Birria Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
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I love taking a simple grilled cheese and turning it into something a little more special. Some of my earliest dates with my husband were spent driving around Southern California chasing down the famous Grilled Cheese Truck – we even had it cater our wedding! This birria grilled cheese sandwich combines tender, flavorful shredded beef with a melty mix of mozzarella and pepper jack cheese, all sandwiched between buttery slices of Texas toast. Serve it with a side of warm consommé for dipping. It’s like a cross between a French dip and a grilled cheese! While I’ve included my authentic birria recipe below, this sandwich is also a delicious way to use up leftover birria meat from tacos or any other braised meat like short ribs or brisket. If you’re a fan of elevated grilled cheese, give this crab melt and sweet and spicy grilled cheese sandwich a try!
Why You’ll Love Birria Grilled Cheese
- Comfort food mashup. The cheeses melt wonderfully to balance the richness of the birria, and complement its deep, spiced flavor for the ultimate comforting sandwich.
- Repurpose leftovers. I love serving birria with consommé or as tacos and this is a great way to use up any leftover birria and consommé.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Beef – Boneless beef chuck roast is ideal for birria because it’s a tough cut that becomes tender and flavorful when slow-cooked. Its rich, beefy taste infuses the broth as it braises.
- Chilies – A blend of guajillo, ancho, and chile de árbol gives the broth depth, color, and spice. The chilies are rehydrated, then cleaned before blending into the sauce.
- Mozzarella – Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese melts well and gives that signature cheese pull you want with a grilled cheese.
- Pepper Jack – I use pepper jack with the mozzarella for a great buttery and melty cheese with a bit of heat. It’s great for melding flavors!
- Bread – I love making this sandwich with thick-cut Texas toast if you can find it!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Cheese: Adding a cheese like sharp Cheddar adds a little punch and contrast to the rich, fatty birria. It’s best used in small amounts or blended with a milder cheese. Monterey Jack is a great swap for the pepper jack. It’s buttery and smooth with a gentle flavor that doesn’t overpower the birria.
- Bread: If you can’t find Texas toast, I recommend substituting with another sturdy bread like sourdough or a country white loaf.
- Spices: Mexican oregano has a bold, earthy flavor with citrus notes. It’s different from Mediterranean oregano, but if unavailable, dried marjoram or regular oregano makes a fine substitute.
Pro Tip
Butter the outside of your bread with birria fat (from the top of the consommé) for extra flavor
Best Tips for Birria Grilled Cheese
- Sandwich the meat between the cheese. For the best structure, sandwich the birria meat between the cheese, as this keeps it in place and keeps the juices from the meat from making the bread soggy.
- Don’t add the consommé to the meat. While I typically add a few ladles of the consommé to the chopped meat to keep it extra juicy, it can make the sandwich soggy. Instead, I serve the sandwich with extra broth for dipping.
How to Make Birria Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (Step-by-step)
Add the guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles to a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove the stems and seeds, then reserve the soaking liquid.
Add the softened chiles to a blender along with the vinegar, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin, and 2 cups of the soaking liquid. Blend until smooth.
Heat the oven to 300ºF (150ºC). Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, then sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
Add the seared beef back to the pot and top with the chili mixture, onion, beef stock and 2 cups of water. Wrap the bay leaves, thyme, cinnamon stick and cloves in cheesecloth, tie to close and then add to the pot.
Bring to a boil, then cover and transfer to the oven. Braise until the beef is fork-tender, about 3 hours.
Remove the meat from the braising liquid to a cutting board. Let cool slightly, then chop the meat with a cleaver or large knife. Season the consommé broth and reserve for serving.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Spread the mayonnaise on one side of each of the bread. Add ½ tablespoon (8g) of the butter to the pan and allow to melt. Working in batches, place 2 slices of the bread, mayonnaise-side-down on the pan, and top each with ⅓ cup (65g) of the cheese. Pile ⅓ cup (75g) of the chopped birria meat onto one of the slices of bread.
Add an ice cube to the pan and cover, cooking until the cheese has melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Close the sandwich and continue cooking until crispy and golden-brown on both sides, about an additional minute on each.
Remove to a cutting board and cut in half. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
Serve the birria grilled cheese hot with a cup of the consommé for dipping, topped with some chopped onions and cilantro.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Birria is a slow-cooked Mexican stew made with tender, spiced meat—traditionally goat, but often beef in the U.S. The flavorful meat is served in corn tortillas dipped in the rich cooking broth, with a side of consommé for dipping.
Yes! Sear the beef in a pan (or in the slow cooker if yours has a sear option) as directed below, then add to a slow cooker and cook on high for 6 to 7 hours.
Yes! This sandwich is perfect for repurposing leftover birria meat and consommé from tacos.
Try slow-braised short ribs, brisket, or even pulled pork for a similarly rich, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Yes! I recommend using melty, buttery cheeses like Monterey Jack if you aren’t using the combination of mozzarella and pepper jack, but a cheese like sharp Cheddar adds a little punch and contrast to the rich, fatty birria.
Thick-cut white bread Texas toast or sturdy sourdough holds up beautifully to the fillings and dipping.
While the birria can be made 3 days ahead of time and stored refrigerated in airtight containers, I recommend making the grilled cheeses fresh just before serving for the best texture.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this recipe, give these other elevated-grilled cheese sandwiches a try:
Tried it? Loved it? Tweaked it? Leave a review below and tell me how it went – I’m all ears (and always hungry).
Birria Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
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Equipment:
Ingredients:
For the birria:
- 5 large guajillo chilies
- 4 large ancho chilies
- 4 chiles de arbol
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1½ cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2” chunks
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves
For assembling the grilled cheese:
- 8 slices thick-sliced Texas toast bread
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- Chopped white onion for serving
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions:
For the birria:
- Add the guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles to a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove the stems and seeds, then reserve the soaking liquid.
- Add the softened chiles to a blender along with the vinegar, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin, and 2 cups of the soaking liquid. Blend until smooth.
- Heat the oven to 300ºF (150ºC). Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, then sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
- Add the seared beef back to the pot and top with the chili mixture, onion, beef stock and 2 cups of water. Wrap the bay leaves, thyme, cinnamon stick and cloves in cheesecloth, tie to close and then add to the pot.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and transfer to the oven. Braise until the beef is fork-tender, about 3 hours.
- Remove the meat from the braising liquid to a cutting board. Let cool slightly, then chop the meat with a cleaver or large knife. