Cinco de Mayo Birria Quesadillas (Printable Version)

Tender braised birria and melted cheese in crisp tortillas, served with a flavorful consommé for dipping.

# What You Need:

→ Beef Birria

01 - 2 lbs (900 g) beef chuck roast, cut into large pieces
02 - 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
03 - 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
04 - 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
05 - 1 large white onion, quartered
06 - 5 cloves garlic
07 - 1 (14 oz/400 g) can diced tomatoes
08 - 4 cups (950 ml) beef broth
09 - 2 bay leaves
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1 tsp cumin seeds
12 - ½ tsp ground cinnamon
13 - 4 whole cloves
14 - Salt and pepper, to taste
15 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil

→ Quesadillas

16 - 12 corn or flour tortillas
17 - 2 cups (200 g) Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, shredded
18 - 2 tbsp butter or oil, for frying
19 - Chopped onion and cilantro, for garnish
20 - Lime wedges, for serving

→ Consommé Dip

21 - Reserved birria broth from above

# How-to Steps:

01 - Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Soak chiles in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain.
02 - In a blender, combine soaked chiles, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, oregano, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
03 - Heat oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear until browned on all sides, working in batches if needed.
04 - Add blended chili mixture, bay leaves, and beef broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2-2½ hours, until beef is very tender and easily shredded. Discard bay leaves.
05 - Remove beef and shred with two forks. Reserve the cooking liquid for the consommé.
06 - Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
07 - Dip each tortilla lightly in the birria consommé to coat.
08 - Place tortilla on the skillet, sprinkle with cheese, then add a portion of shredded birria beef. Fold tortilla over.
09 - Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden and crispy, and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
10 - Ladle the hot consommé into small bowls.
11 - Garnish quesadillas with chopped onion, cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.
12 - Dip quesadillas in the consommé and enjoy.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Youll never look at a simple quesadilla the same way once you try dipping it in spicy, homemade consommé.
  • You get deeply tender beef and an addictive cheese pull in every single bite.
02 -
  • I once made the mistake of skipping the searing step—my birria was tasty but lacked that deep, savory backbone.
  • Letting the shredded beef briefly rest before stuffing the quesadillas made every mouthful juicier and less soggy.
03 -
  • Sear the beef in batches for even caramelization; crowding leads to steaming, not browning.
  • Dipping the tortillas in consommé before frying makes them irresistible, don’t skip it.
Go Back