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Hot Cheeto birria balls close up, one pulled open with cheese stretching between the halves, next to a ramekin of birria consomé.
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Hot Cheeto Birria Balls

You have leftover birria in the fridge and one shot at owning the game day table. Roll it with rice and Oaxaca cheese, crust it in crushed Hot Cheetos, fry it until it crackles, and set down a bowl of warm consomé to dunk in.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Rest30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 12 servings (2 to 3 per person as an appetizer)
Calories: 447kcal
Author: Dee Broughton

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Filling

  • 2 cups leftover birria meat drained and finely chopped
  • 2 cups cooked white rice chilled
  • 1 1/2 cups Oaxaca cheese shredded
  • 1/4 cup white onion finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (Carroll Shelby's Birria Taco Seasoning or hunt out Farm to Fire Louisianas seasoning - it's worth it)

For the Breading

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 2 cups crushed Hot Cheetos (about half an 8.5 oz bag)
  • Canola oil enough for 2 inches in a heavy pot

For Serving

  • Birria consomé warmed
  • Mexican crema or sour cream
  • white onion finely diced
  • chopped cilantro
  • lime wedges

Instructions

Mix the Filling

  • Combine the chopped birria, chilled rice, Oaxaca cheese, onion, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning in a large bowl. Mix until the rice starts to bind the filling. A squeezed spoonful should hold its shape without weeping liquid.
    A spring loaded scoop lifting a portion of the birria and rice filling out of the mixing bowl to portion the balls evenly.

Roll and Freeze

  • Scoop into 12 portions and roll each into a firm ball without packing it tight. Arrange on a parchment lined sheet pan and freeze 20 to 30 minutes, until the outside is firm but the center is still soft.
    Eight raw birria balls rolled and set on a parchment lined sheet pan, ready for a short freeze so they hold their shape.

Set Up the Breading

  • Whisk the flour with 1 tablespoon taco seasoning and the salt in one shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a second. Add the crushed Hot Cheetos to a third.
    A shallow bowl of finely crushed Hot Cheetos, the coating that gives birria balls their bright red crust.

Bread the Balls

  • Coat each chilled ball in the seasoned flour first, then the egg, then roll through the Cheetos, pressing gently. The flour is what gives the egg something to grip.
    A birria ball fully coated in crushed Hot Cheetos, sitting in the bowl of crumbs and ready for the fryer.

Fry

  • Heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F, holding it between 340°F and 350°F. Fry in batches of 3 or 4 for 3 to 4 minutes, until the crust is set and deep red and the balls float high. Do not crowd the pot.
    A fried birria ball lifted on a wooden slotted spoon from a pot of frying oil stained deep red by the Hot Cheeto crust.

Rest and Serve

  • Transfer to a wire rack and rest 3 to 5 minutes so the cheese settles and strings instead of running. Serve with warm consomé, crema, onion, cilantro, and lime.
    Eight fried birria balls draining on a wire rack so the bottoms of the Hot Cheeto crust stay crisp.

Notes

  • Drain the birria well. Extra consomé in the filling will cause these to fall apart..
  • Day old rice binds best. Warm rice turns the filling gummy.
  • Freeze to firm, not solid. A frozen ball burns on the outside before the cheese melts. - Wire rack after frying, never paper towels.
  • Storage: airtight in the fridge up to 3 days; consommé and crema separate. Reheat in an air fryer at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes or a 375°F oven for 10 to 12. Skip the microwave.
  • Freezer: bread and freeze solid for up to 2 months, then fry from frozen at 340°F, adding 1 to 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 796mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg