Slow Cooker Beef and Chile Burritos

Name: Slow Cooker Beef and Chile Burritos
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 pounds (900 g) ground beef (80/20 blend); 6 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed, toasted, roughly chopped; 3 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed, toasted, roughly chopped; 1 (250 g) yellow onion, large, roughly chopped (for sauce); 6 (30 g) garlic cloves, peeled; 2 cups (480 ml) beef broth; 2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste; 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin; 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried oregano; to taste kosher salt; to taste black pepper; 4 flour tortillas (8-inch), warmed; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves (optional), roughly chopped (optional); 2 lime wedges (optional) (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender ground beef simmered with dried chiles, onion, and garlic in the slow cooker, then wrapped in warm flour tortillas. The chile sauce builds deep, complex flavor—perfect for filling and freezing ahead or serving fresh with your favorite toppings.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: —
Wait: 5 hr
Total: 5 hr 15 min
Makes: 4 burritos (1 per person)

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Steps

Before you start

Toast the dried chiles for 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet to release their oils—do not burn them
Have flour tortillas at room temperature or warm them briefly before assembling
Read through the recipe to understand the slow cooker time: 5 hours on low or 2.5 hours on high

1
Toast and prepare chiles
- Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat.
- Add the guajillo and ancho chiles, a few at a time, and toast for about 30 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly darkened—do not let them scorch or they will taste bitter.
- Transfer to a cutting board, remove any remaining stems and seeds, and roughly chop.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Chiles are fragrant and lightly colored
Tip: Toasting releases essential oils and deepens the chile flavor; watch carefully so they don't burn.
2
Break up the ground beef
- In a large bowl, break up the ground beef with a fork or your hands into 1-inch pieces (do not compact it).
- This helps it cook evenly in the slow cooker without forming one large clump.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Beef is broken into bite-sized pieces
Tip: Breaking up the beef now ensures even cooking in the slow cooker; don't worry about browning it first—the chile sauce will do the work.
3
Make the chile sauce
- In a blender or food processor, combine the toasted chopped chiles, roughly chopped onion, peeled garlic cloves, and 1 cup of the beef broth.
- Blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
- Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or colander into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid and pulp; discard any tough chile skin or fibers that remain in the strainer.
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Ready when: Mixture is completely smooth and silky after straining
Tip: Straining removes tough bits of chile skin, giving you a silky sauce without grittiness.
4
Build the slow cooker mixture
- Pour the strained chile sauce into the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining 1 cup beef broth, the broken-up ground beef, tomato paste, ground cumin, and dried oregano.
- Stir well with a wooden spoon, breaking up any clumps of beef.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste (start with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, then adjust after cooking).
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Ready when: All ingredients are evenly combined and beef is no longer clumped
Tip: Stirring thoroughly ensures the beef breaks apart and absorbs flavor from the chile sauce.
5
Cook on low
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 5 hours.
- The mixture should bubble gently around the edges and the beef should be very tender and breaking apart, and the sauce should be rich and dark.
- If you are short on time, cook on high for 2.5 hours instead, stirring once halfway through.
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Ready when: Beef is very tender and shreds easily; sauce is reduced and glossy
Tip: Do not lift the lid unnecessarily during cooking—each time you do, you add 15–20 minutes to the cook time.
6
Adjust seasonings
- Open the slow cooker and stir the beef and chile mixture.
- Taste a small spoonful of the sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- The flavor should be rich, slightly spicy, and balanced.
- If the sauce tastes thin or watery, leave the slow cooker on high, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes to reduce further.
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Ready when: Sauce coats the back of a spoon and tastes full-flavored
Tip: Tasting now lets you correct seasoning before assembling, ensuring perfect burritos.
7
Warm the tortillasOven 325°F / 165°C
- While the beef finishes, preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Wrap the flour tortillas tightly in foil and place on a baking sheet.
- Warm in the oven for about 8 minutes until they are soft and pliable.
- Remove from the oven and keep wrapped until you're ready to fill.
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Ready when: Tortillas are warm to the touch and bend without cracking
Tip: Warming tortillas makes them much easier to roll and prevents them from splitting.
8
Assemble the burritos
- Lay one warm tortilla flat on a clean cutting board.
- Spoon about ¾ cup of the beef and chile mixture into the center of the tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border on all sides.
- Top with fresh cilantro if using.
- Fold the bottom edge of the tortilla up and over the filling, then fold in the left and right sides, and finally roll tightly away from you until the seam is underneath.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
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Ready when: All four burritos are tightly rolled with no gaps in the seams
Tip: A tighter roll prevents the burrito from falling apart when you pick it up; don't overfill, or the tortilla will tear.
9
Serve
- Transfer each burrito seam-side down to a plate.
- Spoon any remaining sauce from the slow cooker over the top.
- Serve with lime wedges for squeezing, and your choice of toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa, or more cilantro.
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Ready when: Burritos are plated and ready to eat
Tip: Serving extra sauce on the side allows each person to add as much or as little as they like.

Good to know

Tips

Toast the dried chiles directly in the slow cooker bowl before adding other ingredients if you prefer to skip the skillet—just use a dry setting or have the bowl on the counter while you toast them in a separate pan.
For a thicker, more compact filling, cook the beef and chiles on high for 2.5 hours instead of low for 5 hours, or leave the slow cooker uncovered on high for the final 30 minutes to reduce the sauce further.
Strain the chile sauce thoroughly to remove tough bits of skin; a food mill can also work in place of a fine mesh strainer if you have one.
Wrap cooked burritos individually in foil for easy reheating and storage; they can go straight from the freezer to the oven with no thawing needed.

Make ahead

Prepare the beef and chile filling up to 2 days ahead: cook fully in the slow cooker, cool to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate. Reheat gently in the slow cooker on low for 30 minutes or in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You can also freeze the cooked filling for up to 3 months in freezer bags or containers; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Storage & reheating

Keep unrolled burritos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store wrapped burritos in the same way; reheat by wrapping in foil and warming in a 325°F (160°C) oven for about 10 minutes. Freeze unrolled burritos (wrapped individually in foil or plastic wrap, then in freezer bags) for up to 3 months. Reheat frozen burritos in foil at 325°F (160°C) for 20–25 minutes until warmed through.

Substitutions

guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed → California or New Mexico dried chiles. California chiles are slightly earthier; New Mexico chiles are a bit spicier. Use the same quantity and follow the same toasting and straining steps.
ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed → Pasilla chiles. Pasilla chiles are darker and have a smoky, plum-like flavor. Substitute 2 pasilla chiles for the 3 ancho chiles to keep the spice level balanced.
ground beef (80/20 blend) → Ground turkey or ground chicken (85/15 blend). Poultry is leaner, so the filling will be less rich; add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the slow cooker to compensate for moisture and flavor.
beef broth → Chicken broth or vegetable broth. Either works well; the chile sauce will be the dominant flavor. The filling will be slightly lighter in taste.