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Quesabirria Tacos

Vegan Birria Tacos (Quesabirria Tacos)

Justine Drosdovech
These vegan birria tacos feature corn tortillas stuffed with shredded oyster mushrooms and melty plant-based cheese. Served with a side of rich consomé, this meal is saucy, crispy, and flavor-packed.
4.99 from 124 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Mains
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Mexican, Vegan
Servings 12 servings
Calories 155 kcal

Equipment

  • Chef knife & cutting board
  • Skillet
  • Saucepan
  • Blender

Ingredients
 

US Customary - Metric

Birria

  • 4 guajillo chiles ($0.16)
  • 2 pasilla chiles ($0.08)
  • 2 ancho chiles ($0.10)
  • 4 morita chiles ($0.08)
  • 5 Roma tomatoes ($0.80)
  • ½ large white onion, quartered ($0.12)
  • 6 cloves garlic ($0.24)
  • 8 whole peppercorns ($0.02)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin ($0.01)
  • ½ teaspoon ginger ($0.01)
  • 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano ($0.06)
  • 1 teaspoon thyme ($0.02)
  • 2 whole cloves ($0.01)
  • ¼ cinnamon stick ($0.02)
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ($0.15)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth ($0.19)
  • 2 bay leaves ($0.02)

Mushrooms

  • 2 pounds oyster mushrooms, shredded ($4.83)
  • 3 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil ($0.33)
  • ½ tablespoon garlic powder ($0.01)
  • Salt & pepper to taste ($0.02)

For serving

  • 12-14 corn tortillas
  • Shredded vegan cheese
  • Neutral vegetable oil for frying
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Lime wedges
  • White onion, finely diced

Instructions
 

Broth

  • Using kitchen shears, stem the chiles and cut them open. Remove the seeds and veins and discard. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium, then dry toast them for ~30-60 seconds per side, or until fragrant.
  • Bring a saucepan of water to boil, then turn the heat off, add the chiles in, cover the pot, and let them rehydrate for 10-15 minutes, or until pliable.
  • Add tomatoes, roughly chopped onion, and garlic cloves to another pot of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 12-15 minutes.
  • Add the drained chiles, tomatoes, onions, and garlic cloves to a blender along with all of the spices (except the bay leaves), the apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Blend on high until smooth.
  • Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a large saucepan, working it through with a spoon or spatula. Add in 2-3 more cups of vegetable broth, and simmer for 35-40 minutes.

Mushrooms

  • In the meantime, remove the bottom portion of the oyster mushrooms, then shred them with your hands into small strips. Season with oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the strips, then set the bowl aside.
  • With 10-15 minutes remaining on the broth, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook the shredded mushrooms in batches until golden-brown and crispy (about 8-10 minutes per batch).
  • Add all cooked mushrooms back into the skillet with ~2 cups of birria and cook together for another few minutes.

Assembly

  • Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium. Dip a corn tortilla in the pot of broth then place it on the skillet. While it’s cooking, add a scoop of the mushrooms and a handful of shredded vegan cheese to one side of the tortilla.
  • Fold the tortilla over the fillings and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook on the second side until the outside is crispy and the cheese is melted. Continue this process until all of the tacos are made.
  • Serve with a garnish of diced white onions, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and a side of broth for dipping. Happy eating!

Video

Notes

  • Use freshly dried chiles — The flavors are much better when you use chiles that have been recently dried. They should feel pliable and already be fragrant at the store.
  • Make the tortillas — This recipe tastes extra delicious when you make your own corn tortillas.
  • Toast the spices — For even more fragrant and intense flavors, toast the whole spices in this recipe.
  • Slow-cook — For a well-balanced broth, simmer it low and slow to bring the flavors together.
  • Optional ingredients are not reflected in the price or calories of our recipes.
  • We calculate nutritional information for our recipes with Cronometer.
  • Recipe cost calculations are based on ingredients local to us and may vary from recipe to recipe. All prices are in USD.

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.4g | Protein: 4.7g | Fat: 7.1g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 342.8mg | Potassium: 490mg | Fiber: 4.6g | Sugar: 3.1g | Vitamin A: 728.1IU | Vitamin C: 5.2mg | Calcium: 44.5mg | Iron: 1.9mg
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