How To Make Quesa Birria Tacos (Authentic)
About this recipe
Quesa Birria Tacos are a delicious twist on traditional birria, featuring crispy tortillas filled with tender, flavorful beef and melted cheese. This recipe from Nick's Kitchen highlights the importance of using a variety of chilies to create a rich and smoky flavor profile that truly elevates the dish.
The process involves toasting and steeping the chilies, which helps to unlock their deep flavors, and slow-cooking the chuck roast until it's fall-apart tender. The result is a taco that's not only satisfying but also bursting with authentic taste.
Ingredient notes
- You can use more or less Chile de arbol depending on your spice preference.
Tips from Nick's Kitchen’s video
- Toast the ancho and guajillo chilies for 3 to 4 minutes to bring out their flavors, but be careful not to burn them as that will make the dish bitter.
- Sear the beef in batches to develop a nice golden crust, which builds the foundation of flavor for the birria.
- Char the white onion over an open flame for added smokiness, but this step is optional.
Good to know
- How long does it take to cook the birria?
- The birria needs to simmer for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.
- What type of meat is best for birria?
- Chuck roast is recommended because it has fat and connective tissue that break down during cooking, adding flavor.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Nick's Kitchen: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Prepare the chilies by trimming off the stems and shaking out the seeds.
- 2
Toast the ancho and guajillo chilies in a pan over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the Chile de arbol for the last 30 to 45 seconds.
- 3
Cover the toasted chilies with beef stock, push them down to ensure they are submerged, and let steep for about 20 minutes.
- 4
Prepare the chuck roast by trimming excess fat and cutting it into manageable pieces.
- 5
Season the beef pieces with salt only, avoiding pepper to prevent burning during searing.
- 6
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until shimmering, then sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides.
- 7
Once seared, set the beef aside and add the remaining pieces back into the pot along with any juices.
- 8
Optionally, char the white onion over an open flame for added smokiness.
- 9
Blend the steeped chilies with half of the chili tea, charred onion, garlic, cumin seeds, and Mexican oregano until smooth.
- 10
Strain the blended sauce over the beef in the pot to remove any seeds or solids.
- 11
Add white vinegar, tomato puree, bay leaves, Ceylon cinnamon, peppercorns, and cloves to the pot.
- 12
Cover the beef with beef stock until it reaches about 75% of the way up the side of the meat.
- 13
Cover the pot and simmer for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The quantity of chilies is inferred based on typical usage for flavor balance in similar recipes.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Nick's Kitchen’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
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