Quesabirria Recipe

Crisp, cheese-laced tortillas filled with slow-braised beef, served with a rich chilli consomme for dipping — quesabirria is messy, glorious street food worth making at home.

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

120 mins

Total time

145 mins

Servings

4 servings

Calories

720

Ingredients

• 800 g beef chuck, cut into chunks
• 2 dried guajillo chillies, deseeded
• 1 dried ancho chilli, deseeded
• 1 onion, quartered
• 4 garlic cloves
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 litre beef stock
• 8 flour tortillas
• 200 g grated mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese
• Oil, salt and pepper
• Chopped onion and coriander, to serve

Instructions

1. Toast the dried chillies in a dry pan for 1 minute, then soak in hot water for 15 minutes.
2. Blend the soaked chillies with onion, garlic, tomatoes, cumin and oregano until smooth.
3. Brown the beef in batches in a large pot, then return it all to the pot with the chilli sauce, bay leaves and stock.
4. Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours until the beef shreds easily, then shred it and season the broth.
5. Dip each tortilla in the fatty top of the broth, fill with beef and cheese, fold, and fry until crisp and golden on both sides.
6. Serve with bowls of hot consomme for dipping, plus onion and coriander.

Pro tips

• Skim the red fat from the top of the broth; it is what gives the tortillas their colour and flavour.
• Keep the heat medium when frying so the cheese melts fully before the tortilla over-browns.
• Leftover consomme makes a wonderful soup base the next day.
• A cast-iron pan gives the crispiest, most even crust.

Frequently asked questions