Shrimp Recipe

Prep Shrimp

If shrimp are frozen, thaw completely. Peel and devein if needed, leaving tails on or off as you prefer. Pat dry with paper towels.

In a medium bowl combine olive oil, minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, black pepper and lime juice. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Let marinate 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and cook shrimp 1–2 minutes per side until opaque and just cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro. Set aside.

Toast the dried chiles briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant (don’t burn). Remove from heat.

Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with 2 cups of hot vegetable broth. Let soak 10–15 minutes until softened.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small skillet. Sauté the chopped onion and 2 garlic cloves until softened and translucent, about 3–4 minutes.

Transfer softened chiles (reserve soaking liquid), sautéed onion and garlic, tomato paste, ground cumin, dried oregano and 1 teaspoon salt to a blender. Add about 1 cup of the soaking liquid (reserve the rest). Blend until smooth, adding extra soaking liquid or broth as needed to achieve a pourable, saucy consistency (about 1–1.5 cups total).

Pour sauce into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat 6–8 minutes to round flavors. Taste and adjust salt. Keep warm; this will be used for dipping the quesabirria and spooning over the quesadillas or enchiladas.

Warm the corn tortillas on a hot comal or skillet for 20–30 seconds per side until pliable but not browned. Keep covered with a clean towel to stay soft.

Heat a large skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of oil or butter. For each quesadilla: place one tortilla in the pan, sprinkle a thin, even layer (about 3–4 tablespoons) of the blended enchilada sauce on the tortilla (this creates the birria-style crust), then add a generous handful (about 0.5–0.75 cup) of shredded cheese, and arrange 3–4 cooked shrimp across half the tortilla.

Top the shrimp with a little more cheese, fold the tortilla in half to form a quesadilla and press lightly with a spatula. Cook 2–3 minutes until the underside is golden and cheese starts to melt.

Brush or spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the top of the folded quesadilla, then carefully flip and cook another 1–2 minutes until both sides are golden and the cheese is fully melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas, shrimp and cheese. Add more oil to the pan as needed.

Transfer cooked quesadillas to a plate and keep warm. Spoon additional warm enchilada sauce (consommé) into small dipping bowls for serving.

Cut quesadillas into wedges. Top with pickled red onions or sliced white onion, extra chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of cotija if using.

Serve each quesabirria with a lime wedge, a dollop of sour cream or crema, and a small bowl of warm enchilada sauce for dipping. Offer extra hot sauce if desired.