Description
This birria tacos (a.k.a. birria quesatacos) recipe is made with my favorite birria beef, which is loaded into broth-dipped corn tortillas with cheese, fried until crispy, then dunked in extra birria broth for an extra-flavorful finish.
Ingredients
- 1 batch birria (Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or stovetop versions available)
- 18 to 24 small corn tortillas (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 pound shredded Mexican melting cheese (such as Oaxaca, Chihuahua, quesadillas or asadero cheese, see note below)
- toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, chopped red or white onions (or pickled red onions), sliced avocado, sliced jalapeños and/or fresh lime wedges
Instructions
- Cook the birria. Prepare the birria according to recipe instructions, either in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker), Crock-Pot (slow cooker) or on the stovetop. Once the beef has been cooked, shred it into bite-sized pieces, then toss the beef in its broth until it is evenly coated.
- Dip the tortillas. Heat the oven to 250°F. Heat a large non-stick sauté pan or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Briefly dip a few corn tortillas (as many will fit in the pan in a single layer) in the top layer* of the birria broth, so that the tortillas are coated with the broth on both sides, then lay the tortillas in a single layer the hot pan.
- Fill the tortillas. Immediately fill half of each tortilla with a small handful of the shredded cheese and a spoonful of shredded birria beef.
- Fry the tacos. Once the cheese begins to melt, carefully fold the tortillas over in half. Then continue to fry the tacos for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until crispy. Once the tacos are ready to go, carefully transfer them to a baking sheet.
- Repeat. Repeat this process to continue making more tacos, meanwhile storing the baking sheet of prepared tacos in the oven (for up to 20 minutes) to keep them warm and crispy.
- Serve. Serve the tacos warm, garnished with lots of toppings, along with small individual bowls of the leftover birria broth for dipping.
Notes
Cheese: I recommend purchasing some type of soft Mexican melting cheese for these quesatacos, such as Oaxaca, Chihuahua, asadero, or quesadilla cheese, which can often be found in the Latin American cheese section of grocery stores. (You may need to shred or thinly slice them by hand if they are sold in a round.) That said, if those cheeses are unavailable, feel free to use any shredded cheese that you love best, such as a Mexican blend, Monterrey Jack or Pepperjack.
Dipping tortillas in the broth: For extra crispy taco shells, it helps to shallowly dip the tortillas in the very top layer of the broth, which is usually more oily/fatty.
Prep/cook time: The times listed above do not include the time required to make the beef birria, which can range depending on your cooking method.
