Mexican · Dinner

Quesabirria tacos

Name: Quesabirria tacos
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 16 tacos
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 cups warm shredded birria de res, preferably recipe DI068; 2 cups hot birria consommé, divided; 1/2 cup clarified red chile fat skimmed from the birria; 16 fresh 6-inch corn tortillas; 12 ounces Oaxaca or low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded; 1/2 cup finely diced white onion; 1/2 cup chopped cilantro; 3 limes, cut into wedges; 1 cup salsa taquera

Corn tortillas brushed with clarified chile fat, filled with tender beef birria and Oaxaca cheese, griddled crisp, and served with hot consommé for dipping.

About 50 minTotal

About 50 minActive

$$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 16 tacos

Equipment

Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Best starting skillet
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the recipe’s diameter and preheating method, then checked material, heat retention, cooktop fit, weight, care, stable model identity, and exact destination. Kwilt has not cooked with this skillet.
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3: The 10.25-inch seasoned surface matches the recipe footprint and retains enough heat to create the crisp cornbread edge promised by a preheated skillet method. Trade-off: It weighs more than five pounds, the handles become hot, and avoiding rust requires prompt hand washing, drying, and light oiling.
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan with the recipe’s fat; the crust will be lighter but the crumb and flavor remain valid.
Sources
Lodge cast-iron material and care
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 16 tacos

4 cups warm shredded birria de res, preferably recipe DI068
2 cups hot birria consommé, divided
1/2 cup clarified red chile fat skimmed from the birria
16 fresh 6-inch corn tortillas
12 ounces Oaxaca or low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup finely diced white onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3 limes, cut into wedges
1 cup salsa taquera

Instructions

Warm birria with 1/2 cup consommé until juicy but not soupy. Keep the remaining consommé piping hot in small serving bowls and the separated chile fat liquid.
Heat a over medium. Brush—not soak—both sides of two tortillas with a thin film of chile fat and place them on the griddle.
Cover one half of each tortilla with cheese, then add 1/4 cup drained birria. When cheese melts and the underside is crisp red-brown, fold and press lightly.
Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, adjusting heat so the tortilla crisps without blackening. Hold tacos on a rack in a 200°F oven while repeating; do not stack them.
Serve immediately with hot consommé, onion, cilantro, lime, and salsa.

Tijuana, Baja CaliforniaModern northern Mexican and cross-border taquería culture

From the table

About this recipe

Quesabirria is a modern Mexican preparation closely associated with Tijuana and its later cross-border rise: birria and melting cheese crisped in a tortilla and served with consommé.

Quesabirria—birria and melting cheese in a crisped tortilla, usually with consommé—is a modern Mexican preparation closely associated with Tijuana and its later cross-border rise. It is not the historical definition of Jalisco birria. This recipe intentionally depends on a properly braised birria base and uses only its clarified surface fat for crisp, non-greasy tortillas. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Treat quesabirria as a precise second service for DI068, preserving the birria's integrity while optimizing fat control, cheese melt, and à-la-minute crispness.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe

Keep recipes, plan meals, and build the grocery list in Kwilt.

Use the recipe here. Get Kwilt when you want the rest of dinner to stay together.

Get Kwilt for iPhone

See every recipe

Mexican · Dinner

Red chicken enchiladas

Corn tortillas dipped in a fried guajillo-ancho chile sauce, rolled around juicy shredded chicken, warmed briefly, and finished with queso fresco, crema, onion, and cilantro.

About 1 hr 40 min12 enchiladas