Birria Quesadilla Recipe

Prepare chiles

Remove stems and seeds from guajillo, ancho, and optional pasilla chiles. Lightly toast chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water; soak 15 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid.

Blend sauce

In a blender add soaked chiles (drain but reserve about 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid), quartered tomato, quartered onion, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved chile soaking liquid to help blend. Puree until very smooth.

Brown the beef

Season beef chunks with remaining salt and pepper. Heat 1 tsp oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown beef on all sides in batches, about 3 minutes per side. Remove beef and set aside.

Simmer birria

Add blended chile sauce to the pot and cook 2–3 minutes to deepen flavor, stirring. Return beef to pot, add bay leaves and enough beef broth (or water) to just cover the meat (about 5–6 cups). Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially and braise 2.5–3 hours until meat is fork-tender and pulls apart easily. Alternatively, cook in a slow cooker on low 6–8 hours or pressure cook 45–60 minutes with natural release.

Shred meat and strain consomé

Remove beef to a cutting board and shred using two forks. Taste consomé and adjust seasoning with salt if needed. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to serve as consomé; reserve 1 to 1 1/2 cups hot for dipping with quesadillas. Keep shredded beef warm by folding it into a bit of the strained consomé (about 1/4–1/2 cup) so it stays moist and flavorful.

Assemble quesadillas

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush with a little oil or melt a small amount of butter. Place one flour tortilla on a work surface. Sprinkle a thin, even layer of shredded mozzarella over half the tortilla (about 1/3 cup), add about 1/4 cup shredded birria beef, a light sprinkle (about 2 tbsp) of crumbled cotija, then a bit more mozzarella on top to help the top tortilla stick. Fold the tortilla in half to enclose the filling.

Cook quesadillas

Transfer assembled quesadilla to the hot skillet. Cook 2–3 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until the tortilla is golden brown and cheese is melted. If cheese isn't melting evenly, lower heat slightly and cook a bit longer. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling, adding a little oil or butter to the pan as needed. Keep finished quesadillas warm in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) on a baking sheet while you finish the batch.

Optional dip-browning (lash of consomé)

For an extra-flavorful edge, dip one edge of each tortilla into a shallow plate with some strained consomé and sear that dipped edge in the skillet first for a lightly crisp, red-tinged crust. This step is optional but traditional in many birria quesadilla recipes.

Slice each quesadilla into 3–4 wedges. Place on a serving platter and top with a small sprinkle of cotija, chopped cilantro and diced onion. Serve immediately with warm consomé in small bowls for dipping, lime wedges, and hot sauce on the side.

Leftover consomé can be skimmed of excess fat and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen. Reheat gently before serving.