Birria Quesadilla Recipe
Flour tortilla stuffed with cheese and tender Shredded beef, topped with cilantro and onions. Served with a delicious side of broth for dipping and sour cream.
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Ingredients
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Birria (shredded beef) and consommé
Quesadillas and toppings
Method
Birria (shredded beef) and consommé
- 1
Toast chiles
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Lightly toast guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles for 10–20 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Remove from heat.
- 2
Soak chiles
Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with 2 cups hot water. Let soak 15 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid.
- 3
Prepare aromatics
Quarter the white onion and peel the garlic. In a blender, add softened chiles (patted slightly to remove excess liquid), garlic cloves, half the onion, canned diced tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, ground cumin, black pepper and 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. Blend until a smooth, thick sauce forms; add a splash more soaking liquid if needed to reach a saucy consistency.
- 4
Brown the beef
Season the chuck roast lightly with 1 tsp salt. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the roast 3–4 minutes per side until browned. Transfer roast to a plate.
- 5
Combine and simmer
In the same pot, add the remaining half onion (quartered) and seared roast back in. Pour the blended chile-tomato sauce over the meat. Add 6 cups beef broth (or enough to mostly cover the roast), bay leaves, and remaining 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 2.5–3 hours until meat is fork-tender and easily shreds. Alternatively, cook in a 300°F (150°C) oven covered for the same time, or use a pressure cooker and cook 60–75 minutes.
- 6
Remove and shred
Carefully transfer the roast to a cutting board. Reserve the cooking liquid (consommé). Using two forks, shred the beef into bite-sized strands. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- 7
Reduce consommé (optional)
If you want a more concentrated dipping broth, skim off excess fat from the top of the cooking liquid, strain it through a fine sieve into a saucepan, and simmer over medium heat 10–15 minutes until reduced by about 25% and flavors intensify. Keep warm for serving.
- 8
Mix shredded beef with sauce
Return a portion of the strained cooking liquid (2–3 tbsp per cup of shredded meat) to the shredded beef and mix so it stays moist and flavorful. Reserve extra consommé for dipping bowls.
Assembling and cooking quesadillas
- 9
- 10
Assemble quesadillas
Place one flour tortilla on a flat surface. Evenly distribute 1/2 cup shredded cheese over half the tortilla, top with 1/2 cup shredded birria (tuck in any excess juices), then sprinkle a little more cheese on top of the meat to help seal. Fold the tortilla over to create a half-moon. Repeat to make remaining quesadillas.
- 11
- 12
Rest and slice
Transfer cooked quesadillas to a cutting board and let rest 1 minute. Slice each into 2–3 wedges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
- 13
Warm consommé and plate
Reheat the reserved consommé so it is hot for dipping. Place a small bowl of consommé alongside each serving of quesadillas.
- 14
Garnish and serve
Top quesadillas with a sprinkle of finely chopped onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and sour cream on the side and the hot consommé for dipping. Encourage diners to dip each bite in consommé for authentic flavor.