Birria Quesadillas
Birria Quesadillas are a delicious trending Mexican inspired dish made with tender spiced beef, corn tortillas, and Oaxaco cheese. You can also use this meat to make tasty Birria Tacos and up family dinner night.
Equipment
- 1 Fry pan
Ingredients
For the Birria Meat
- 2 pounds chuck roast
- 1 pound bone-in beef short ribs about 2
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ white onion chopped in fourths
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 3 dried guajillo chilis
- 2 dried pasilla chilis
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic or 4 whole cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns or freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons beef bouillon
- 2 bay leaves
For Assembly:
- 16 corn tortillas
- Oaxaca cheese
- 1 bunch cilantro
- ½ chopped onion
Instructions
For the Birria Meat:
- Trim tops off of chilis and slice open and remove seeds, this is most easily done with kitchen shears. May use your hands to peel apart, if desired. If you like things spicy, feel free to leave in all or part of the seeds. Use gloves if desired.3 dried guajillo chilis, 2 dried pasilla chilis
- Place oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add onions and tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and all spices except for bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add apple cider vinegar, chilis and 3-4 cups of water, until vegetables are covered. The chilis float, so don't worry about covering them. Boil for 15 minutes.½ white onion, 2 roma tomatoes, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Place the pot of liquid and vegetables in a blender and blend on high until as smooth as possible, 1-2 minutes. Run through a sieve or fine mesh strainer back into the pot. Add another 3-4 cups of water, just making sure the meat is covered. I like to add the water to the blender and swirl it around to rinse off the edges before pouring it in. See photos above for a great visual on these steps.
- Add the meat, beef bouillon and 2 bay leaves into the pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cover and simmer for 2 or more hours. Check the meat for tenderness before use. For every hour cooking beyond 2, add an extra half cup of liquid.2 pounds chuck roast, 1 pound bone-in beef short ribs, 1 ½ teaspoons beef bouillon, 2 bay leaves
To Assemble the Quesadillas
- Remove and shred the beef. Place the sauce in a bowl to use for dipping while making the quesadillas.
- Heat a fry pan over medium heat, and add a little oil to keep the quesadillas from sticking.2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- Dip a tortilla in the sauce, and place on the fry pan, place a little cheese on half of the tortilla. Place beef, cilantro and a few onions on top of the cheese, then top with a little more cheese and close the tortilla.16 corn tortillas, Oaxaca cheese, 1 bunch cilantro, ½ chopped onion
- Cook until each side is a little crisp and the cheese has melted, around 1-2 minutes per side. Brush on a little more sauce on the outside of the tortilla. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- The bone-in short ribs are for extra flavor. It is also fine to just use about 2.5- 3 pounds (total) beef chuck roast.
- dried chilis can be found on Amazon or at your local Latin Market for MUCH less money.
- feel free to use ancho peppers instead of pasilla for a similar heat, or arbol for a hotter flavor profile.
- Do not subsitute the guajillo peppers! They are necessary for the classic birria flavor.
- for chicken: use 4 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs. Cook chicken until tender, around 30 minutes. Remove bones and shred, then make as directed above.
- Make ahead: Make the meat up to 4 days in advance of use. Store in the refrigerator with the meat in the liquid.
- To Freeze: Freeze the meat and liquid separately in air tight containers for up to 3 months.
- To make in the instant pot: place all Birria Meat ingredients into a large instant pot. Pressure Cook on high for 45 minutes, then allow it to have a natural release (about 30 minutes). Remove meat and shred. Remove bay leaves and blend other ingredients together in a high speed blender. Run through a sieve and use the leftover juice as consome for dipping. Assemble as directed above.
- This recipe can be made to make Birria Tacos. Follow the instructions the same as for the quesadillas but instead of putting on the cheese twice, only add it once. This will give you the taco filling you love.
Nutrition
Serving: 2quesadillasCalories: 431kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 33gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 435mgPotassium: 671mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 101IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 5mg
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