Quesabirria Sliders

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Juicy, tender birria beef covered in melted oaxaca cheese. Serve quesabirria sliders in toasted buns as the perfect appetizer or game day recipe.

Fall brings the return of football and more importantly, game day recipes! (I'm just kidding, football is great too.) So lately, I've been looking for new, fun appetizer recipes to try out on the weekends.

Recently I was planning on making tacos but I figured why not make quesabirria sliders instead? One of the things that makes these sliders stand out is the super stretchy, pull apart cheese. They are super flavorful and juicy too because they are made with a fragrant red chili sauce that I like to braise over the top of the buns.

I honestly could not get enough of the birria sauce so much so that I reserved extra sauce for dipping my sliders into. The sauce itself is not super spicy like you would expect with a chili sauce, so I like to add a little extra because I like it spicy. This includes jalapenos and chili pepper flakes to give it a little heat.

What Is Birria?

Birria is beef, lamb, or goat stew that originates from Mexico. The meat was traditionally cooked "low and slow" and with numerous spices including chili peppers to make it flavorful and tender. The chili peppers are also what makes the birria appear red.

You can enjoy the birria as is, as a stew, or you can make it into tacos, quesadillas, or, in this case, sliders!

What is the difference Between Birria and Quesabirria?

The main difference between birria and quesabirria is the addition of cheese (queso). In the United States both birria and quesabirria tacos have become popular. A quesabirria taco is a birria taco with melted cheese on top. Oaxaca cheese is what I'd recommend for these sliders, however if that is unavailable where you live, you can use shredded mozzarella cheese instead.

What You Will Need

Birria Beef

2 tbsp avocado oil

1.5 lb chuck roast

3 dried ancho chili peppers

3 dried guajillo chili peppers

2 Roma tomatoes diced

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp dried oregano

½ tbsp salt

½ tbsp pepper

½ tbsp lime juice

filtered water

Sliders

2 cups oaxaca cheese shredded (can substitute with mozzarella)

cilantro chopped

red pepper flakes (optional)

1 dozen dinner rolls sliced in half lengthwise

How to Make Quesabirria Sliders

In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and sear the chuck roast on each side.

Remove the roast and set it aside. Add in the chili peppers, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper and cover with water. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pour the contents of the pot in a blender (reduce water if needed). Blend the sauce for 30-60 seconds until smooth.

Add the roast into the pot and pour the sauce overtop. Let the pot simmer for 2-3 hours or until the birria beef is fully cooked and tender.

Once the beef is cooked, remove it from the pot and shred the meat with two forks. Add the meat back into the pot and stir into the sauce.

Preheat the oven to 400℉.

In a baking dish lined with parchment paper, place the bottom half of the rolls in the dish followed by the shredded birria beef. Add a little extra sauce if needed.

Sprinkle the oaxaca cheese on top of the beef and place the top half of the rolls on top.

Baste additional sauce on top of the rolls and sprinkle red pepper flakes on top (if desired).

Bake the rolls in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The cheese should be stretchy and melty.

Remove the rolls from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

I like to save some of the sauce for dipping the sliders into!

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a star rating and a comment below. Share what you made and tag me on Instagram @keepingitholistic! For more scratch-made recipes and natural living tips, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on YouTube and Instagram!

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