Back when we lived in NW Indiana there was a small restaurant chain called Hacienda. It didn’t take long after we moved for the name and their famous specialty to come up everywhere — at the grocery store, at the ballpark, in conversations with neighbors. Say “Hacienda” and people would light up and insist it was the place to go.

 

They were right. I often craved their food late at night. Hacienda was a fun, friendly place and their famous Wet Burritos were worth the hype. They were enormous — large enough to last me several meals — and had a presentation and flavor that stuck with me for years.

I fell in love with their Michigan City location and visited the South Bend restaurant as well, but the Michigan City spot felt like visiting family. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, not the cold, cavernous feeling some chain restaurants have. I liked being comfortable in a booth and enjoying the homey décor while waiting for the food.

 

 

When the burritos arrived, I wasn’t disappointed. They were smothered in a rich secret sauce and cheese — truly a cheese-lover’s dream. One surprising detail was that the lettuce and tomato were baked inside rather than added on top, which gave the filling a more integrated, savory texture. I enjoyed that so much I started doing it at home.

The combination of well-seasoned meat, the special sauce, loaded cheese and even the chips and salsa and frozen margaritas made Hacienda a memorable experience. After we moved away, I knew I wanted to recreate that dish at home.

 

 

I developed my own version that captures the spirit of Hacienda’s Wet Burritos. I used pulled and shredded pork here, but you can swap in pulled beef, chicken or seasoned ground beef. All are delicious — use whichever you prefer.

 

The seasoned pulled pork:

 

 

Assemble the burritos in reverse order from how you might usually build them — start with a tortilla in a shallow baking dish, layer a little cheese, then tomato, lettuce, seasonings and more cheese, then add the meat and beans. Fold the sides, turn the burrito over so the seam is down on the baking dish, ladle the secret sauce generously over the top, then pile on the cheese. Don’t skimp — this dish needs lots of cheese to achieve that smothered effect that makes it special.

 

 

Fold the sides over and carefully flip each burrito onto the baking plate so the seam is down.

 

 

Ladle the secret sauce to fully cover each burrito, then pile on a generous amount of cheese so it melts over and smothers the entire burrito. Hacienda’s signature finishing touch is three black olive slices on top of each — a small detail that completes the look.

 

 

You can make smaller versions if you like, and they reheat well in the microwave. But for the full Hacienda experience, I go big — the oversized, eye-popping burrito is part of the charm.

 

 

Bake the smothered burritos at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is fully melted. Serve with extra toppings like sour cream, guacamole or hot sauce, and pair them with chips and salsa or a side of Mexican-style beans and rice. These keep well as leftovers and deliver the same comforting, cheesy satisfaction.

 

Note: This is my copycat version inspired by Hacienda’s Wet Burritos, not the restaurant’s original recipe. I also use my pulled pork method for the meat, which works well with beef or chicken too.

Yield: 4 large servings

Copycat Hacienda Wet Burritos (Shredded Pork, Beef, Chicken or Ground Beef)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. cooked, pulled and shredded pork, chuck roast or chicken, or cooked and chopped ground beef (a rotisserie chicken also works)

Seasoning Mix:

• Dry:
• 2 tsp. seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 1/2 tsp. quality chili powder
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 Tbl. cornstarch
• 2 Tbl. flour
• Wet:
• 2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon (beef base for red meats, chicken base for poultry/pork)
• 1 Tbl. ketchup
• 1/2 Tbl. Sriracha
• 1 cup beer
• 1 1/2 cups water

Secret Sauce:

• 2 Tbl. butter
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can Campbell’s Beef Consommé
• 1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce (mild)
• 1/2 tsp. quality chili powder
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Rest of ingredients:

• 4 large burrito-sized flour tortillas
• 1 (16 oz.) bag shredded Mexi-blend cheese
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 4-6 cups shredded lettuce
• Salt and coarse ground black pepper
• Chopped pickled jalapeños, optional
• 1 (12-16 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (or refried beans)

Extra Toppings:

• 12 black olive slices
• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Hot sauce or Sriracha

Instructions

1. Add cooked pulled pork, beef or chicken (or cooked ground beef) to a large frying pan.
2. In a small to medium bowl, mix the dry seasoning ingredients. Sprinkle over the meat and stir to coat.
3. Stir in the wet seasoning ingredients (dissolving the bouillon in warm water first helps). Heat to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer until thick, stirring often to prevent sticking. Cover and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
5. Make the Secret Sauce: melt butter over medium-low heat, stir in flour and cook, stirring, 4–5 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in beef consommé until smooth. Add enchilada sauce, chili powder and garlic powder. Bring to a low boil and cook until thickened, 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. Place a large flour tortilla in a shallow baking dish for each burrito.
7. Top each tortilla in this order: a small amount of cheese, chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, salt and pepper, a handful of cheese, chopped pickled jalapeños (optional), about 1/2 lb. of seasoned meat, and beans to taste.
8. Fold the edges over tightly and carefully turn each burrito over so the seam is down in the baking dish.
9. Ladle the Secret Sauce over each burrito until completely covered, then pile on the cheese.
10. Bake 15 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is fully melted.
11. Top each with three black olive slices and serve with extra toppings as desired. These go well with chips and salsa and Mexican red beans and rice.

Notes

*See the pulled pork method referenced for making the meat; it also works with beef chuck roast or boneless chicken. **Extra beans can be used to make Mexican red beans and rice as a side. ***If you prefer refried beans, spread them on the tortillas first instead of using kidney beans.