you think subbing either chili powder or taco seasoning would work here?

  21. 5 stars
    Wet, Dry, Blue, Green, Fork, Hands…doesn’t matter, people. Did your belly like it or not? I liked it and so did my family. THANK YOU FOR SHARING!! Going into our meal rotation. Keep safe!

  22. You advised to use un cooked flour tortillas. I buy raw un cooked flour tortillas , do you wrap them in the raw dough form or cook them then wrap and place in the oven?
    Can’t wait to try this! We are originally from Denver CO and moved to NC a few years ago and we are missing real mexican food so bad !
    My husband is from Jalisco, Mexico and this sauce is very close to a green enchilada recipe I make only without the chilis in it we are looking forward to your answer so we can try these emmediatly!
    Thank you for sharing !

  23. I am from El Paso Tx. I am a snob when it comes to authentic Mexican food also! Tex Mex is not the same thing! We used to have flat red enchiladas and my mom loved an over easy fried egg on top! Now my husband loves it too! The burritos, we either fried or baked them and called them Chimichangas! I am a sucker for cheese enchiladas and good rive! Thanks for the great recipes!

  24. 5 stars
    I made this for dinner tonight and my family loved it! It had a lot flavor and the chilies were not overpowering!

  25. Can I use arrowroot instead of flour since I’m gluten-free? I use brown rice flour tortillas in place of regular flour ones.

  26. Do these get soggy? My husband is really weird about textures, thinking corn tortillas may be a better option if they are?

    1. They bake crispy in the oven, and I pour the sauce over just before we eat them so they don’t get soggy.

  27. 5 stars
    My boyfriend, who grew up in New Mexico and is also a “snob” for authentic Mexican food, raves about these! So good and yes, the fresh tortillas make all the difference!

  28. 5 stars
    Soooo tasty and simple to make.. in my opinion better than most restaurants! So nice to have a great home made sauce with no MSG. My whole family enjoyed them as we all love Mexican food and they will definitely be added into the regular dinner rotation..??

  29. When you “smother” it, it goes from being a burrito to being an enchilada or some type of casserole. Burritos are held in your hands and eaten, not using a fork, spoon, or plate.

    1. Minerva,
      I grew up in San Diego and have been eating Mexican food all my life, on both sides of the border. Your right a burrito is usually hand held, except a smothered burrito, that’s what these are as indicated in the title of this recipe. Those are covered in sauce and cheese, sometimes referred to as a drippy burrito. or wet burrito.

  30. 5 stars
    I just happened across this recipe today. I have to say it’s absolutely delicious ? My husband agreed it’s better than any burrito dish we’ve eaten in a Mexican restaurant. Thank you so much for sharing ??I’ll dazzle our company with this later this week.?

  31. I made these for dinner last night and they were delicious!! My husband and I both thought they were better than restaurant burritos. I made a double batch and froze some and did the same with the sauce which is a bonus to me. Served them with the authentic Mexican rice which we love. Thank You for sharing

  32. 5 stars
    These were fabulous. With 1/2 cup filling I made 8 burritos. Used low carb tortillas and green salsa. Next time will add black olives. Could make 1/2 the amount of sauce.

  33. Making these now! Hoping cumin seeds will do…will let u know!
    If I can I will post a picture. Wish me luck!

  34. 5 stars
    Made these today for dinner and it was a huge success. I added a can of diced tomatoes and onions and then some red pepper flake for heat to the filling instead of hotsauce. Had with a salad of lettuce , tomato and avocado slices. This recipe is easy to modify the heat factor for your family. I think the sauce is perfect as is. Thanks for the easy, quick, delicious recipe.

  35. 4 stars
    I made homemade salsa for this recipe and it was Delicious!! My family loved it too – bonus (:
    Thanks for sharing!!

  36. 5 stars
    These were amazing! Love the green chili sauce, and easy to modify to make more spicy! I used whole wheat flour in the sauce and whole wheat flour tortillas and they were so much better than any restaurant burritos we’ve ever had!

  37. 4 stars
    This was delicious. The only changes I made were to add chopped yellow peppers and onion to the chicken mix. I also added a chopped plabano pepper to the sauce. A new favorite.

  38. This may be a dumb question, but do you cook the tortillas before you fill them, or use them uncooked and they cook in the oven?

    1. Hi Valerie, I use uncooked tortillas and I do NOT cook them before filling them! They will bake in the oven and come out crispy and perfect! I hope you enjoyed the recipe.

  39. I’m embarrassed to say I had no idea you could buy tortillas uncooked! I’ll have to look at my grocery store and see if I can find them. Can’t wait to make this!

    1. Don’t be embarrassed that you didn’t know about uncooked tortillas. I didn’t either until my DIL from CO introduced me to them. I buy them at WalMart.

  40. Omg just made this for dinner this evening and I’m obsessed with that sauce!!!! I want to plan my other meals around that sauce hahaha

  41. thank you so much for this recipe! I made them and my WHOLE family love them. That is something because my son is a very, very picky eater. Thank you again. They were amazing!

  42. I’d love one of those for dinner tonight. But I’m afraid the trick ‘r treaters would never let me get it finished. Later this week. Thanks for sharing this tasty idea.

    Wishes for tasty dishes,
    Linda