Your Guide to the Amazing Mexican-Inspired Birria Quesadilla

The Birria Quesadilla: A Birria Upgrade

So, as mentioned before and as you can see from the video above, birria is a kind of stew or soup.

Lucky for us, the traditional birria has had a more recent (and even more delicious) upgrade.

The emergence of the birria quesadilla or birria taco has become SUPER popular, especially here in the United States.

This birria update incorporates the use of heavier ingredients, like tortillas and cheese, to make it a more filling meal.

Just so  you know, some common names for this delicious cheesy quesadilla and taco combination include:

• Birria quesadilla
• Quesabirria
• Birria quesa taco
• Red taco
• Birria queso taco
• Quesobirria
• Birria taco

[Though the red taco was probably produced first, at least here in the United States, often these terms are used interchangeably. As you’ll find out below, the concept of adding shredded cheese was not added until some time after the red taco had emerged].

So, as you may be able to guess from the names above, the birria quesadilla is a type of taco quesadilla all-in-one combo.

FAQs

What are Birria quesadillas made of?

Birria quesadillas are made of corn tortillas, shredded cheese, and beef.

The beef is slow-cooked in a red chili broth. This red chili broth is called birria and it’s made with several kinds of dried chilis and lots of spices and herbs.

What is birria sauce made of?

Birria sauce is made of dried chilis, onions, and lots of different spices. Some popular dried chilis for birria sauce are guajillo, pasillas, and chile de árbol . Popular spices include cinnamon, oregano, black pepper, cumin, and thyme.

What’s the difference between barbacoa and birria?

Barbacoa is meat that is slow-cooked by steam. The barbacoa becomes birria when it is submerged in the liquid chili broth.

What is the red liquid tortillas are dipped in?

The red liquid that tortillas are dipped in is birria consomé. This consomé is the broth that is produced with birria meat and spices.

What does birria mean in Spanish?

Birria in Spanish means something that is useless and worthless.

Why are birria tacos red?

What makes birria tacos red are the chilis and spices that are used to make the birria stew.

How the Birria Quesadilla Became Popular in the United States (and Beyond)

This new and improved Mexican birria meal originated in Tijuana, Mexico. It was brought to the United States (Los Angeles, CA) around the year 2016.

Interestingly, these red tacos became popular through the use of Instagram.

The man who is credited with making red tacos famous in the Los Angeles community is named Teddy Vasquez.

After only a few years, red tacos have now become super popular all throughout the United States, and other countries, too!  (Today.com).

The Birria Quesadilla in the United States

Although he had never eaten birria before, a friend of Teddy’s had persuaded him to go down to Tijuana, Mexico, and learn how to make birria.

He brought his birria red taco recipe back to the United States and started making it for his friends and family. Many of them had never had birria before and they absolutely loved his new red tacos!

They encouraged Teddy to start selling his red tacos to the public. So, what he did was use the money he earned from driving Uber and Lyft to eventually open his own weekend taco stand. This stand was called Teddy’s Red Tacos.

To promote the red tacos, Teddy would drive around in his truck and offer free samples to potential customers. He would then ask them to visit his taco stand and follow him on his Instagram page.

On his Instagram page, he started showing videos of the red tacos being dipped in the birria consomé (the broth that is made during the birria’s cooking process).

These videos were a hit on social media!

Soon thereafter, more and more taqueros (taco vendors) started adding red tacos to their menus.

They eventually started adding shredded cheese to produce what is now known as the quesabirria tacos (or birria quesadillas).

More About the Birria Quesadilla

Although the traditional birria dish is made with goat meat, the birria quesadilla, at least here in the United States, is often made with beef.

[Which makes sense since beef may be more widely available in many places out here]. 

Its primary ingredients include corn tortillas, cheese (often mozzarella), and beef birria meat.

The most common way to make birria quesadillas is like this:

1. Cook the birria.
2. Dip the tortilla into the birria consomé and lay the tortilla flat on a hot griddle.
3. Add birria beef to the tortilla.
4. Add shredded cheese.
5. Fold the tortilla in half to enclose the birria and cheese. 
6. Toast the tortilla on both sides on the flat griddle so that both sides are evenly toasted and the cheese is nicely melted.

Then, take the birria queso taco and dip it in your birria consomé and enjoy!

[Also, for even more flavor, you can add chopped cilantro and chopped onions to the birria consomé dip].

Where to Find Birria Quesadillas

Unfortunately, because this is a new up-and-coming Mexican food item, you probably won’t find them at your traditional Mexican food restaurant.

In fact, if you don’t live near a big city, there is a good chance that you may have a hard time finding them unless you make them yourself.

That doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t call around and ask! It’s DEFINITELY worth a shot!

FORTUNATELY, birria quesa tacos are not too hard to make at home, especially if you have a crockpot or an Instant Pot.

How to Make Birria Queso Tacos

I feel like I got lucky finding a Mexican restaurant not too far from me that sells birria queso tacos. 

However, the good news is that you can make these delicious tacos in your own home kitchen!

In my opinion, the easiest way to make birria is in the Instant Pot.

One reason for this is, as mentioned earlier, birria is a slow-cooked meal and will take at least 2 hours to cook. If you use an Instant Pot, it will only take about 1 hour for your birria to cook. 

AND… luckily, you don’t have to keep an eye on it while it’s cooking! 

Also, from what I’ve experienced, the Instant Pot does not compromise the flavor of my food, either.

Anyway, here’s the BEST video I found online to show you how to make birria quesadillas: