Quesabirria Tacos Recipe

Prepare and toast chiles

Remove stems and seeds from guajillo, ancho and árbol chiles. Lightly toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Transfer toasted chiles to a bowl and cover with hot water; soak 15 minutes until softened, then drain.

Char aromatics

In the same skillet or over a gas flame, char the halved tomato and quartered onion until blackened in spots (about 5–7 minutes total), and roast the garlic briefly until fragrant. This deepens flavor for the sauce.

Blend birria sauce

In a blender, combine softened chiles, charred tomato, charred onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon and 1 cup of beef stock. Blend until very smooth, adding a little more stock if necessary to create a pourable sauce (about 30–45 seconds). Taste and adjust salt/heat.

Brown the short ribs

Season short ribs with 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. In a heavy Dutch oven or large oven-proof pot, heat 2 tbs vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Sear short ribs on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove ribs and set aside.

Braise

Reduce heat to medium. Pour the blended chile sauce into the pot and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, to deepen the flavors and cook off raw blender flavor. Add the seared short ribs back to the pot and pour remaining beef stock to cover about two-thirds of the meat (about 3 cups total liquid). Add bay leaf and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and braise on low on the stovetop or in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 2.5–3 hours, until meat is very tender and easily shredded.

Shred and reserve

Remove short ribs to a cutting board. Shred the meat, discard excess fat and bones. Taste the braising liquid and adjust seasoning. Reserve at least 3 cups of the strained braising liquid for the consommé/dip. Skim off excess fat from the top if desired and save a little for frying tortillas.

Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing to extract flavor but leaving behind solids. Skim fat if you prefer a leaner consommé. If the liquid seems very intense or too thick, dilute with up to 1 cup beef stock. Warm the consommé in a saucepan until gently simmering. Season with 1/2 tsp salt to taste and finish with a squeeze of lime if you like bright acidity. Keep warm on low for serving.

Prepare tortillas

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat. Pour reserved fat or 1 tbs vegetable oil into the skillet and spread to coat. Briefly dip each corn tortilla into the warm consommé (1–2 seconds) to moisten — this helps with flavor and gives the quesabirria its characteristic color. Place the dipped tortilla in the skillet.

Assemble and melt cheese

On the tortilla in the skillet, sprinkle about 1/4 cup shredded Chihuahua cheese covering half the tortilla (the portion that will fold). Add a generous 2–3 tablespoons shredded braised short rib on top of the cheese (pack the meat in but don’t overstuff). Top with another 1–2 tablespoons cheese (this creates a cheese 'seal'). Fold the tortilla over, pressing gently with a spatula. Cook 1.5–2 minutes per side, until the cheese is fully melted and the tortilla is crisp and golden and has some reddish color from the consommé. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Finish

Transfer cooked tacos to a platter. Let rest 30 seconds so cheese sets slightly, then cut in half if desired. Keep warm and repeat until all tacos are made.

Serve two tacos per order with a small bowl of warm consommé for dipping. Top tacos with diced onion and chopped cilantro. Provide lime wedges and hot sauce on the side. For authenticity, dip each taco into the consommé before each bite.