🌮 High-Protein Birria Quesadillas with Consommé
If you love crispy, cheesy quesadillas and rich Mexican-inspired flavors, these High-Protein Birria Quesadillas are about to become a favorite. Tender shredded beef or chicken is slow-cooked in a deeply flavored chile sauce, tucked inside tortillas with plenty of melted cheese, then pan-seared until golden and crispy.
The best part? You don’t just get a quesadilla—you also get a flavorful consommé-style dipping broth made from the birria cooking liquid. Dip each crispy bite into the warm broth for that classic juicy, spicy, savory experience.
This recipe is perfect for lunch, dinner, meal prep, parties, or whenever you want something that feels like takeout but can be made at home.
🕒 Recipe Details
- Servings: 4 large quesadillas
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 3–4 hours for beef or approximately 45–60 minutes using a pressure cooker
- Assembly: 10–15 minutes
- Protein: approximately 35–45 g per serving
- Calories: approximately 420–500 per serving
🛒 Ingredients
For the Birria
Choose either beef or chicken.
Beef version
- 500 g beef chuck roast or beef shank
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 dried guajillo chilies, seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chilies, seeds removed
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo, optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
Chicken version
For a leaner, faster option, replace the beef with approximately 600 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs and use chicken broth instead of beef broth.
Chicken breast gives you a particularly high-protein and relatively lean filling, while chicken thighs provide a richer texture.
🧀 For the Quesadillas
- 4 large whole-wheat or high-protein tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cooked birria beef or chicken
- 1½ cups shredded reduced-fat mozzarella or Mexican cheese blend
- ¼ cup finely chopped white onion
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1–2 teaspoons olive oil for cooking
- Lime wedges, for serving
You can use more or less cheese depending on your preference. Reduced-fat mozzarella works especially well because it melts beautifully while keeping the recipe protein-focused.
🌶️ For the Consommé
- 2 cups reserved birria cooking liquid
- ½ cup additional low-sodium broth, if needed
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- Salt, to taste
- Optional: chopped jalapeño
- Optional: extra chili flakes
👩🍳 Step 1: Prepare the Chilies
Start by preparing the dried guajillo and ancho chilies.
Remove the stems and shake out the seeds.
Place the chilies in a heatproof bowl and cover them with hot water. Allow them to soak for approximately 10 minutes, or until they become soft and flexible.
Drain them before blending.
The guajillo chilies provide a fruity, slightly sweet chile flavor, while ancho chilies add a deeper, almost raisin-like richness.
Don’t worry about the dish becoming extremely spicy. These chilies are primarily being used to create the deep red color and complex flavor of the birria.
🧄 Step 2: Make the Birria Sauce
Add the softened chilies to a blender.
Add:
- Garlic
- Onion
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Cinnamon
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Apple cider vinegar
- Approximately ½ cup of broth
Blend until completely smooth.
The sauce should become a deep red, thick liquid.
If the blender struggles, add another tablespoon or two of broth.
Taste carefully and adjust the seasoning if needed.
This sauce is the foundation of the entire recipe, so getting the seasoning right at this stage will make a noticeable difference in the finished quesadillas.
🍖 Step 3: Cook the Birria
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
Season your beef with a little salt and pepper.
Add the beef and sear it for several minutes on each side until browned.
You don’t need to cook the meat through at this point. The goal is simply to develop a flavorful browned exterior.
Pour the blended chile sauce over the meat.
Add the remaining broth and bay leaf.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer.
Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low.
For beef, cook for approximately 2½–3½ hours, or until the meat becomes extremely tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
For chicken, the cooking time will be significantly shorter. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, then shred it.
🍗 Step 4: Shred the Meat
Remove the cooked meat from the pot and place it on a plate or cutting board.
Use two forks to shred it into small pieces.
You want the meat to be tender enough that it practically falls apart.
Return some of the shredded meat to the cooking liquid and stir it through the sauce.
This keeps the filling juicy and flavorful.
Don’t throw away the cooking liquid!
That rich red broth is your consommé-style dipping sauce.
🍲 Step 5: Prepare the Consommé
Strain approximately 2 cups of the cooking liquid into a small saucepan.
Heat it gently over low to medium heat.
Add chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice, and a little salt.
If the broth is particularly concentrated, add some extra low-sodium broth until it reaches your preferred strength.
