If you like burritos, then you're going to LOVE these Low FODMAP Wet Burrito Bowls! Inspired by the popular Tex-Mex wet burrito found at certain restaurants in the United States (mostly in my home state of Michigan), these Low FODMAP Wet Burrito Bowls bring the same incredible flavor and deliciousness of wet burritos, even without the tortilla. In addition to being low FODMAP, these low FODMAP burrito bowls are gluten-free and can be made lactose-free by using lactose-free cheese and sour cream.
Please note: this recipe contains spicy ingredients, which may not sit well for some folks with IBS. See notes in the recipe card below for more information.
Jump to:
What the heck is a "wet" burrito?!?
Wet burritos are large burritos that traditionally seasoned meat (most commonly ground beef), refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion wrapped in a large flour tortilla, and smothered in red enchilada sauce and lots of melted cheese. I grew up eating them at Mexican restaurants in Michigan and still love to eat them when I visit home. They're one of my all time favorite things to eat.
Later as an adult, when I tried to find them at Mexican restaurants in other parts of the world (like California, Washington State, British Columbia, Mexico, etc.), however - wet burritos are typically not on the menu. This puzzled me at first, but I later learned that wet burritos are not authentic Mexican food. Rather, wet burritos are Tex-Mex, which has Mexican influences but is centered in American Southwestern cuisine. Thus, while I could order a regular burrito at authentic Mexican restaurants, wet burritos were typically not on the menu.
Now that I live well outside of Michigan, I get my wet burrito fix by making these Low FODMAP Wet Burrito Bowls. They're like a deconstructed wet burrito without the tortilla. There are a number of other recipes on this site that skip the tortilla or bread element in general: my Low FODMAP Air Fryer Shrimp Taco Bowls, Low FODMAP Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad, Low FODMAP Instant Pot Carnitas, Low FODMAP Taco Salad, and more. Now we can add these Low FODMAP Wet Burrito Bowls to that collection of delicious, tortilla-less recipes.
Low FODMAP Wet Burrito Bowls: Make them Your Way
This low FODMAP burrito bowl recipe has multiple components: the meat and produce, the recipe for which is found in the recipe card below; the low FODMAP refried beans, the recipe and FODMAP information for which is at that post; and the low FODMAP red enchilada sauce, which I posted last week. You can make the bowls your own; however. If you don't like the idea of a "wet" burrito, you can simply not use the enchilada sauce and instead top your low FODMAP burrito bowl with sour cream (lactose-free if needed) and/or low FODMAP salsa (homemade or store-bought). Or, if you don't eat legumes, you can always leave out the refried beans and eat the low FODMAP burrito bowl as is or with some rice to make it more substantial.
The toppings are totally negotiable, too. I never eat my wet burrito bowls with tomatoes (read about my lifelong dislike for raw tomatoes here), but I eat all of the other toppings listed in this recipe. If you don't do dairy, you can skip the cheese and sour cream. For those who don't do lactose - lactose-free options of marble cheese and sour cream are readily available.
If you're going to add any toppings or ingredients not listed below or in the sauce or beans recipes, be sure to consult Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App to make sure they are low FODMAP and not in conflict with any of the existing ingredients.
Necessary Equipment
The equipment I use to make these Low FODMAP Wet Burrito Bowls includes:
- Stovetop
- Large skillet
- Flipping spatula
- Chopping board and knife
- Measuring spoons and cups
Low FODMAP Wet Burrito Bowls: Ingredients & Success Tips
Low FODMAP Refried Beans & Red Enchilada Sauce
Like most bowl recipes that create the majority of the components from scratch, this low FODMAP burrito bowl recipe takes some time to prepare. However, you can make the prep easier by making the low FODMAP refried beans and low FODMAP red enchilada sauce the night before and reheating them in the microwave the next day, ingredients and instructions for which can be found in those respective posts.
If you are only able to make the beans and sauce the day-of, once cooked, cover and put them in a place to keep warm. You may need to reheat them before serving depending on how long it takes to get everything else prepared. To easily do this, I just put them back on medium low for a few minutes until they start to steam, stirring frequently to prevent overcooking.
Produce & Cheese
Then, I chop the produce and shred the cheese for the bowls, keeping them all separate until ready to assemble the bowls. One of those dishes with multiple connected serving bowls comes in handy for this purpose. I found mine at a thrift store, and it's been soooo handy!
The produce ingredients include:
- Iceberg lettuce (or your favorite greens), thinly sliced or shredded
- Common tomatoes, chopped - previously listed as FODMAP-free by Monash University, common tomatoes have been recently retested by Monash University for FODMAPs. They're now listed as low FODMAP in servings of up to ½ of a tomato or 65 grams.
- Scallions (a.k.a. green onions), dark green parts only, chopped
I use lactose-free marble cheese, coarsely shredded for the bowls. If you don't need lactose-free, feel free to use regular marble or cheddar cheese. If you don't eat cheese, feel free to leave it out.
