Quesabirria Recipe

Toast chiles

Warm a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles for about 10–15 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Remove and set aside.

Soak chiles

Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak 20 minutes until pliable, then drain (reserve soaking liquid).

Char vegetables

On a hot cast-iron skillet or under the broiler, char the halved tomatoes, quartered onion, and whole garlic cloves until blackened in spots and softened (about 6–10 minutes).

Make chile purée

In a blender, combine soaked chiles, charred tomatoes, onion, garlic (peeled if desired), apple cider vinegar, whole cloves, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, and oregano. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved chile soaking liquid or water to help blend. Purée until smooth. If too thick, add up to 1/4 cup more soaking liquid; sauce should be pourable but thick.

Sear beef

Season beef chunks lightly with 1 tsp salt. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear beef on all sides until browned (3–4 minutes per side). Work in batches if needed. Remove beef and set aside.

Cook birria

Reduce heat to medium. Pour the chile purée into the pot and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, to take off the raw edge. Add the seared beef back to the pot, pour in beef broth (about 4 cups) and add bay leaves and remaining 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook low and slow until meat is very tender and shreddable—2.5 to 3 hours on the stovetop or 3–4 hours in a 300°F (150°C) oven. Alternatively, cook on high pressure in a pressure cooker for 50–60 minutes with a natural release.

Shred meat and strain consomé

When meat is tender, remove beef to a cutting board and shred with forks. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove solids; this is your consomé. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed. If the consomé is very thin, reduce it by simmering until concentrated (10–15 minutes). Reserve about 3 cups for dipping.

Finish meat

Return a few tablespoons of strained consomé to the shredded meat to keep it moist and flavorful (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup). Keep warm.

Prep tortillas and cheese

Warm tortillas briefly on a skillet so they’re pliable. Keep them covered to remain soft. Shred cheese and have it ready.

Build quesabirria tacos

Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil or beef fat, swirling to coat. Lay one tortilla in the skillet, spoon about 2–3 tablespoons of shredded cheese on half of the tortilla, then a generous 2–3 tablespoons of shredded birria meat on top of the cheese. Fold tortilla over to form a half-moon. Repeat for a second tortilla stacked in the pan when making multiple tacos, but work in batches so you don’t overcrowd.

Crisp and melt

Cook each folded taco 2–3 minutes per side until the tortilla is golden and slightly crisp and the cheese is fully melted. Press gently with a spatula to help seal and crisp the edges.

Dip and finish (optional for extra color)

For deeper color and flavor, you can lightly dip each tortilla edge into the reserved consomé before placing on the skillet so that the exterior fries to an orange-red hue. Do this quickly so the tortilla doesn’t become soggy.

Serve

Transfer tacos to a plate. Serve with a bowl of warm consomé for dipping, and top tacos with chopped cilantro and diced onion. Offer lime wedges alongside for squeezing. Repeat until all tortillas and meat are used.