Taste it before serving.
You want a broth that’s rich, savory, slightly spicy, and flavorful enough to drink or use for dipping.
Pour the warm consommé into small bowls just before serving.
🌮 Step 6: Prepare the Tortillas
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
Take one tortilla and lightly brush or dip one side with some of the flavorful birria cooking liquid.
Don’t soak the tortilla completely—you just want a thin coating.
Place the tortilla sauce-side down in the hot skillet.
This is what gives the quesadilla that gorgeous reddish-golden exterior and incredible birria flavor.
🧀 Step 7: Add the Filling
Immediately add approximately ½ cup shredded birria meat to one half of the tortilla.
Top with shredded cheese.
Add a little chopped onion and fresh cilantro.
Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling.
Press gently with a spatula.
Cook for approximately 2–3 minutes until the bottom becomes golden brown and crispy.
🔥 Step 8: Flip and Crisp
Carefully flip the quesadilla.
Cook the other side for another 2–3 minutes.
The cheese should be completely melted and the tortilla should be crispy and golden.
If you’re making several quesadillas, avoid overcrowding the pan. Cooking them individually or two at a time gives you better browning.
Once finished, transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and allow it to rest for about one minute.
Then slice it into triangles.
🌿 Step 9: Serve
Place the crispy quesadilla on a plate alongside a small bowl of warm consommé.
Garnish with:
- Fresh cilantro
- Finely chopped onion
- Lime wedges
- Jalapeños
- Fresh avocado, optional
Now comes the best part.
Pick up a crispy quesadilla triangle and dip it directly into the warm consommé.
The crispy tortilla absorbs some of the rich broth while the melted cheese and tender meat remain inside.
That combination of crispy, juicy, cheesy, spicy, and savory is what makes birria quesadillas so addictive.
💪 How to Make Them Higher in Protein
For maximum protein, use chicken breast instead of beef and choose a high-protein or high-fiber tortilla.
You can also increase the chicken or beef filling slightly while keeping the cheese moderate.
Another great trick is using a reduced-fat mozzarella or Mexican cheese blend. You’ll still get plenty of melted cheese without relying entirely on cheese for the protein.
For a balanced meal, serve the quesadillas with a fresh salad, grilled vegetables, or a small serving of Mexican-style rice.
🌶️ Easy Variations
🔥 Extra Spicy
Add jalapeños, extra chipotle, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce to the consommé.
🥑 Fresh & Creamy
Serve with sliced avocado and a spoonful of Greek yogurt mixed with lime juice.
🍗 Chicken Birria
Use chicken breast for a lighter, very high-protein version that cooks much faster than beef.
🧀 Extra Cheesy
Use a combination of mozzarella and Monterey Jack for an especially stretchy filling.
🥬 Veggie Loaded
Add sautéed mushrooms, peppers, or spinach to the quesadilla filling.
🥡 Meal-Prep Instructions
Birria is actually excellent for meal prep.
Cook a large batch of the meat and store it together with some of the cooking liquid in airtight containers.
Keep the tortillas and shredded cheese separate.
When you’re ready to eat, simply heat the meat, assemble the quesadilla, and crisp it in a skillet.
For the best texture, don’t microwave the fully assembled quesadilla if you can avoid it. Microwaving tends to make the tortilla soft rather than crispy.
The cooked birria can also be frozen in portions with some of the consommé.
📊 Approximate Nutrition Per Serving
Using lean beef or chicken, reduced-fat cheese, and large tortillas:
- Calories: ~420–500 kcal
- Protein: ~35–45 g
- Carbohydrates: ~30–40 g
- Fat: ~18–22 g
- Fiber: ~4–6 g
Exact values will depend on the meat, tortilla, cheese, and amount of oil used.
⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These High-Protein Birria Quesadillas give you the best of both worlds: comfort-food flavor with a protein-focused meal.
The meat is tender and intensely flavorful, the cheese melts into every bite, and the tortilla becomes crispy and golden from the flavorful birria broth. Then you dip the whole thing into the rich consommé for an extra hit of flavor.
It’s impressive enough for guests but straightforward enough for a weeknight dinner.
And if you make a big batch of birria ahead of time, the quesadillas come together incredibly quickly.
Crispy outside. Cheesy inside. Tender shredded meat. Rich consommé for dipping. 🌮🔥