Low FODMAP Wet Burrito Meat
To make the meat component of these low FODMAP burrito bowls, I first brown ground beef in a large skillet on medium heat. Once browned, I drain the fat from the skillet. Then, I place the skillet back on the heat and add the following:
- Garlic-infused olive oil - adds garlicy flavor without the garlic
- Leek, dark green leaves only, finely chopped - adds oniony flavor without the onion, which is traditionally used in wet burritos
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
I use a spatula to combine the leek and jalapeño with the meat and sauté until the leek and pepper have softened a bit, about 3 minutes.
Seasonings
Then, I reduce the skillet heat to low and add the following seasonings and ¼ cup of water to the skillet:
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Dried oregano leaves
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
I stir until the skillet contents are evenly covered in spices and continue to sauté on low for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. I remove the skillet from heat.
Bowl Assembly
Before assembling the bowls, I check the heat levels of the refried beans and enchilada sauce before adding them as they may cool to an unpalatable level. If they are still in their saucepans, I reheat them by placing their saucepans back on the burners on medium heat for a few minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. If I've made them in advance, I heat them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring after each minute.
To assemble my low FODMAP wet burrito bowls, I add the iceberg lettuce to the bottom of 4 bowls, about 1.5 cups each. Then, I top the lettuce with the burrito meat, low FODMAP refried beans, tomatoes, and scallions. I top the bowls with cheese, low FODMAP salsa (homemade or store-bought), sour cream, and the low FODMAP enchilada sauce.
Low FODMAP Wet Burrito Bowls: The Perfect Bite
After assembling the bowls, my family and I typically mix all of the ingredients together in our own bowls, which creates the perfectly delicious bite that most resembles the flavor of a wet burrito. It doesn't look pretty at that point, but man - it's so delicious.
Low FODMAP Wet Burrito Bowls (Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free)
Ingredients
- A full batch of Low FODMAP Refried Beans
- A half batch of Low FODMAP Red Enchilada Sauce
Produce:
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded (about 6 cups)
- 1 cup common tomatoes, chopped*
- 1 cup scallions, dark green parts only, chopped
Low FODMAP Wet Burrito Meat:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
- ½ cup leek, dark green leaves only, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup water
Additional Topping Options:
- 1 cup marble cheese, shredded, lactose-free if needed
- 1 cup low FODMAP salsa, homemade or store-bought
- ½ cup sour cream, lactose-free if needed
Instructions
- Make the refried beans and enchilada sauce: Preferably the night before: make a full batch of Low FODMAP Refried Beans and a half batch of Low FODMAP Enchilada Sauce, cool, store in an airtight container, and refrigerate. Reheat in the microwave, covered, when you’re ready to assemble the bowls the next day. If making the day-of, cover and set aside to keep warm. The beans and sauce may require reheating prior to serving the bowls.
- Prepare produce and cheese: Chop produce ingredients and shred the cheese, keeping them separate until you’re ready to assemble the bowls.
- Prepare the meat: Place a large skillet on medium heat on the stove top. Once hot, add ground beef, breaking up the meat with a spatula, and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Drain fat from the skillet and place the skillet back on the stovetop.
- Add garlic-infused olive oil, chopped leeks and jalapeno to the skillet, combine with the meat using a spatula, and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Add seasonings: chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and ¼ cup water and stir until the meat is evenly coated in seasonings. Sauté on low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat.
- Assemble the bowls: Before assembling, check the heat level of the refried beans and enchilada sauce and reheat if necessary. Then, to assemble, add iceberg lettuce to the bottom of 4 serving bowls (about 1.5 cups in each). Add refried beans, common tomatoes, scallions, and meat on top of the lettuce. Top with shredded cheese, low FODMAP salsa, sour cream, and enchilada sauce as desired. Optionally, eat with gluten-free tortilla chips.
Equipment
Notes
- For the most delicious bite, mix all of the components together once in the serving bowls. It doesn't look pretty anymore but tastes amazing.
- Spicy food warning: although the ingredients in this recipe are low in FODMAPs and this recipe is only mildly spicy, some people with IBS have trouble with spicy food regardless of its FODMAP content. Talk to your doctor or dietician with concerns before making this recipe.
- Common tomatoes: Previously listed as FODMAP-free by Monash University, common tomatoes have been recently retested by Monash University for FODMAPs and are now listed as low FODMAP in servings of up to ½ of a tomato or 65 grams.
- Cooking times include the times to create all of the components in this recipe, including the low FODMAP refried beans and Low FODMAP red enchilada sauce in addition to the rest of the Low FODMAP wet burrito bowl.
- Nutritional information below does not include low FODMAP refried beans and the low FODMAP enchilada sauce. View those respective recipe for their nutritional info.
Leave a Reply