Birria Tacos (Quesabirria) (Edit recipe)

Birria tacos and quesabirrias are undoubtedly one of my favorite foods to order when I go out to Mexican restaurants. The slow cooked tender meat that practically melts in your mouth plus the rich consome (broth) that’s cooked to perfection - it’s a dish that truly embodies Mexican cuisine. Serve birria with warm tortillas, a squeeze of lime, and a sprinkle of onions and cilantro or on quesadillas for quesabirrias with a side of the broth. Provecho amigos!

30 minutes

2 hours and 30 minutes

Difficulty:

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Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	873
Fat:	41 g
Carbohydrates:	64 g
Protein:	58 g
Cholesterol:	175 g
Sodium:	4030 mg
Fiber:	12 g
Sugars:	18 g
Calculated for total recipe.

by The Hangry Latina

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

Birria

4 - 5 lb Beef Chuck Roast, cubed in small quarters
3 Tbsp Salt, to taste
3 Tbsp Black Pepper
3 whole Dried New Mexico Chile, deseeded
3 whole Dried Guajillo Chile, deseeded
3 whole Ancho Chili (Poblano Pepper), I substitute for pasilla peppers
2 - 3 Tbsp Avocado Oil
3 tsp Ground Cumin
1.5 tsp ground Ginger
1.5 whole Whole Cinnamon Stick
2 - 3 whole Whole Cloves
1.5 whole Onion, cut into wedges- white or sweet yellow work best!
10 whole Garlic, peeled
0.25 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3 cup Beef Instant Bone Broth, I use 3 instant broth packets into 3 cups of water
29 oz Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes, 2 cans
3.5 tsp dried Oregano
3 - 5 whole Bay Leaf

Garnish (optional)

1 cup Cilantro, chopped
1 cup Onion, diced finely
2 - 3 whole Lime, I like my broth extra lime-y
0.5 cup Queso Fresco, crumbled
.5 cup Sour Cream, Mexican Crema (sour cream) works best!

Quesabirria (optional)

10 whole Corn Tortilla, Any tortilla will work!
1 - 2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Oaxaca Cheese is what I use!

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Process

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Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Season the cubed beef with salt and fresh ground black pepper and set it aside.
Snip the stem ends off the peppers with scissors and shake out the seeds. Split the pepper in half lengthwise. Be very careful not to touch your eyes/face, use gloves if necessary!
Toss the peppers onto a heated skilled and toast them. Move them occasionally or flip them over from time to time, or until fragrant.
Transfer the toasted chiles to a saucepan and cover with water. Place the pan over high heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiling shut the heat off and cover. Let the peppers soak for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
Set your instapot to Sauté. While the peppers soak, drizzle oil in your instapot. Working in batches, brown the beef on each side and transfer to a plate.
With the cooker still on Sauté, add the onion. Stir onions until golden brown. Toss in the garlic cloves and cook for one more minute.
Stir in the cumin, ginger, cinnamon stick, and clove. Your goal it to toast the spices, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute or until fragrant again.
Pour in the beef stock and vinegar and use a sturdy spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Drain your peppers.
Discard the water and put the softened, drained peppers into a blender along with the tomatoes and purée until smooth. Pour this into the pot.
Lastly, return the beef to the pot and nestle the bay leaves into the sauce. Set the Instant Pot for HIGH pressure for 60 minutes.
When the cycle has finished, release the pressure for about 20 minutes, then remove the lid.
Your beef should be fall-apart/fork tender! Serve the shredded meat with the broth or serve as quesabirria.
Quesabirria:
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Dip a tortilla in the birria broth to lightly coat it, then place it on the skillet.
Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded cheese on one half of the tortilla and place a spoonful of the shredded birria meat on top of the cheese.
Fold the tortilla in half, pressing down gently with a spatula. Cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy, flipping once.
Remove from the skillet and garnish with chopped onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime if desired. (you can also add the onion/cilantro when you add the meat one step before)