Quesabirria tacos are the perfect tacos, filled with melty cheese and slow cooked shredded beef or lamb, then lightly pan fried for amazing flavor.
We're cooking up a batch of Quesabirria Tacos in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends. You're going to want one of these tacos. These are corn tortillas that have been dipped in chili sauce and lightly pan fried, then filled with slow cooked beef and lots of melty cheese.
They're sort of like a cross between tacos and a quesadilla, with more of a focus on the meat, though you can easily add in as much cheese as you'd like. Cheese it up!
The name, quesabirria, is a combination of queso (cheese) and birria, which is a famous Mexican dish from Jalisco of lamb, goat meat or beef cooked low and slow in a seasoned chili sauce. Birria is very often served in a bowl as a birria stew, but they make great tacos.
I just made a big pot of this homemade beef birria recipe, and I'm seriously in the mood for tacos. So let's get cooking!
Let's talk about how to make quesabirria tacos, shall we?
Quesabirria Tacos Ingredients
- FOR THE BIRRIA
- Dried Peppers. Use ancho peppers and guajillo peppers. I also use a few chiles de arbol for some extra kick.
- Olive Oil.
- Vegetables. Onion, fresh tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, garlic.
- Seasonings. Mexican oregano, cinnamon (ground cinnamon stick), cumin, ginger, sea salt and pepper. Bay leaves are a nice addition.
- Vinegar. I use apple cider vinegar, but others are fine.
- Beef Stock.
- Meat. I'm using chuck roast for this recipe, though you can use lamb, goat or beef. Lamb shoulder or lamb belly are hugely popular options. For beef, use brisket, chuck roast or beef shank.
- FOR THE QUESABIRRIA TACOS
- Tortillas. I'm using corn tortillas, though you can use flour.
- Cheese. I love Oaxaca cheese, which is a great melty Mexican cheese. Melty is KEY here. You can use other melty cheeses, like quesadilla cheese, queso asadero, Monterrey jack, cheddar or others.
- Fixings. Chopped red onion, sliced jalapeno or serrano, fresh chopped cilantro, chili flakes, fresh lime juice. Use your favorites.
How to Make Quesabirria Tacos - the Recipe Method
Dry Toast the Peppers. Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the dried chilies. Dry toast them in the hot pan 1-2 minutes per side, until the skins darken.
Soak the Peppers. Remove from heat and add the toasted peppers to a large bowl. Cover with hot water and steep 20 minutes, or until softened.
Cook the Onions, Tomatoes and Garlic. While the peppers are rehydrating, heat the olive oil in the same pan to medium heat. Add the onion and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and cook another 1 minute, stirring.
Food Processor. Add the cooked onion, tomatoes and garlic to a food processor. Remove the softened chilies and add to the food processor, but reserve the soaking liquid. Add the seasonings to the food processor along with the vinegar and 1 cup beef stock. Process until smooth. It should be fairly thick. Strain if desired to remove any unprocessed bits of skin.
Marinate the Meat. Cut the beef into large chunks and add to a large bowl. Pour the birria sauce over them and rub it into the meat. Cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 2 hours minimum. Overnight is better.
Dutch Oven or Large Pot. When you’re ready to cook, add the meat with all of the marinade, the chopped roasted tomatoes and remaining 3 cups beef broth to a large pot or Dutch oven.
Simmer the Birria Meat. Cover and cook at medium heat for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender and easy to shred. Add more beef stock or some of the reserved soaking liquid if needed for a soupier birria.
Shred the Beef. Remove the meat and shredded it with forks to your preference. Reserve most of the birria sauce (consome).
MAKE THE QUESABIRRIA TACOS
Heat the Oil. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet or pan to medium heat or medium high heat.
Dip the Tortillas. Dip the tortillas into the birria sauce (consome) to coat them evenly, then set them into the hot pan.
Top with Birria and Lightly Fry. Top with shredded meat and shredded cheese. Fold the moistened shell over and fry 2-3 minutes until crisp, then flip over and fry the other side until crisp. The cheese should melt nicely through the taco.
