Birria Quesadillas: Crispy, Cheesy, and Packed With Tender Beef

Birria Quesadillas take the rich, slow-cooked flavors of Mexican birria and turn them into an irresistibly crispy, cheesy meal. Tender shredded beef is tucked into tortillas with melted cheese, then cooked until golden and crunchy before being served with the flavorful birria consommé for dipping. It takes some time to prepare the beef, but the result is well worth the effort.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 3–3½ hours
Total time: About 4 hours
Servings: 6–8 quesadillas
Difficulty: Intermediate

Ingredients

• 2½–3 lb beef chuck roast
• 4 dried guajillo chiles
• 2 dried ancho chiles
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
• 1 small onion
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper
• 12 flour or corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese
• Fresh cilantro and diced onion, for serving
• Lime wedges, for serving

Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles and toast them briefly in a dry skillet. Soak them in hot water until softened, then blend them with the chipotle peppers, onion, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and beef broth. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, then place it in a large Dutch oven and pour the chile sauce over it.

Cover and cook at 325°F (165°C) for approximately 3 hours, or until the beef is tender enough to shred easily with a fork. Remove the beef from the cooking liquid and shred it, then strain the consommé if desired. Keep both the shredded beef and broth warm. The consommé is an important part of the finished dish, so do not discard it.

To make the quesadillas, dip one side of each tortilla lightly into the flavorful fat that rises to the top of the consommé. Place the tortilla fat-side down in a hot skillet, add cheese and shredded birria, then fold it over. Cook for 2–3 minutes per side, until the tortilla is deeply golden and the cheese has completely melted.

Serve the quesadillas immediately with bowls of hot consommé for dipping. Garnish with diced onion, fresh cilantro, and lime. The combination of crisp tortilla, gooey cheese, rich beef, and deeply seasoned broth is what makes birria quesadillas so satisfying.