Homemade Quesabirria Tacos: Cheesy, Crispy Birria with Authentic Consomé Recipe

Prepare yourself for an explosion of flavor with these homemade birria tacos, also known as quesabirria! This recipe guides you through creating succulent, food-truck-style birria de res and transforms it into golden, crispy, cheese-filled tacos, perfectly paired with a rich, savory consommé for dipping.

The culinary sensation known as quesabirria has captivated palates worldwide, and for good reason. Imagine a golden, crispy tortilla, dipped in a rich, aromatic consommé, then pan-fried to perfection. Inside, it’s generously loaded with tender, shredded beef birria, an abundance of fresh cilantro, and finely chopped onions. The experience is elevated when served alongside a steaming bowl of that flavorful consommé, allowing for an indulgent dip with every bite.

My secret weapon for the consommé, inspired by a beloved local food truck, is a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice. The vibrant acidity of the lime cuts through the richness of the cheese and the beef, creating a perfectly balanced flavor profile that will make your taste buds sing. It’s truly a flavor explosion!

While entirely optional, I personally love topping my birria tacos with quick pickled onions. They not only add a beautiful pop of color but also a tangy counterpoint that further enhances the overall experience. However, these tacos are spectacular even without them.

Crafting the Perfect Birria de Res: The Foundation of Flavor

The journey to phenomenal quesabirria begins with an exceptional birria de res. This is the heart and soul of the dish, providing both the flavorful shredded meat and the essential dipping consommé. My comprehensive birria de res recipe is designed to set you up for success, detailing every step to achieve that deep, authentic flavor.

The process starts by dry-toasting a blend of dried chiles – typically guajillo, ancho, and chili de Arbol. This crucial step awakens their complex flavors and aromas. After toasting, they are rehydrated and then simmered in a small amount of water to soften, forming the base of our vibrant chile paste. This paste is then blended with aromatic ingredients such as onions, garlic, and ripe tomatoes, along with a medley of warming spices including coriander, cloves, cumin, cinnamon, and black pepper. Dried herbs like bay leaves, Mexican oregano, and thyme are added to the blender, creating an incredibly rich and savory liquid that will infuse the beef with unparalleled depth.

Next, we sear hearty cuts of beef – chuck roast and bone-in short ribs are my go-to choices – until beautifully browned. This searing locks in juices and adds another layer of flavor. The seared beef then simmers gently in the prepared chile liquid, either in a Dutch oven or a large pot, for several hours. This slow cooking process is key to achieving incredibly tender, fall-apart meat that practically melts in your mouth. For those looking to save time, I’ve also included instructions for using an Instant Pot, significantly shortening the preparation time for both the birria meat and its rich consommé.

Essential Ingredients for Irresistible Birria Tacos

Once your birria de res is prepared, assembling these delicious tacos is a straightforward and rewarding process. Here’s a detailed look at the key ingredients you’ll need:

• Prepared Birria de Res + Consomé: This is the cornerstone of your tacos. As mentioned, my recipe for homemade beef birria provides both the tender shredded meat and the flavorful dipping sauce. A fantastic tip: birria de res can be prepared 2-3 days in advance. In fact, allowing it to rest in the refrigerator often deepens and enhances the flavors, making it an ideal candidate for meal prepping. Cook it over the weekend, and you’ll have a cozy, delicious weeknight dinner ready to go!
• Corn Tortillas: For authentic birria tacos, corn tortillas are undeniably the best choice. Their texture and flavor complement the rich birria beautifully, and perhaps more importantly, they hold up exceptionally well to being dipped in consommé and pan-fried. While you could technically use a mix of corn and wheat tortillas, or even just flour, after countless trials, corn tortillas consistently deliver the superior result in terms of structure and crispness.
• Oil: A drizzle of neutral cooking oil is essential for pan-frying the tortillas. It helps create that desirable golden-brown, crispy exterior without overwhelming the flavors of the birria.
• White Onions: Finely chopped white onions contribute a crucial sharp, fresh crunch that contrasts wonderfully with the rich meat and melted cheese. They’re used both as a vibrant filling inside the quesabirria and as a garnish stirred into the consommé.
• Fresh Cilantro: Cilantro adds an irreplaceable herbaceous freshness and a bright, punchy flavor to these tacos. Don’t be shy with it – you’ll need a generous amount! If you’re one of the few who aren’t a fan of cilantro, fresh parsley can be a substitute, but be aware that cilantro is truly what gives these tacos their signature, authentic taste.
• Oaxaca Cheese: When it comes to quesabirria, Oaxaca cheese is king! This semi-hard, stringy Mexican cheese melts beautifully, creating those satisfying, gooey cheese pulls. You can often find it in the refrigerated cheese section of larger grocery stores. Living in Texas, access to a wide array of delicious Mexican cheeses is a huge perk! If you have a Hispanic specialty grocery store nearby, that’s your best bet. If Oaxaca cheese is unavailable, freshly grated low-moisture mozzarella or even pepper jack cheese are excellent substitutes that will still provide a wonderful melt and flavor.
• Lime Wedges: Essential for serving! Fresh lime juice squeezed into the consommé at the table is a game-changer. Its acidity expertly cuts through the richness and fattiness of the birria, brightening every spoonful and leaving you with the most incredibly delicious, balanced flavor.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Perfect Birria Tacos

1. Prepare the Birria de Res: Begin by following my dedicated birria de res recipe here. Ensure the beef is cooked until incredibly tender. If you added whole cinnamon sticks during the simmering process, remember to remove them before the next step.
2. Shred Beef and Strain Consommé: Once the beef is perfectly tender, carefully remove it from the consommé. Using two forks or handy meat claws, shred the beef into succulent strands. Place the shredded beef in a bowl and set aside. Next, pour the consommé through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any small bits of spices or vegetables that didn’t fully blend. This step ensures an ultra-smooth, luxurious dipping sauce. For an even cleaner consommé, I also like to remove any excess grease. If you’re serving the tacos the same day, an fat separator works wonders. If you’ve made the birria in advance and refrigerated it, the fat will solidify on top, making it easy to scoop off and discard. Once the consommé is ready, taste and adjust the salt if needed. Transfer about 1½ cups of the warm consommé to a shallow dish or small bowl – this will be used for dipping the tortillas. Keep the remaining consommé warm on the stovetop over low heat while you prepare the tacos.
3. Assemble and Fry the Tacos: Heat a frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with a light drizzle of oil. When the oil is shimmering and hot, carefully take a corn tortilla and dip it entirely into the reserved consommé, ensuring both sides are coated. Immediately lay the consommé-dipped tortilla flat in the hot skillet. Working quickly, top one half of the tortilla with a generous portion of shredded birria meat, a sprinkle of chopped white onions, fresh cilantro, and a good amount of shredded Oaxaca cheese. As the tortilla sizzles and the cheese begins to melt, carefully fold the other side of the tortilla over the filling to create a taco shape. Cook for approximately 60-90 seconds total, or until the tortilla is beautifully golden brown, slightly crispy, and no longer wet on the outside. Remove the cooked taco to a plate and continue with the remaining tortillas, repeating the dipping, filling, and frying process.
4. Serve with Consommé: When all the quesabirria tacos are prepared and ready, ladle the warm, flavorful consommé into individual serving bowls. For an authentic and vibrant finish, squeeze plenty of fresh lime juice into each bowl (I’m a firm believer that more is more here!) and stir in a touch more chopped onions and fresh cilantro. Serve the crispy, cheesy tacos alongside the consommé for an unforgettable dipping experience.

