Quesabirria Quesadillas are fried flour tortillas filled with tender beef birria and Oaxaca cheese. Serve with a beef broth for dipping.
Delicious Quesabirria Quesadillas
During a recent trip to New York City to visit our daughter in college, we ate dinner at a fantastic Mexican restaurant in the Nomad neighborhood. I ordered Quesabirria Quesadillas for my meal and after sharing a bite with Jack, we both said, “Let’s make this at home!”
These fantastic quesadillas are stuffed with beef birria – a marinated and braised beef that is fall-apart tender and loaded with flavor and a gentle heat – plus Oaxaca cheese, red onion, and cilantro. The luscious braising liquid is served in small individual bowls on the side for dipping.
You’ll assemble, then fry the Quesabirria Quesadillas in a skillet on the stove until the tortilla is golden brown and crispy on the outside, and the cheese is melted on the inside. Cut into wedges, then sprinkle some red onion and cilantro on top for garnish. Don’t forget some fresh lime wedges and sour cream too. (The fresh citrus and the cool cream are wonderful contrasts to the rich and spicy meat.)
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Beef Birria – See our recipe here. This is a tender braised beef made with beef chuck and a whole beef shank. The beef is marinated before cooking in dried chiles, tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, beef stock, plus other aromatics and seasonings.
- 10” Flour Tortillas
- Red Onion
- Oaxaca Cheese – This is a stringy Mexican cheese similar to mozzarella. We found it at our local supermarket in the gourmet cheese section.
- Fresh Cilantro
- Limes Wedges and Sour Cream – for serving.
Cooking Tips & Tricks
- Please don’t be intimidated to make the beef birria for these quesadillas. While it takes some time, it’s mostly marinating and cooking time. There isn’t much hands-on preparation and it’s just a little work to shred the beef once cooked. The Birria sauce can be served thick or brothy. If the sauce is too thick, dilute with a little beef stock or broth.
- We suggest you prepare the beef birria the day before you plan to serve these quesadillas.
- There are multiple ways to serve a Quesabirria Quesadilla:
- We filled two ten-inch flour tortillas and cooked them whole before cutting into wedges. (This is how our quesadilla was served in New York City.)
- You can also lay out a single tortilla, cover half with the fillings, then fold in half and fry/cook both sides in a skillet by flipping with a spatula. (This might be easier to handle if you are working with a smaller frying pan/skillet.)
- You could also cook the folded tortilla on a panini press and brown both sides of the tortilla at once.
Quesabirria Quesadillas
Quesabirria Quesadillas are fried flour tortillas filled with tender beef birria and Oaxaca cheese. Serve with a beef broth for dipping.
- Prep Time: 1 hour plus overnight to marinate
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours plus overnight to marinate
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: entree
- Method: braise
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
1 recipe Beef Birria
8 ten-inch flour tortillas
1 package Oaxaca cheese, shredded
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Sour cream, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Make the Birria meat the day prior, separating and refrigerating the meat from the sauce.
- Heat the meat and the sauce in two separate saucepans. Melt the fat in the microwave.
- Place a 10-12-inch crepe pan or griddle on to medium heat. Brush liberally with the Birria fat.
- Build the quesadilla by lining one tortilla with Birria meat, Oaxaca cheese, red onion and cilantro. (You could build the quesadilla by placing on a large dinner plate and sliding onto the hot pan to make it easier).
- Once the pan is hot, lift and place the loaded tortilla onto the hot pan. Cover with a second tortilla.
- Cook 4-5 minutes until the bottom is golden, then place an upside-down pizza pan or plate over the top and flip.
- Brush more fat on the crepe pan or griddle and slide the quesadilla onto the hot greased pan to cook the other side.
- Again, cook 4-5 minutes until golden, then slide onto a cutting board.
- Cut into six wedges and serve with the heated sauce for dipping, as well as sour cream and lime wedges.
- Optional, top with more chopped red onion and cilantro when serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Quesabirria Quesadillas ahead of time? All the ingredients should be prepared ahead of time. We particularly suggest that you cook the beef the day before as it does take some time. Assemble and cook the quesadillas just before serving.
- How do I store leftovers? Store leftover beef and other ingredients in the refrigerator for up to three days. Leftover wedges can also be stored in the refrigerator – just note that the tortilla may become soggy.
- How do I reheat leftovers? Reheat the wedges in a small skillet for best results, or warm in the microwave. (The microwave will make the quesadilla a softer texture.)
- Can I freeze the leftover beef? Yes, the cooked beef birria can be frozen in a sealed zipper seal bag. Just be sure to squeeze excess air out to prevent freezer burn.
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