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Quesabirria Tacos – Crispy Cheese-Crusted Dinner

Crispy, cheese-crusted quesabirria tacos dipped in fat-skimmed consomé and griddled until the edges turn into a lacy, crackling cheese skirt.

  • Total Time: 3 hours 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4 (about 16-18 tacos) 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
  • 1 lb beef short ribs or oxtail
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 dried chile morita, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 white onion, halved (plus extra, finely diced, for serving)
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 Roma tomatoes
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp dried marjoram
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • Salt, to taste
  • 20 small corn tortillas
  • 3 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese
  • 1 cup shredded low-moisture Monterey Jack or mild cheddar
  • Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. Toast the guajillo, ancho, and morita chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat, 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not scorched. Soak in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain.
  2. Blend the soaked chiles with the tomatoes, 4 garlic cloves, cumin, marjoram, vinegar, and 1 cup beef broth until smooth.
  3. Season the beef generously with salt. Sear in batches in a large Dutch oven over high heat until browned on all sides.
  4. Add the chile sauce, remaining garlic, halved onion, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, and remaining beef broth. Cover and braise at 325°F for 3 to 3.5 hours (or pressure cook on high for 60–70 minutes) until the meat shreds easily.
  5. Remove the meat and shred, discarding bones and excess fat. Strain the consomé and let it sit until the fat rises to the top; skim and reserve the fat separately.
  6. Toss the shredded meat with a few spoonfuls of consomé to keep it moist.
  7. Combine the Oaxaca and Monterey Jack cheeses in a bowl.
  8. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle a thin layer of cheese directly onto the hot surface and let it melt for 30 seconds.
  9. Dip a tortilla in the reserved consomé fat (not the broth) on both sides, then lay it over the melting cheese.
  10. Add shredded meat, diced onion, and cilantro to one half of the tortilla, fold over, and press gently.
  11. Cook 2–3 minutes per side until the tortilla is crisp and the cheese skirt is golden and lacy at the edges.
  12. Serve hot with small bowls of warm consomé for dipping, lime wedges, and extra onion and cilantro.

Notes

Skim the fat off the consomé before dipping tortillas — dipping in full broth is the number one cause of soggy quesabirria tacos. Refrigerate leftover consomé fat for future batches; it keeps well over a week. If reheating leftover tacos, use a dry skillet rather than a microwave to keep the cheese crisp.

  • Author: Ella Whitley
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Method: Braised and Griddled
  • Cuisine: Mexican