Quesabirria tacos are the perfect tacos, filled with melted cheese and slow cooked shredded beef or lamb, then lightly pan fried for amazing flavor.
Quesabirria Tacos Recipe
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!
What is Quesabirria?
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.
Now it's time for simmering.
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 or dipping sauce. 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.
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftover birria in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days. You can easily reheat it in a pan on the stove top to make quesabirria tacos again.
It also freezes well in freezer containers for up to 6 months.
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
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this quesabirria 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Vince says
Could you/ would you recommend finishing it in a crock pot the morning after marinading it?
Mike H. says
Yes, Vince, that is a great idea! I like to simmer it in a large pot or Dutch oven, but you could totally use a crock pot, too 😉
Marne Horstman says
I have made numerous of Mike's recipes, and they have all been great!! This biria is one of my favorites. I aim for extra sauce which makes a deep, flavorful enchilada sauce.
Mike Hultquist says
Yes!!! Thanks for sharing this, Marne. I really appreciate it. Glad you like it!
Gerald Boyne says
I made these for fight night with 7 lbs. of venison shoulder.
The guys loved it and my kids loved it!
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! I love to hear it, Gerald! Nice. Thanks for sharing this!
Jennifer says
This is how I make my Birria tacos. I've noticed some people don't use tomatoes. I like the tomatoes in it.
Mike Hultquist says
I love it with tomatoes. They are optional, but I enjoy it. Thanks!
Mark E says
Tomatoes are a winner. Roasted tomatoes are a double-winner!
Paul says
Hi Mike & Patty,
I’ve just cooked these Quesabirria tacos at my Mother in Laws. Fabulous!
Or should I perhaps say the flavour was but as it was my first time cooking corn tortillas, presentation was dire. I did 2 tacos each for the three of us.
The initial two were beautifully flavoured mush! The second couple, a tad floppy but resembling a half disc and the third set something like they should be but all requiring cutlery to eat! I went wrong somewhere but will persevere until I get it right.
Quite quietly chuffed, now I know I can buy blue corn tortillas online from a place in London. Happy Days
Paul
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Paul. Glad you enjoyed them. Yes, sometimes it can take a bit to get the hang of it, but fun doing it! I appreciate it.
Mark E says
I've found that a stable griddle temp of 350-375 F and some patience will produce the crispness you want. I can do four at a time on my two-burner griddle. Corn tortillas have a smooth side and a rough side. After dipping each tortilla in the rendered birria fat, lay them smooth side down one at a time. Wait 2-3 minutes for bubbles to appear on the tortilla. Test tortilla to know it's beginning to firm up. After it starts to firm up and harden, flip gently - I like to use a spatula. Now the bubbles are face down on the hot griddle. This will create a light crispness on the exterior of the finished taco. Wait some more. Then add the cheese to all tortillas. Then add the drained meat. Then gently fold the tortilla to form the taco. Next, rotate clockwise (assuming you're right handed) 90 degrees to make it easier to flip. Then, using a spatula, gently flip the tacos being careful not to spill any meat. You should have a fairly crisp taco shell by this time combined with some softness as well. Serve immediately.
Kozmo says
Oh, one more thing. The left over water used to hydrate the chilis is tasty. I diluted it a bit with stock and used it to cook rice. It was great. I see more possibilities there.
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, there are a lot of nutrients and flavor in the soaking liquid. It can be slightly bitter, but definitely good for many things.
Kozmo says
I haven't gotten the taco to work out yet, but the quesadillas are great. After marinating overnight and cooking the beef in a slow cooker I didn't feel the flavor of the sauce penetrated the meat enough so I put the shredded meat back into the consome to soak up more flavor as it cooked for the last hour. It was then too wet and the tacos were sloppy, not crispy. Second try with the same meat I pressed the juice out of the meat and fried the taco on a higher temp. Much better. I'm always inclined to quesadillas though and they worked out good in the first try and excellent in the second. Still not as much flavor as I've had in birria tacos in Mexico though.
