Description
These Crispy, Cheesy Quesabirria Tacos combine tender, slow-simmered beef birria with melted mozzarella cheese inside perfectly crisped corn tortillas. Served with fresh cilantro, diced onion, lime wedges, and a savory birria consommé for dipping, this recipe delivers a deliciously authentic Mexican street food experience right at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Birria Beef and Sauce
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast or short ribs, cut into chunks
- 2 dried guajillo chilies
- 2 dried ancho chilies
- 1 dried pasilla chili (optional for extra depth)
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cups beef broth (or water)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
Tacos and Garnish
- 10-12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or Oaxaca cheese for authenticity)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
- 1/2 cup finely diced onion (for garnish)
- Lime wedges (for serving)
- Oil for frying
Dipping Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups reserved birria broth (from braising the beef)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Toast the Chilies: Remove the stems and seeds from the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes until aromatic, being careful not to burn.
- Make the Chili Sauce: Add the toasted chilies, quartered onion, smashed garlic, cumin, oregano, and black pepper to a blender. Pour in 1 cup of beef broth and blend until smooth. Add more broth if necessary to achieve a smooth sauce consistency.
- Sear the Beef: Heat a little oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef chunks in batches until all sides have a nice sear. Remove the beef and set it aside.
- Cook the Birria: In the same pot, add the chili sauce and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining beef broth, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and the seared beef. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2-3 hours until the beef is fork-tender.
- Shred the Beef: Remove the beef from the pot and shred it using two forks. Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the cooking broth for dipping.
- Prepare the Dipping Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the reserved birria broth, finely chopped onion, minced garlic, vinegar, and optional chili powder. Simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, season with salt to taste, and set aside.
- Warm Tortillas: Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly oil it. Dip each corn tortilla into the reserved birria broth to soften, then place on the skillet.
- Assemble the Tacos: Sprinkle cheese over one half of the tortilla, add a generous amount of shredded beef on top, then fold the tortilla over to form a taco.
- Cook the Tacos: Cook each taco for about 2-3 minutes per side until the tortilla is crispy and golden brown and the cheese is melted inside.
- Serve: Remove tacos from the skillet, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and diced onion. Serve with lime wedges and the warm birria consommé for dipping.
Notes
- For authenticity, use Oaxaca cheese instead of mozzarella if available.
- The dried pasilla chili is optional but adds extra depth of flavor.
- Be careful not to burn the chilies while toasting—they should become aromatic but not blackened.
- Tortillas dipped in the birria broth before frying add delicious flavor and prevent them from cracking during folding.
- Leftover birria can be refrigerated and reheated as a flavorful stew or used in other dishes.
- Adjust chili powder in the dipping sauce according to your preferred spice level.
