Slow-cooked birria, melty cheese, corn tortillas, and your favorite toppings make the best tacos! The secret is dipping the corn tortillas into the most delicious, earthy, and slightly spicy birria broth before making the tacos, pan-frying them until crispy, and dipping them again before eating!
Ingredients For Quesabirria Tacos
- Guajillo chiles
- Ancho chiles
- Onion
- Garlic
- tomatoes
- Beef broth
- Avocado oil
- Chuck roast
- Apple cider vinegar
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Dried oregano
- Bay leaves
- Salt and pepper
- Yellow corn tortillas
- Oaxaca cheese
How To Make Quesabirria Tacos
- Preheat the oven to 320 F. Rehydrate the chiles: place the guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, onion, garlic, and tomatoes into a large pot, pour in the broth, and simmer for 15 mins. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot and brown the meat pieces on all sides, for about 6 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meat, and mix in the vinegar, cumin, coriander, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Place the lid on and roast for 3 hours.
- Remove the meat and transfer it to a cutting board. Shred using two forks and add some of the birria broth. Place the broth left in the slow cooker in a different bowl.
Make the tacos: heat 1 tsp oil in a medium-sized cast iron skillet over medium heat. Dip one tortilla into the birria broth and place on the hot skillet. Add 3 tbsp of shredded meat, one slice of Oaxaca cheese, and 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro to one side of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla and cook on both sides until golden and crispy, About 1 minute on each side. Add more oil if needed until all tortillas are done. Serve with your favorite taco toppings.
Can I Prepare Birria Meat In Advance?
Absolutely! You can prepare the birria meat and broth up to 5 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
What’s The Best Way To Serve Tese Tacos?
These tacos are best served with a side of broth for dipping and chopped fresh cilantro and pickled onions as toppings.
Can I Freeze The Cooked Tacos?
Corn tortillas that are dipped in broth will form crystals when frozen and will fall apart when thawed. It’s best to store the meat and broth separately and make the fresh tacos when ready to serve.
Store and Reheat Leftovers?
Place the birria meat and broth in separate airtight containers and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove. Add a bit of broth to the meat to keep it moist.
Quick Quesabirria Tacos
Equipment
- Blender
- Dutch oven or oven-safe pot
- Cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed skillet
Ingredients
- 3 guajillo chiles, seeds and stem removed
- 3 ancho chiles, seeds and stem removed
- 4 large Roma tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 6 garlic cloves
- 32 oz beef broth
- 1 ½ tbsp avocado or vegetable oil
- 3 lb beef chuck roast, cut into 1 ½- inch cubes
- 1 tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp dry oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 large yellow corn tortillas
- 12 oz Oaxaca cheese, cut into 12 slices
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ⅓ cup sliced red onion
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320 F. Rehydrate the chiles: place the guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, onion, garlic, and tomatoes into a large pot, pour in the broth, and simmer for 15 mins. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot and brown the meat pieces on all sides, for about 6 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meat, and mix in the vinegar, cumin, coriander, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Place the lid on and roast for 3 hours.
- Remove the meat and transfer it to a bowl. Shred using two forks and mix in ¼ cup of the birria broth. Place the broth left in the slow cooker in a different bowl.
- Make the tacos: heat 1 tsp oil in a medium-sized cast iron skillet over medium heat. Dip one tortilla into the birria broth and place on the hot skillet. Add 3 tbsp of shredded meat, one slice of Oaxaca cheese, and 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro to one side of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla and cook on both sides until golden and crispy, About 1 minute on each side. Add more oil if needed until all tortillas are done. Serve with your favorite taco toppings.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions about Quesabirria Tacos
1. What Is The Best Beef Cut For This Recipe?
The best cut for birria is chuck roast or beef cheeks. They have the best flavor and turn out tender and juicy.
2. Can I Use Another Type Of Meat?
Beef is the traditional meat used for birria, but you could use pork or goat meat if you don’t eat beef.
3. Is It Necessary To Use A Cast Iron Skillet?
Cast iron skillets can get really hot and this ensures you get crispy tacos, but you can use any skillet that can withstand high temperatures.
4. Can I Make This Recipe Less Spicy?
This recipe isn’t very spicy at all. Removing the seeds from the chiles makes it more on the mild side.
5. How Do I Make The Tortillas Crispy And Not Soggy?
Make sure the skillet is hot and the oil is hot before placing the broth-dipped tortilla into it. This will make for crispy tortillas.
6. What Cheese Can I Use If I Can’t Find Oaxaca Cheese?
Oaxaca is a very melty cheese. If you can’t find it, you can use mozzarella or Pepper Jack instead.
