Birria Quesatacos

kitty | April 24, 2023 SKIP TO RECIPE

As a self-professed cave dweller, I miss out on many trends and I’m okay with that. Sometimes they get to me by coincidence and I’m suddenly cool and relevant. The first time I made this birria, I was effortlessly trendy. It just so happened that I decided to try my hand at this seemingly difficult specialty Mexican stew around the time it was making the rounds on the internets. For years, I had heard my Mexican co-workers talking about this shredded beef dish, and I always liked how it sounded, but I never got a chance to try some. Then I finally made my own, and now every time I do, it’s an excuse to gather together with friends and family and feast.

After researching and watching a ton of videos, I aggregated the best parts of all I had learned into this easy recipe. While it seems labor-intensive at first glance, upon closer study, it really is simply a pot roast flavored with lots of chiles and spices. The result of the long and slow cook is a superbly tender, shredded roast, that tastes exotic due to its complex balance of mild, smokey kick from the chiles laced with deep, earthy notes from the blend of cinnamon, cloves, cumin, ginger, and pepper. The flavors are strong, yet they complement and elevate the familiar and comforting beef roast to a truly special meal.

The quesatacos are something else entirely on their own. Imagine dipping tortillas in the best homemade chile sauce you’ve ever tried, then filling them with cheese 🧀 and majorly flavorful shredded beef. Finally, go completely overboard by pan-frying the taco until it’s crispy and the cheese is gooey 🤤. If you can get your hands on some Chihuahua cheese, you’ll be in melted cheese heaven 😇. I found some by chance at Costco and wish I’d known about it sooner. Oaxaca cheese is also amazing for these melty, crispy beauties. I bet you can eat at least 1 or 2 more tacos than you think you can. I can proudly eat a platter of these babies myself; someone I know ate six in one sitting 😼.

For a bigger party, you can even big-batch prepare a whole sheet pan of tacos, so they’re all ready to eat at the same time. Just line a sheet pan with parchment paper, lightly drizzle with olive oil, and arrange the assembled tacos in a single layer. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, flipping them over halfway through, so that both sides are crispy and the cheese is melted. Much easier and faster than pan-frying a few at a time.

Make sure to serve with the traditional and very necessary accouterments of chopped onions and cilantro for that fresh brightness and crunch. Dip the tacos in the leftover chile sauce or consommé for the complete experience. I’m also extra and always think there’s not enough food on the table, so I serve with a pot of red rice and pico de gallo to accompany the superstar tacos. This recipe is now in my lazy susan of options for a fun, family-style dinner that always impresses big appetites.

INGREDIENTS

For the Birria

5-6 pounds chunks roast
6 dried guajillo chiles
3 dried pasilla chiles
3 New Mexico chiles
1 large onion, quartered
12 cloves garlic
3 roma tomatoes
1 cinnamon stick
5 bay leaves
5 whole cloves*
1 tablespoon peppercorns*
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups chicken broth or water
4 cups water
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
3 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled
2 oranges juiced
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar

For the Tacos

Corn tortillas
Drizzle of olive oil for pan-frying
Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese, shredded
Red onion, chopped
Cilantro chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

To Make the Birria

Prepare the dried chiles by snipping off the stems and shaking out the seeds.
Heat up a large Dutch oven over medium heat and lightly toast the chiles on both sides until they are fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In the same Dutch oven, sear the meat on all sides. Add in the chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and salt. Pour in chicken broth and water to cover the meat, add more if needed to fully submerge the meat. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
After one hour has passed, remove the chiles, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves, and peppercorns to a blender along with some of the broth. Add in the cumin, dried oregano, dried thyme, paprika, fresh ginger, orange juice, and apple cider vinegar. Blend on high until completely smooth, add more broth as needed.
Transfer the blended chile mixture back into the pot with the meat and continue simmering on medium-low heat for another 3-4 hours, until the meat is fork tender and shreddable.
Remove the meat from the pot and allow to cool before shredding it by hand or with two forks.
Strain the chile sauce through a mesh sieve and set aside in a bowl or pot.

To Make the Quesatacos**

Dip the corn tortillas in the chile sauce, then add them to a hot pan with olive oil.
Add shredded cheese and meat, fold in half, and cook on both sides until crispy and the cheese has melted
Serve with chopped onions and cilantro and enjoy warm!

Notes:

* Place the cloves and peppercorns in a tea infuser ball or spice sachet before putting them into the pot with the meat to make it easier to fish them out when preparing the chile sauce.

** To bake the tacos in a sheet pan, line the assembled tacos in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and drizzled with olive oil, then and bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, flipping them over halfway through, so that both sides are crispy and the cheese is melted.

A saucepan full of the shredded beef Birria

A platter full of Birria Quesatacos next to a bowl full of shredded beef Birria and tortilla chips

A bowl full of shredded beef Birria with a platter full of Birria Quesatacos

Birria Quesatacos

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