What Are Quesabirria Tacos?
Quesabirria is a birria taco with melted cheese added, a cross between a quesadilla and a birria taco. The tortilla is dipped in the birria's red fat, griddled with cheese and the braised, shredded meat, folded, and served with consomme for dipping
It went viral in the US around 2019 to 2021 and is now on most birria menus, sometimes under the same name as plain birria. This guide covers what is in it, how it differs from a birria taco and a quesadilla, and where to find a good one.
Quesabirria (Quesabirria) are Tijuana tacos made with birria beef with melted cheese, tortilla dipped in the birria fat, griddled, folded with cheese, served on corn tortillas.
A Tijuana-then-LA invention, not a traditional Jalisco dish. The red griddled tortilla is the signature
Where US venues name it
Counted from venue names in our directory, so it undercounts places that serve it without saying so.
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Where to eat quesabirria in the US
Portland, OR
- Birrieria La Plaza 2 - Downtown PDXOpen, closes 9:00 pmDirections
Quesabirria: your questions
What is a quesabirria taco?
A birria taco with melted cheese added: a cross between a quesadilla and a birria taco. The tortilla is dipped in birria fat, griddled with cheese and the stewed meat, folded, and served with consommé for dipping.
What's the difference between birria and quesabirria?
Cheese. A plain birria taco is the stewed meat in a fat-dipped, griddled tortilla; quesabirria adds a layer of melted cheese. Many taquerias use the two names interchangeably now.
What is the difference between a quesabirria and a quesadilla?
A quesadilla is cheese (and maybe a filling) melted in a folded tortilla, cooked dry on a griddle. A quesabirria is that plus long-braised birria meat, with the tortilla first dipped in the birria's red fat, and it is served with consommé.
How do you say quesabirria?
keh-sah-BEER-ee-ah.
Last updated August 31, 2026. Venue details refresh with each data import.