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Indulge in the rich and flavorful world of Quesabirria tacos, a beloved culinary creation that has taken the taco scene by storm. Originating from the vibrant street food culture of Mexico, these tantalizing tacos offer a mouthwatering fusion of tender, slow-cooked beef, melted cheese, and soft, perfectly toasted tortillas. The name itself is a marriage of “queso” (cheese) and “birria” (a savory stew), hinting at the delightful combination that awaits each bite. My Quesabirria tacos recipe will guide you through the art of crafting these delectable delights right in your own kitchen. Get ready to savor an explosion of flavors and experience taco bliss like never before.
Jump to:
- Quesabirria Tacos
- What is a Quesabirria Taco?
- Quesabirrias Ingredients
- Quesabirria Tacos Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Birria
- How to Make Quesabirria Tacos
- Quesabirria Taco Recipe Tips
- Quesabirria FAQs
- Quesabirria Taco Parties
- How Many Tacos per Person
- Taco Recipes
- What to Serve with Quesabirria Tacos
- 📋 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Quesabirria Tacos
Quesabirria, a classic Mexican dish that combines stewed meat, chiles, tacos and cheese, is all the craze right now, and for good reason! They’re earthy, spicy, tender and filled with melty cheese, with an irresistible crunch. Not to mention, the dipping sauce is so full of flavor, you’ll be sipping the leftovers out of the bowl!
You may be intimidated by the number of steps compared to a classic taco, but don’t worry. This is the easiest and best birria recipe out there! And, if you’ve ever tried Quesabirria Jalisco tacos, you know how good and worth it every step is.
Plus, it’s ultra-customizable! You can use any meat you wish- from pork, to beef, to chicken birria or your favorite cut of lamb! For an extra authentic experience, traditional birria is made with goat meat, and it’s delicious.
What is a Quesabirria Taco?
A quesabirria taco is a popular and delicious type of taco that originated in Tijuana, Mexico, and has become very popular in the United States. It is a fusion of Mexican birria (a spicy, savory stew made with beef, goat, or lamb) and a quesadilla.
The preparation typically involves stewing meat with a combination of spices and chilies until it becomes a mouthwatering tender and flavorful piece of meat. The meat is then shredded and placed in a tortilla along with cheese and other taco toppings. Typically the quesabirria taco is then dipped in the juice the birria was cooked in. They are absolutely amazing!
Quesabirrias Ingredients
- Boneless Chuck Roast
- Olive oil
- Guajillo chiles
- Ancho chiles
- Tomato
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cinnamon stick
- Bay leaf
- Oregano
- Cumin seed
- Thyme
- Salt and pepper
- Beef broth
Quesabirria Tacos Recipe Ingredients
- Corn tortillas
- Onion
- Cilantro
- Oaxaca cheese or other melty cheese
- Lime
- Meat: Don’t feel limited by what meat you use! While I love using chuck roast because it’s affordable and easy to shred, you can use pretty much any meat you have for this recipe. My other favorites include beef shank, short ribs, sirloin roast, or swapping the beef for pork roast or chicken breasts.
- Chiles: Don’t miss out on these! Dried Mexican peppers can typically be found in the international aisle of your local grocery store, by Mexican food. If you have a produce market nearby, even better! If you can’t find these exact peppers, try New Mexico, Pasilla, or California peppers.
- Cheese: If you can find Oaxaca, I can’t recommend it enough! It has a unique saltiness that sets it apart from other white-melting cheeses. If you can’t find it, however, mozzarella is the next best thing.
How to Make Birria
- Place your largest pot or a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add in the olive oil. When the oil shimmers and the pan is nice and hot, season the birria beef with salt and pepper, then add it to the pot to sear on all sides.
- Add in the onions, cook for two more minutes, then remove the dutch oven from the heat.
- Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile peppers. To amp up the spiciness, you can skip removing the seeds.
- In a medium pot, combine the chiles, tomatoes, the other half of the onions, garlic cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf.
- Add 4-5 cups of water, or enough to completely cover all of the ingredients. Place it on the stove over medium-high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, bring the heat down to low, and let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Add all of the remaining seasonings to the sauce pot, including oregano, cumin seeds, thyme, salt, and peppercorns.
- Stir, and let simmer for another 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few more minutes.
