Quesabirria
A cheesy, brothy taco born in Tijuana and spread by social media.
Quesabirria, sometimes called birria tacos or red tacos, is a Mexican dish where birria-style beef is folded into a tortilla with melted cheese and comes with a side of broth for dipping. It started in Tijuana, Mexico, originally using goat meat, and became popular in the United States thanks to Instagram. Today it is also made with beef or chicken.
Quick Facts
- Country
- Mexico
- Region
- Tijuana
- Course
- Main
- Served
- Hot
- Main ingredients
- Beef
- consommé
- cheese
- tortilla
- Variations
- Birria
Facts from the source article.
History
Quesabirria was created in Tijuana, Mexico, inspired by the traditional birria stew of Jalisco. California food writer Bill Esparza observed birria served in tacos at a Tijuana truck called Tacos Aaron around 2009, and other trucks later added cheese. Taqueros brought quesabirria to Los Angeles around 2016, and posts on Instagram helped it become a phenomenon. By 2019, taqueros in the San Francisco Bay Area began serving it, and in 2023 Del Taco Restaurants offered it as fast food.
Preparation and variations
Quesabirria is a cross between a taco and a quesadilla. Stewed meat, often beef brisket, is cooked for up to 10 hours with chilies and spices. The meat and melted mozzarella or Chihuahua cheese are placed inside a corn tortilla that has been dipped in the fat from stewing, then folded on a grill to melt everything together. Some taqueros add chopped white onion and cilantro inside or as a topping, and some use two tortillas, either on the grill or fried first. The dish is served hot with a side of consomé broth for dipping; diners may also sip the broth. Optional salsas and garnishes include pickled habaneros, lime, or radish. Variations include vampiritos, which use crispy cheese atop or instead of tortillas, and birraquiles, tortilla chips topped with birria, cheese, and consomé. Some vendors use lamb, jackfruit, or flour tortillas, and some offer tortas and tostadas in the same style.
More in Cuisine of the Western United States
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced