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    Home » Recipes » Beef Recipes

    Quesabirria Tacos

    | Yield 8 | March 16, 2022 | Updated: May 4, 2022 by Kita | This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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    If you love tacos as much as I do, then these Quesabirria Tacos are going to rock your world! There’s SO much flavor packed into these humble tacos that you’ll never want them any other way! Plus, with ooey gooey cheese oozing out and getting crispy, there’s plenty of crunch to go with the spice.

    Birria has taken the country by storm. This humble Mexican stew, traditionally made with goat, has become a common dish all over the place. Not only the stew but the stew meat, which is cooked low and slow in chilis, is used in all sorts of tasty dishes – just like these Quesabirria Tacos.

    Imagine a crispy corn tortilla packed with succulent, juicy, and spicy meat with plenty of cheese oozing out and getting crisp in the pan. Can you taste it? But wait, there’s more! The rich sauce is served on the side for dunking, making these fun AND delicious to eat.

    The recipe starts with Mexican Birria, a meaty beef stew that I make from a tough and inexpensive cut of meat. You’ll find that recipe here, and be sure to start the birria at least the day before because it cooks low and slow for hours.

    What Are Quesabirria Tacos?

    Queso means cheese, so you guessed it, these tasty beefy tacos are loaded with cheese. I use Oaxaca cheese which is like a fresh Monterey Jack cheese, and it has a mild, creamy flavor and a bit of a salty tang that goes well with these tacos.

    You can find this cheese in many grocery stores and for sure at Latin markets. It’s perfect in this quesabirria recipe.

    above shot showing ingredients for beef birria; beef neck, dried peppers, onion, garlic, jalapenos, bay leaves and salt

    What You’ll Need

    What do you need to make Quesabirria Tacos? You’ll need to start with the meat from the Mexican Birria stew, also known as birria de res. You’ll also need these ingredients for birria tacos:

    • Beef broth from the birria recipe is used for dunking the tacos, kind of like a French dip sandwich that you dunk in au jus before biting. Don’t skip the dipping sauce!
    • Fresh corn tortillas – We tested this recipe with homemade psyllium husk tortillas to make these keto birria tacos. They didn’t hold up as well, but they did get the job done. If you’re not doing low-carb, stick with regular white or yellow corn tortillas.
    • Oaxaca cheese – Shredded Oaxaca cheese is my first pick for these tacos.
    • Limes – a squeeze of fresh lime puts these tacos over the top!

    And because I’m all about flavor, I’m topping these birria tacos with a delish onion topping and chipotle crema. To make these, you’ll need:

    • Onion – Fresh yellow or white onion. If you don’t care for sharp onion flavor, opt for a sweet onion.
    • Jalapeno – Because it’s all about the spice! Remove the seeds and chop them finely.
    • Cilantro – Fresh cilantro adds so much flavor!
    • Adobo sauce – You’ll find this in the canned chipotles in adobo sauce. You need some of the paste. Toss the chipotles into a baggie and pop them in the freezer to use later.
    • Crema – Sold as crema, you can also make your own by combining sour cream with heavy cream and lime juice until it’s smooth and pourable. 

    How To Make The Best Birria Tacos

    Seriously, I’m in love with these homemade birria tacos, and you will be, too! Once you’ve got the birria meat cooked and shredded, this birria taco recipe is easy. how to do it (but for a complete list of instructions and ingredients, please scroll down to the recipe card.)

    To make the onion topping: mince the onion and mix it with the cilantro and finely diced jalapeno. Add a pinch of salt.

    Make the chipotle crema: blend the adobo sauce with the crema and lime juice.

    Assemble the tacos by reheating the beef birria meat (the microwave is fine) and reheat the broth in a small pan on the stove.

    Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and brush oil over the surface. 

    Dunk the tortillas the birria broth to coat them. 

    • Dunk the tortillas in the broth
    • add to the heated pan
    • Layer in the birria and cheese
    • Fry the quesabirria tacos until crispy and cheese is melted!

    Fill the tacos with shredded beef and cheese and fold them over. Fry them until they’re golden brown on one side, then flip them and fry them on the other side. 

    Top them with the onion mixture and chipotle crema and serve them with hot broth for dipping and wedges of fresh lime. 

    Recipe Tips

    Mise en place is the key to success

  • Get everything ready ahead of time because the cooking process goes swiftly once you’ve started. 
  • Prep the crema and onions before making the tacos

    Make the chipotle crema and onion topping the day before to cut down on cooking time before serving.

    Make the shredded beef birria ahead of time

    Make a batch of birria, freeze it, and use it later to make tasty dishes like this quesabirria taco recipe. The shredded meat can be added to nachos, stuffed into burritos, and so much more.

    Storage Instructions

    Sadly, once these tacos are made, they’re never quite the same reheated. You can, however, get all the components ready, and if you have leftovers of those, you can store them in the fridge. 

    The crema will keep for 3-4 days tightly covered in the fridge, and so will the onion topping. You can freeze extra meat to use in recipes later, or keep it in the fridge for 5-6 days, tightly covered. The flavorful broth will also keep in the fridge for a few days.

    Is This An Easy Recipe?

    Yes, this is an easy birria tacos recipe – especially once the meat is made. If you can make regular ground beef-filled tacos, then you can make these (and they’re so much tastier!)

    More Delicious Taco Recipes

    • Carnitas: Mexican Pulled Pork
    • Cajun Grilled Shrimp Tacos
    • Make Ahead Ground Beef Enchiladas
    • BBQ Brisket Tacos with Dubliner Cheese Sauce
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    Quesabirria Tacos

    Quesabirria tacos = cheese and shredded meat stuffed tacos.
    When it comes to taco night this one is an amazing recipe! It starts with my birria recipe and then dunks tortillas in the rich broth before frying them filled with cheese and shredded beef! It's messy, delicious, and may level up your taco night forever.
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Latin, Mexican
    Author: Kita Roberts
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Resting Time5 mins
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 737kcal

    Equipment

    • 10-12″ Cast Iron Skillet or other oven safe skillet

    Ingredients

    For the quesabirria tacos

    • 1 Recipe Birria strained, or 3 cups shredded beef
    • 2 cups broth from birria recipe or 3 cups beef consomme
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 24 Corn tortilla
    • 24 oz Oaxaca cheese shredded

    For the onion topping:

    • ½ onion minced
    • 1 jalapeno stemmed, seeds removed, minced
    • 4 tbsp Cilantro
    • 1 teaspoon Salt

    Chipotle Crema

    • 2 tablespoon paste from chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
    • ¼ cup crema
    • 1 lime

    Garnish

    • 4 Limes sliced into wedges

    Instructions

    Make the Chipotle crema:

    • Whisk together the ingredients in a bowl.
      2 tablespoon paste from chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, ¼ cup crema
    • Add the juice of one lime.
      1 lime
    • Cover until ready to use

    Make the onion topping:

    • Whisk the chopped onion, jalapeno, and cilantro together in a bowl.
      ½ onion, 1 jalapeno, 4 tablespoon Cilantro
    • Season with a pinch of salt.
      1 teaspoon Salt
    • Set aside until ready to use.

    Make the quesabirria tacos:

    • Reheat the birria in a microwave safe bowl or in a small oan on the stove.
      1 Recipe Birria
    • Meanwhile, reheat the beef broth in a small pot on the stove over medium-low heat.
      2 cups broth from birria recipe
    • Preheat a cast iron skillet or large griddle over medium-high heat. Brush oil over the surface.
      1 tablespoon oil
    • Working one at a time dunk a tortilla into the broth.
      24 Corn tortilla, 2 cups broth from birria recipe
    • Place onto the skillet and fill half with a layer of cheese and meat. Fold over to close.
      24 oz Oaxaca cheese, 1 Recipe Birria
    • Fry the taco until crisp and just starting to brown on one side.
    • Flip and fry the other side. Its ok if cheese melts out a bit.
    • Repeat as needed to assemble all of your tacos, filling the skillet or griddle as you go to work in batches.

    Serve

    • Serve the tacos hot from the griddle.
    • Divide the remaining broth into small ramikins with the onion mixure on the side for everyone to dip their tacos into the broth and top with the onions and lime wedges.
      4 Limes

    Notes

    To keep this keto, we used homemade tortillas made from scratch at home with psyllium husk. They did not hold up as well to the dunking in broth and frying as the corn did, but they get the job done.
    Monterey jack cheese works great if you can’t find Oaxaca.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Quesabirria Tacos
    Amount Per Serving (1 g)
    Calories 737 Calories from Fat 396
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 44g68%
    Saturated Fat 25g156%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
    Monounsaturated Fat 9g
    Cholesterol 112mg37%
    Sodium 2203mg96%
    Potassium 618mg18%
    Carbohydrates 44g15%
    Fiber 6g25%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 46g92%
    Vitamin A 131IU3%
    Vitamin C 15mg18%
    Calcium 165mg17%
    Iron 4mg22%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information provided is an estimate. For specific health concerns, please put the recipe into your Dr recommended nutrition calculator.
    Made My Recipe?Mention @girlcarnivore and tag #girlcarnivore!
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    About Kita

    Hey, I'm Kita, the Meat Maven, outdoor junkie, campfire connoisseur, adventure-seeking and world traveled recipe developer and photographer behind GirlCarnivore.com. My mission is to break down savory eats and inspire you to get a little grit under your nails while having fun with your food. READ MORE

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jason Smith says

      March 24, 2022 at 8:36 am

      5 stars
      This with pickled red onions, diced tomatoes, and shredded cabbage was perfect!

      Thanks!

      Reply

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