- Pour the sauce and vegetable mixture into a large mesh strainer over a bowl. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf from the strained solids and discard them, then add the solids to a blender.
- Add 2 cups of the sauce to the blender, plus 1 cup of beef broth. Blend on high until smooth, adding salt to taste.
- Return the pot with beef and onions to the stove on medium heat, then pour the blended vegetable sauce over the beef. If more liquid is needed, add beef broth until the beef is completely covered.
- Let the broth come to a simmer before lowering the heat and covering it, letting it simmer for 2½ to 3 hours.
How to Make Quesabirria Tacos
- Once the beef has cooked completely and is tender and soft, remove the birria from the heat. Using tongs, take the beef out of the sauce and place it on a cutting board, using a fork to shred it.
- Heat a large skillet or a griddle to medium heat. Again with tongs, dip a corn tortilla into the top of the stew to get it coated in the floating fat.
- Place the dipped tortilla fat-side-down on the skillet, then top with shredded beef and cheese, plus onions and cilantro if desired.
- Fold the tortilla over, then fry for about a minute per side, until crispy. Remove from the heat and keep warm while you repeat this process for each taco.
- Serve warm with a squeeze of lime juice and a dish of birria stew. To eat, dip each taco in the broth, and enjoy! The dipping sauce is absolutely key and makes these tacos truly incredible!
If you love this recipe, I guarantee you will also love my chilaquiles recipe!
Quesabirria Taco Recipe Tips
- The seasonings and broth are what makes this dish so incredible, so feel free to change up what meat you use! Try this recipe with pork for an ultra-budget-friendly dish, or try it out with chicken for Chicken Birria Tacos!
- Looking to spice it up even more? Kick up the heat level for the bravest of your family members by adding Chiles de Árbol. They’re super sharp and spicy, and perfectly complement the earthy birria sauce!
- You’re going to be making a LOT of food with this recipe, so use the biggest pot you have! Leftover birria meat can be frozen in an airtight container and reheated on the stove or preheated oven any time!
- To save time, prep the stew base ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then all you need to do is sear and stew the beef!
- Quesabirria meat is loaded with flavor, so be sure to use a mild melty cheese! If you can find it, I can’t recommend Oaxaca enough. It’s a beautiful Mexican cheese braided into a rope with just enough salty kick.
- Remember, don’t skimp out on using that quesabirria sauce! Make sure to dip the tortillas in the fat before frying them, and dip the completed tacos in the sauce. You won’t believe how flavorful they are!
- If you love Quesabirria, you’ll also love my Ropa Vieja Recipe!
Quesabirria FAQs
Quesabirria tacos are made with meat especially stewed in a mix of chiles and vegetables, then shredded and added to tortillas alongside onion, cheese, and cilantro. The flavor of the stewing spices makes these tacos with dipping sauce one of a kind!
The difference between birria tacos and quesabirria tacos is all in the name: the inclusion of cheese! Additionally, the name “birria” is traditionally associated with the use of goat meat, while quesabirria meat tends towards beef brisket.
Yes you can, quesabirria chicken tacos and quesabirria pork tacos are both amazing!
Quesabirria Taco Parties
One of my favorite ways to make this recipe is for parties! The long stewing time gives me plenty of time to have fun with my friends before we eat, and nobody can resist the delicious smell of the broth wafting through the air!
With this recipe for quesabirria tacos, you’ll have plenty to share, too! Make up a big pot of birria and gather around in the kitchen so everyone can pick their favorite toppings (like Pickled Onions and Avocado Crema!). This is especially important with parties, so people who don’t like cilantro can still love this meal!
How Many Tacos per Person
It would be terrible to not have enough for everyone, especially with a recipe like this where it’s too good to pass up seconds! Just remember: guests tends to overfill tacos made for themselves, so assume 2 tacos per person.