Frequently Asked Questions About Quesabirria Tacos

1. What exactly is a birria taco or quesabirria? A birria taco is essentially the same dish as quesabirria. It’s a beloved Mexican taco featuring tender, shredded birria meat, fresh cilantro, chopped onions, and an abundance of melty cheese (traditionally Oaxaca cheese). The tortilla is first dipped in the rich birria consommé, then loaded with the filling, and pan-fried until it achieves a perfect golden crispness. These crispy, cheesy tacos are always served with a side of the flavorful consommé for dipping, much like a French dip sandwich, but with a vibrant Mexican twist!
2. What type of meat is used to make birria tacos? While birria traditionally uses goat meat (birria de chivo), beef birria (birria de res) has become incredibly popular, primarily due to its wider availability and delicious flavor profile. You can also make excellent birria using lamb. My recipe focuses on beef for its accessibility and fantastic results.
3. What cuts of beef are best for birria? For the best birria, you want cuts of beef that have bones and are suitable for slow cooking, as these contribute to a richer flavor and tender texture. My preferred combination is bone-in short ribs along with beef chuck roast. Beef shank is another excellent option that yields fantastic results due to its rich flavor and tenderness when slow-cooked.
4. How do you typically eat birria tacos? The authentic way to enjoy birria tacos is to prepare them until crispy and cheesy, then serve them alongside a bowl of the warm, flavorful consommé. You then dip each taco into the consommé before taking a bite, much like you would a French dip sandwich. This method ensures every bite is packed with incredible moisture and flavor.
5. Can birria tacos be made with flour tortillas? While you certainly can use flour tortillas (and I even have a recipe for homemade flour tortillas), the traditional flavor and, more importantly, the structural integrity and crisp texture of corn tortillas are far superior for this specific recipe. Corn tortillas hold up much better to being dipped in consommé and pan-fried, achieving that signature crispiness that defines quesabirria.
6. What’s the best way to reheat leftover birria tacos? Ideally, these tacos are best enjoyed fresh, so try to make only what you plan to eat in one sitting. However, if you do have leftovers, they can be reheated beautifully in an air fryer. Place them in the air fryer at 300°F (150°C) for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until they are heated through and regain their crispness.
7. Can I freeze the shredded birria meat and consommé? Absolutely, and it’s highly recommended for future cravings! I love freezing the consommé in these large, freezer-safe containers. For the shredded beef, I portion it out into zip-top bags before freezing. This allows you to easily defrost just the amount you need whenever the craving for delicious birria tacos strikes!

If you love this Birria Tacos recipe, you might also enjoy these Mexican-inspired dishes:

• The BEST Beef Fajitas
• Street Corn Chicken Tacos
• Baja Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Mayo
• Mojo Steak Tacos
• Ancho Chicken Street Tacos

Yield: ~20 tacos

Cheesy Birria Tacos (Quesabirria)

Prep Time:
10 minutes

Cook Time:
30 minutes

Total Time:
40 minutes

These cheesy, crispy beef birria tacos are served alongside a rich consommé, bringing the authentic food truck experience right to your kitchen, starting with homemade birria de res!

Ingredients

• 1 recipe prepared Birria de Res
• Oil, for cooking
• 18-20 yellow corn tortillas
• 1½ cups white onions, chopped
• ¾ cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 ½ cups Oaxaca cheese, shredded
• Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. SHRED: Remove the cooked birria meat from the consommé. Use two forks or meat claws to shred the meat. Strain the consommé through a fine-mesh sieve to ensure a perfectly smooth dipping sauce.
2. STRAIN: Depending on the fattiness of your beef cuts, you might want to use a fat separator to remove any excess grease from the consommé. Transfer 1 ½ cups of the strained consommé to a wide, shallow bowl suitable for dipping tortillas. Keep the remaining consommé warm in your Dutch oven or a small pot on the lowest heat setting while you prepare the tacos.
3. MAKE TACOS: Heat a frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of cooking oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, carefully dip a corn tortilla into the bowl of warm consommé, ensuring both sides are coated. Place the dipped tortilla flat into the hot pan. After about 15 seconds, flip the tortilla. Quickly top one half of the tortilla with a portion of the shredded birria meat, some chopped onions, fresh cilantro, and a generous sprinkle of shredded Oaxaca cheese. Cook for approximately 45 seconds, allowing the cheese to melt and the tortilla to crisp. Then, fold the tortilla in half to form a taco and flip it over. Cook for another 20-30 seconds until both sides are golden and crispy. Remove the finished taco from the pan and repeat the process with the remaining tortillas and filling.
4. SERVE: Ladle the remaining warm consommé into individual serving bowls. Top with any reserved chopped onions and fresh cilantro. Squeeze in plenty of fresh lime juice, stir, and enjoy dipping your delicious, crispy quesabirria tacos!

Recommended Products

• Shredding Claws
• 3-Inch Strainer
• Enamel Pan

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