We were in Cincinnati for the weekend, visiting our favorite foodie destination, Jungle Jim’s, when we decided to stop at a Mexican restaurant for dinner. That meal got me thinking… boy, I haven’t made a decent Mexican dish at home in a long time. Time to remedy that! So as soon as we got home I made some beef and bean burritos with red chile chimayo. And boy, was I ever happy that I did because my Mexican-food-inspired desires were more than satisfied!
The Sauce Is Incredible
The real start of the beef and bean burritos with red chile chimayo is the red chile chimayo. That’s the sauce that goes over the burritos after they have been lightly fried in oil.
I highly recommend that you shred or grate your cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff. It’s a chili powder-infused sauce that has hints of garlic, cumin, onion and oregano. It has an amazing flavor that makes the burritos really something special. I would not hesitate to double the recipe for the chimayo. I would also be more than happy to use it in other dishes.
Also try my beef and bean burritos!
Beef and Bean Burritos with Red Chile Chimayo
Ingredients
For the beef and bean burritos
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 16 ounces refried beans
- 6 large flour tortillas
- 1 ½ cups Mexican rice cooked
- 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For serving
- cilantro chopped
- Mexican cheese blend shredded
- black olives sliced
- sour cream
- salsa
- avocado seeded, skinned, sliced
For the red chile chimayo
- ½ cup chile powder
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth divided
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small white onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the beef and bean burritos
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Crumble in the ground beef.
- Stir in the taco seasoning.
- Cook until the beef is nearly done.
- Reduce meat to low and add the beans. Stir.
- Place the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate.
- Cover with a slightly damp paper towel.
- Microwave for 30 seconds.
- Divide the ground beef mixture between the tortillas. Add the rice and cheese to each.
- Roll up the tortillas into burritos.
- Wipe out the skillet you used to brown the beef.
- Add the oil and return the heat to medium-high.
- Working in batches of two, add the burritos to the oil and heat until brown. Turn the burritos often to brown on all sides.
- Remove to plates for serving, topping with the chimayo and any desired toppings.
For the red chile chimayo
- Add the chile powder to a medium bowl and whisk in 1 cup of the chicken broth. Whisk until there are no longer any lumps.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring.
- Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes.
- Add the cumin, oregano, and cinnamon. Cook while stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
- Add the chile powder and broth mixture to the skillet and stir.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer but do not boil.
- Season with the salt.
- Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and let simmer for 20-30 minutes (or longer) until the sauce is the consistency you want.
- Keep warm until ready to use.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