Serve the Quesabirria Tacos. Cool slightly and serve with chopped onion or your preferred toppings, with reserved liquid consome from the pot as a side soup/broth. I want some guacamole for mine!
Boom! Done! Your quesabirria tacos are ready to serve. Look at all that meat and cheese. I am so ready for one of these. Can't wait!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Meat Options. Today, birria is very commonly made with beef, though you can make it with lamb or goat, which were more traditional. Beef is more common for birria tacos or quesabirria. Use tougher cuts of meat, like brisket, short ribs, chuck roast or shoulder, which benefit the most from low and slow cooking. The meat becomes incredibly tender, which is what you want to achieve.
- Cheese Options. With quesabirria, the meat is important, of course, but so is the cheese. I find them best with a great melty Mexican cheese, like Oaxaca or queso asadero, but you can use others. Consider quesadilla cheese, Monterrey jack, pepper jack, or even cheddar. You can also use a combination of cheeses.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this quesabirria tacos recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you and how you served yours. Keep it spicy!
Cookbook Recommendations
If you love traditional Mexican cooking, I love these cookbooks with recipes from all over Mexico. Definitely recommended.
- Mexico: The Cookbook (affiliate link, my friends!)
- Made in Mexico: The Cookbook, by Danny Mena (affiliate link, my friends!)
Try Some of My Other Popular Mexican Recipes
- Birria Tacos
- Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos)
- Tacos al Carbon
- Beef Barbacoa
- Spicy Chorizo Tacos (with Homemade Chorizo)
- Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
- The Best Fish Tacos
- Cochinita Pibil
- See all of my Tacos Recipes.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Quesabirria Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE BIRRIA RECIPE
- 5 ancho peppers
- 5 guajillo peppers
- 2-3 chiles de arbol optional for spicier
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 3 large tomatoes chopped
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon sea salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 large roasted tomatoes chopped
- 4 cups beef stock separated
- 4 pound boneless beef chuck Or you can use beef shank or brisket - try with lamb shoulder.
FOR THE QUESABIRRIA TACOS
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 16 corn tortillas You can use flour tortillas.
- 16 ounces shredded Oaxaca cheese or use queso asadero, or other good melty cheese like Monterrey jack
- Fixings. Chopped red onion, sliced jalapeno or serrano, fresh chopped cilantro, chili flakes, fresh lime juice, guacamole. Use your favorites.
Instructions
MAKE THE BIRRIA
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the dried peppers. Dry toast them in the hot pan 1-2 minutes per side, until the skins darken.
- Remove from heat and add the toasted peppers to a large bowl. Cover with hot water and steep 20 minutes, or until softened.
- While the peppers are rehydrating, heat the olive oil in the same pan to medium heat.
- Add the onion and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook another 1 minute, stirring.
- Add the cooked onion, tomatoes and garlic to a food processor.
- Remove the softened chilies and add to the food processor, but reserve the soaking liquid.
- Add the seasonings to the food processor along with the vinegar and 1 cup beef stock. Process until smooth. It should be fairly thick. Strain if desired to remove any unprocessed bits of skin.
- Cut the beef into large chunks and add to a large bowl.
- Pour the birria sauce over them and rub it into the meat. Cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 2 hours minimum. Overnight is better.
- When you’re ready to cook, add the meat with all of the marinade, the chopped roasted tomatoes and remaining 3 cups beef broth to a large pot. Cover and cook at medium heat for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender and easy to shred. It should be fairly saucy. Add more beef stock or some of the reserved soaking liquid if needed for a soupier birria.
- Shred the meat with forks to your preference. Reserve most of the birria sauce (consome).
MAKE THE QUESABIRRIA TACOS
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pan or skillet. Dip the tortillas into the birria sauce (consome) to coat them evenly, then set them into the hot pan.
- Top with shredded cheese and then birria meat. Fold the moistened shell over and fry 2-3 minutes until crisp, then flip over and fry the other side until crisp. The cheeses should be nicely melted, like a quesadilla.
- Cool slightly and serve with your preferred toppings, with reserved liquid consome from the pot as a side soup/broth.
Notes
Nutrition Information
