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Birria Tacos, AKA Quesabirria, are the ultimate taco experience. If there is a King or Queen of tacos, this is it.

That moment when you dunk these Birria Tacos into its rich colored consommé and take a big bite…

All those amazing flavors coming from shredded tender meat mixed in with melty cheese and fried to crunchy perfection, taken to next level when dunked into Birria consommé…

Get ready for the most famous media sensation trending everywhere… Learn how to make authentic Birria Tacos, just the way you would get them from any Mexican street food truck.

All you need is some shredded meat from Birria, some tortillas and some cheese, and we will tell you how to fry them to them into crunchy, gooey, melty, cheesy, meaty bites.

In our last post, we told you how to make Birria, that famous Mexican stew full of earthy, rich flavors, where meat cooks slow and low for hours, resulting in the tenderest meat.

Well, now is the time to use that meat in your tacos, these Quesabirria tacos. They are not your regular tacos.

Yes they are stuffed with meat and cheese, but then they get folded and fried in the fat from the Birria stew, resulting in an ooey-gooey-cheesy taco experience.

Known as Quesabirria, Quesotacos, or simply Red Tacos, Birria Tacos can be a cross between a taco and a quesadilla. They are inspired by the traditional Birria stew from Jalisco, Mexico.

Someone in Tijuana had a brilliant idea of loading the shredded Birria meat with plenty of cheese in between tacos, frying them in its fat, and dipping the tacos in its consommé.

These consommé dunking tacos gained popularity all over Mexico, and in no time arrived to the states in the Southwest, then spread thanks to Instagram. Instagram literally helped make Quesabirria a cult food all over the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Quesabirria lovers are known to go great distances and wait in long lines to get a bite into these delicious tacos.

These tacos are mostly made with corn tortillas with any melty Mexican cheese with stewed meat. The meat is often beef, in contrast to Birria in Mexico, which is traditionally made with goat.

The meat is stewed sometimes up to 8-10 hours with chilies and spices. Then the tortilla is folded over on a grill, melting the cheese and meat together, often served with onions and cilantro as toppings.

The dish is served hot with a side of consommé for the diner to dip the taco. The consommé is the result of hours of stewing the meat used in the tacos, and is also great for sipping.

For Birria – We have entire post on how to make Birria. You can make it on stove top, instant pot, or even in a crock pot. Simply click on Birria to get the in depth instructions.

We are using thick marbled chuck roast, but you can use bone in beef cuts, too, like beef shank, short ribs or a combination of all.

The rest of ingredients are Mexican dried chilis (guajillo, ancho, árbol), onion, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, ground clove powder, coriander powder, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper, and oil.

Tortillas – We are using corn tortillas, which is traditional, but you can use whatever type of tortillas you like.

Cheese – We recommend some type of soft Mexican melting cheese for Quesatacos, like oaxaca, chihuahua, asadero, or quesadilla cheese. These cheeses are easily available in the Latin American section of your grocery store, or in your local Mexican stores. Shred them by hand if they are sold as a whole round. In their absence, you can use mozzarella or any Mexican blend cheese.

Toppings – Fresh cilantro, chopped white or red onions, and fresh lime wedges are the most common toppings. You can use jalapeño slices or some avocado, too.

1. Dry toast and rehydrate the chilis: Toasting the chilis adds great depth to the stew. Cut the stems off and make a slit along the side to open them and discard the seeds. Dry toast them in a hot pan for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant (don’t burn them, as they can turn bitter). Put them in a bowl, pour in a cup of hot water, and let it sit for 20 minutes.

2. Sauté the veggies: Heat oil and sauté the onion, garlic and tomato until softened. Then transfer the veggies to a blender.

3. Make the Birria sauce: In the blender, blend the above veggie mixture along with rehydrated chilis, spices and herbs, ginger, vinegar, tomato paste and beef stock. Blend it till the mixture is completely smooth.

4. Prepare and sear the meat: Cut the chuck roast into large chunks and generously season it with salt and pepper.

We always like to sear the meat before putting it in the stew, as it adds tons of flavors. Heat the oil in the stew pot and brown the meat on all sides.

5. Cook Birria: Then combine the meat with the Birria sauce, along with the rest of the beef stock and cook it until tender. See recipe card for stove top, slow cooker and instant pot directions.

1. Reserve the fat on top of the stew to fry the tacos. (Very important, DO NOT discard it, you would need this fat to make the Birria tacos crispy)

2. Shred the meat – When the stew is ready, taste and adjust the seasonings like salt and pepper. Remove meat from stew and shred with two forks.

3. Dip Tortillas: Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add a small amount of oil to the griddle and swirl it around. Dip the corn tortillas into the reserved fat from Birria and lay the tortillas on the hot pan.  

4. Assemble the tacos: Quickly top the tortillas with shredded cheese along with a spoonful of shredded meat, and a little chopped onion and cilantro. Don’t overfill the tacos, especially with the cheese, which will ooze out of the tacos while they are frying if you add in too much. You will get the hang of it after frying a few.

5. Fry Tacos: Fold the tortilla over, in half. Fry for several minutes, until crispy and browned on both sides, flipping once. Remove to a plate for serving.

6. Serve: Sprinkle remaining chopped white onion and cilantro on top. Serve with a cup of consommé broth, for dipping.

To Make Ahead: The Birria meat and stew can be cooked a few days in advance, stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

To Freeze: Birria meat and consommé may be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before rewarming, to make tacos next time in the future.

Let us know if you hop onto the Birria Taco bandwagon. Tell us all about your Birria experience.

We’re sure you are going to agree that these tacos are uniquely delicious. Keep making, keep frying and keep dunking…

Try these other great taco recipes! Tacos Gobernador Ground Beef Tacos Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos Korean Beef Tacos Baja Fish Tacos Steak Tacos Breakfast Tacos

Birria Tacos, AKA Quesabirria, are the ultimate taco experience. If there is a King or Queen of tacos, this is it.

The Birria meat can be prepared on stovetop, or in a Crock Pot or Instant Pot.

Chiles de árbol can be pretty spicy and hot. Use according to your spice tolerance. Start with just 1 if you prefer a milder stew. Alternately, if you prefer spicy, add 3 or more árbol chilis.

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