| Number of Guests | Amount of Birria | Amount of Tacos |
|---|---|---|
| 4-8 | 50% more (2.5-3 lbs. roast) | 8-16 |
| 8-12 | Double recipe (4-4.5 lbs. roast) | 16-24 |
| 12-15 | 150% more (4.5-5 lbs. roast) | 24-30 |
| 15-20 | Triple recipe (6-6.5 lbs. roast) | 30-40 |
Taco Recipes
What to Serve with Quesabirria Tacos
📋 Recipe
Quesabirria Tacos
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Blender or food processor
- Kitchen sheers
- Medium pot
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Boneless chuck roast cut into large chunks
- 2 Tablespoon Olive oil
- 3 Dried guajillo chiles
- 2 Dried ancho chiles
- 2 Roma tomatoes quartered
- 1 medium Onion halved
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds or ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Salt + more to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black peppercorns
- 2 cups Beef broth
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
Quesabirria Stew
- Place your largest pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add in the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering and the pan is nice and hot, season the beef with salt and pepper, then add it to the pot to sear on all sides.3 lbs Boneless chuck roast, 1 medium Onion, 2 Tablespoon Olive oil
- Add in the half of the onions, cooking for two more minutes, then remove the dutch oven from the heat.
- Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile peppers. To amp up the spiciness, you can skip removing the seeds.3 Dried guajillo chiles, 2 Dried ancho chiles
- In a medium pot, combine the chiles, tomatoes, the other half of the onions, garlic cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf.2 Roma tomatoes, 3 cloves Garlic, 1 Cinnamon stick, 1 Bay leaf, 1 medium Onion
- Add 4-5 cups of water, or enough to completely cover all of the ingredients. Place it on the stove over medium-high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, bring the heat down to low, and let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Add all of the remaining seasonings to the sauce pot, including oregano, cumin seeds, thyme, salt, and peppercorns. Stir, and let simmer another 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few more minutes.1 teaspoon Dried oregano, ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon Dried thyme, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black peppercorns
- Pour the sauce and vegetable mixture into a large mesh strainer over a bowl. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf from the strained solids and discard them, then add the solids to a blender.
- Add 2 cups of the sauce to the blender, plus 1 cup of beef broth. Blend on high until smooth, adding salt to taste.2 cups Beef broth
- Return the pot with beef and onions to the stove on medium heat, then pour the blended vegetable sauce over the beef. If more liquid is needed, add beef broth until the beef is completely covered. Let the broth come to a simmer before lowering the heat and covering, letting it simmer for 2½ to 3 hours.
- Once the beef has cooked completely and is tender and soft, remove the birria from the heat. Using tongs, take the beef out of the sauce and place it on a cutting board, using a fork to shred it.
Quesabirria Tacos
- Heat a large skilled or a griddle to medium heat. Again with tongs, dip a corn tortilla into the top of the stew to get it coated in the floating fat. Place the dipped tortilla fat-side-down on the skillet, then top with shredded beef and cheese, plus onions and cilantro if desired.
- Fold the tortilla over, then fry for about a minute per side, until crispy. Remove from the heat and keep warm while you repeat this process for each taco.
- Serve warm with lime slices and a dish of birria stew. To eat, dip each taco in the broth, and enjoy! The dipping sauce is absolutely key and makes these tacos truly incredible!
Video
Notes
- The seasonings and broth are what make this dish so incredible, so feel free to change up what meat you use! Try this recipe with pork for an ultra budget-friendly dish, or try it out with chicken for Chicken Birria Tacos!
- Looking to spice it up even more? Kick up the heat level for the bravest of your family members by adding Chiles de Árbol. They’re super sharp and spicy, and perfectly compliment the earthy birria sauce!
- You’re going to be making a LOT of food with this recipe, so use the biggest pot you have! Leftover birria can be frozen in airtight containers and reheated on the stove for easy birria any time!
- To save time, prep the stew base ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then all you need to do is sear and stew the beef!
- Quesabirria meat is loaded with flavor, so be sure to use a mild melty cheese! If you can find it, I can’t recommend oaxaca enough. It’s a beautiful Mexican cheese braided into rope with just enough salty kick.
- Remember, don’t skimp out on using that quesabirria sauce! Make sure to dip the tortillas in the fat before frying them, and dip the completed tacos in the sauce. You won’t believe how flavorful they are!
Betty says
I actually have not made the recipe yet but I can tell from reading the ingredients and directions that this is going to be an authentically flavored and decedent dish. It is very similar to my pasole that I have made many times. I cannot wait to try this recipe.
Em Beitel says
Betty, that is so awesome to hear! Thank you so much for such a lovely comment, it means a lot to us. Please enjoy!