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Birria Tacos (Quesabirria)

Close-up of two golden-brown quesadillas filled with shredded birria meat and melted cheese, served with consommé.
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Make authentic birria tacos at home, featuring slow-cooked, tender beef and crispy, cheese-filled tortillas dipped in rich consommé.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 white onion, quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 dried guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
  • 2 dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • Salt to taste
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Oaxaca cheese
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Chopped white onion, for garnish
  • Chopped cilantro, for garnish
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the guajillo and ancho chilies for 1-2 minutes per side until fragrant. Remove from skillet.
  2. Add the cumin seeds, peppercorns, oregano, cloves, and cinnamon to the skillet. Toast for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. In a blender, combine the toasted chilies, toasted spices, quartered onion, garlic, and apple cider vinegar. Add 1 cup of beef broth and blend until smooth.
  4. Place the beef chuck roast in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Pour the blended chili mixture over the beef.
  5. Add the remaining 5 cups of beef broth to the pot. Season with salt.
  6. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is very tender and shreds easily.
  7. Remove the beef from the pot and shred it using two forks. Skim excess fat from the consommé (reserve this fat for frying the tacos).
  8. Return the shredded beef to the pot with the consommé and stir to combine. Keep warm.
  9. To assemble the tacos, dip each corn tortilla briefly into the reserved consommé fat.
  10. Place a tortilla in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle half of the tortilla with Monterey Jack and Oaxaca cheeses.
  11. Add about 1/4 cup of the shredded beef mixture over the cheese. Fold the tortilla in half.
  12. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until the tortilla is crispy and golden brown, and the cheese is melted.
  13. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and beef.
  14. Serve the birria tacos immediately, garnished with chopped white onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and extra consommé for dipping.

Notes

  • For extra flavor, you can add a bay leaf to the birria while it simmers.
  • If you don’t have enough consommé fat for dipping, you can add a little vegetable oil to the reserved fat.
  • Adjust chili peppers to your spice preference.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchenslang.com/birria-tacos-recipe/