Go Back

Birria Tacos (Crispy Quesabirria with Consomé Dipping Sauce)

Birria tacos with a deeply red chile birria broth that turns into a rich consomé for dipping. Crispy birria-dipped tortillas are folded with tender shredded beef and melted Oaxacan cheese, pulled apart to reveal melty centers.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 980
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

beef
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast or short ribs
birria broth (chiles + aromatics)
  • 3 dried guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 white onion quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 cup beef broth
  • salt and pepper to taste
assembly
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1.5 cup shredded Oaxacan cheese or mozzarella
  • diced white onion, cilantro, and lime wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Make the chile birria sauce
  1. Toast dried guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry pan for 30 seconds per side, just until fragrant and slightly darkened, without burning.
  2. Soak the toasted chiles in boiling water for 20 minutes to rehydrate them.
  3. Blend the soaked chiles with diced tomatoes, quartered onion, garlic, cumin, dried oregano, and smoked paprika until smooth, then add beef broth and blend again.
Cook the birria until fall-apart tender
  1. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then place it in a Dutch oven or slow cooker.
  2. Pour the blended chile sauce over the beef and cover.
  3. Cook at 325°F for 3 hours, or on slow cooker LOW for 8 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender with visible shredding fibers.
Shred, strain, and skim consomé
  1. Remove the beef and shred it with a fork, pulling into strands while keeping juices pooled.
  2. Strain the consomé and reserve it for dipping.
  3. Skim excess fat from the top of the reserved consomé so the dipping sauce stays glossy but not greasy.
Crisp and fill the tacos (quesabirria style)
  1. Dip corn tortillas into the consomé’s fat layer, coating both sides, until the tortillas look red-stained and flexible.
  2. Cook the dipped tortillas in a hot skillet until crisped and lightly blistered, about 1–2 minutes per side, with a deep mahogany-red color.
  3. Add shredded beef and Oaxacan cheese to each tortilla, fold over, and cook until the cheese melts and the outside is crisp and browned, flipping once for even crisping.
Serve
  1. Serve tacos immediately with cups of warm consomé for dipping, keeping the consomé steaming.
  2. Garnish with diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges so the top looks fresh and bright against the red sauce.

Notes

Key pro tip: strain the consomé and skim before dipping—this helps the tortillas crisp instead of steaming. Store leftover shredded beef and consomé separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove. Freeze shredded beef and consomé for up to 2 months (cheese and tortillas are best fresh). For a lighter option, use less cheese (or substitute part-skim mozzarella) while keeping the dip-rich consomé the same.