Third time should be a charm. Any thoughts on getting more flavor into the meat? Maybe I should cut the meat into smaller pieces for the cooking so I don't have to return the meat back into the consome.
Thanks
Kozmo
Mike Hultquist says
I usually let it soak in the liquid as well, so you did the right thing. For more flavor, you could always try a mix of other dried peppers, or incorporate more spices and/or herbs into the mix.
Mark E says
I like to use a meat tenderizer tool to poke holes into the large beef chunks which should speed up the marinating process and also allow the vinegar to penetrate the meat easier for tenderizing. If you don't have a meat tenderizer tool, just stab the meat chunks a few times with a fork.
Kozmo Bates says
Just back from MX and inspired by the birria.
A question about processing the peppers; you suggest to toast them until the skins darken. They are already so dark, I'm not sure how dark they can get. Is the toasting for additional flavor or just to prep them for hydration?
Mike Hultquist says
Kozmo, the toasting does loosen up the oils in the peppers and develops flavor. When you toast them, you'll see the skins begin to puff up a bit and you'll smell it. Just don't let them scorch or burn. Then you can rehydrate them. Enjoy!
Paul Lueders says
Made these today Mike. Another home run man! They are really great "eye-candy" too. They taste as good as they look! Thank you Sir......
Paul
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Paul. I agree, they look SO GOOD!
Danielle says
Hello. Just wondering if there a reason to skip searing the meat first? I’m honestly trying to remember if this is the recipe I made in the past that was so wonderful, but I think I remember searing the meat and also adding clove to the sauce. Thanks for your help!
Mike Hultquist says
Danielle, I don't see a lot of searing of meat in my Mexican cookbooks, but you can absolutely do it if you'd like. Searing does add another layer of flavor. I almost always sear the meat when making stews, etc. When I adapt traditional recipes, I try to respect traditions and techniques (according to what I read and learn), but yes, go for the sear! Clove is also welcomed here.
Betsy Massie says
Mike,
I saw your answer to the question about what to do with the remaining chili soaking liquid (use it to dip tacos in), but I thought you were supposed to use the remaining consome for dipping the taco. I made these tonight, they were so good, my family said they were better than what we get at a restaurant (less salt). Thanks for breaking down process.
Betsy
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Betsy, yes, I misunderstood. Use some of the reserved soaking liquid to thin out the sauce when cooking the beef, only if you want a soupier birria. Then later, use the consome (sauce) for dipping the tortillas before cooking them, and as a dipper for the finished taco. Thanks!
Jérémie says
Birria Tacos was awesome, but Quesabirria Tacos filled to the brim with gorgeous cheese was just insane! Thank you very much, Mike!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I know, right? All that cheesy goodness! I love it! Thanks, Jérémie!
Bevin says
What do I use the reserved pepper liquid for?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Bevin, you can use the reserved soaking liquid if needed for a soupier birria when you are simmering the beef. Use only as desired.
Rebecca Blanks says
Is there any reason you couldn’t make a big batch of the birria sauce and can it? Before adding the meat, of course
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Rebecca, absolutely. It would be similar to this Adobo Sauce Recipe (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/adobo-sauce/). You can freeze it or refrigerate. For canning, you might need to pressure can, unless you add in an acid.
Cody in Arizona says
These look amazing! Going on my short list for sure.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome. Enjoy, Cody!
Premlata Vazirani says
Hello Mike,
Birria Tacos look tempting. Since we don’t eat red meet, I will make the sauce and use chicken thighs with bone (skin removed). Or will use shrimp.
You are an inspiration. Hope more people will read your recipes and try to cook even one dish to get the taste of chili pepper madness
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Premlata. Thanks for commenting! Yes, this will be great with chicken, VERY tasty. Just need to adjust cooking time, but you know that already. =) Let me know how it goes for you! Enjoy!!