Birria Quesadillas
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This birria quesadilla recipe features flavorful, slow-cooked birria meat loaded with gooey cheese in a crispy tortilla. Served with birria consomme for dipping, it’s simple, packed with bold flavors, and perfect for a Mexican night!
I make birria quesadillas whenever I have leftover meat and broth, and they’ve quickly become one of my partner and sister’s favorite meals. They take all the rich flavor of traditional birria and turn it into something fast, crispy, and seriously impossible to resist. The tortillas get dipped in the broth before cooking, so they crisp up beautifully while staying juicy inside.
I first started making them after my partner and I tried them at a taco truck in Los Angeles, and we became obsessed (we ate them six days in a row. The seventh was just the airplane meal). If I’ve made a batch of the meat on a weekend, the leftovers are great for busy weeknights. They are ready in minutes, and I usually serve them with extra broth for dipping (a nod to the taco trucks) and a side of guacamole. They never last long, and for good reason.
Table of Contents
Recipe highlights
- Quick and easy. Thanks to the prep of the birria meat, this recipe comes together in less than 10 minutes.
- Customizable. Like with quesabirria tacos, you can add as many toppings and/or blends of different cheeses and adjust the spice level to your liking.
- Versatile. Serve them as a fun and delicious dinner, or even prep them for quick lunches.
Leftover birria on hand? Use it to make birria ramen or birria pizzas.
Key Ingredients
These are some notes on the main ingredients that go into these quesadillas. The full list with measurements is in the recipe card.
- Birria beef (prepared). It’s super simple to make and combines beef chuck roast, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, chilies, apple cider vinegar, beef broth, and tomatoes. The broth will be used to infuse the tortillas and to pair the quesadillas with some for dipping (birria sauce).
- Corn tortillas. I prefer corn over flour tortillas, but if you can find large, durable flour-based ones, they work too. Opt for super pliable tortillas because we don’t want them to break during the cooking process!
- Shredded cheese. I prefer Oaxaca as it is the most authentic and melts without turning greasy, but it can be tricky to find. Choose any melty cheese you like or a combination of cheeses like Mozzarella, Monterey Jack cheese, and Pepperjack.
- Jalapeno. Slice up the jalapenos thinly and add for a spicy hit.
How to make birria quesadillas
Step 1- Fry the tortilla. Soak the tortilla in birria liquid and place it in the skillet with melted butter over medium-high heat.
Step 2- Assemble the quesadilla. Spread the cheese, birria meat, and jalapenos on the tortilla. Once the cheese melts, fold the tortilla in half.
Step 3- Cook and serve. Cook for 3 minutes per side until crispy; remove from the heat, slice, and serve warm.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Deseed the jalapenos. If you’re worried about the spiciness of the recipe, remove the jalapeno pepper seeds. This also makes for a tastier quesadilla.
- Use large tortillas. The larger the tortillas, the better they will hold the fillings. While delicious, birria meat is notoriously drippy and juicy, so the less mess, the better!
- Press down the quesadilla. To get a uniform cook, crispy crust, and melted cheese, gently press down the quesadilla on both sides with a spatula. This also helps the broth-soaked tortillas crisp up better.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can! As we do with air fryer quesadillas, assemble the quesadillas as recommended and air fry them in a preheated air fryer for 5-6 minutes, flipping in between.
You can prep the meat and add-ins and store them in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, assemble and cook to order!
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Birria Quesadillas
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 large flour tortillas
- 1/4 cup birria broth click link for the recipe
- 3/4 cup Oaxaca cheese *
- 3/4 cup birria meat click link for the recipe
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Add one tablespoon of butter to the skillet, and once melted, dip the tortilla in the Birria liquid until it's soaked in the juices on both sides. Place it in the skillet.
- Immediately sprinkle half of the cheese and spread it all over the tortilla. Place half of the Birria meat on the cheese and spread it nicely, followed by half the jalapeno. Once the cheese starts melting, fold the tortilla in half with your spatula.
- Cook for 3 minutes per side until you get a golden brown and crispy tortilla.
- Repeat the process with another tortilla and serve it warm.
Notes
Nutrition
More Mexican recipes
Originally published January 2024
So this is actually Mexican recipe? As I never heard of birria. I see by jalapeno pepperd. I know Mexicans like it a lot. But I dont know where I could find Birria…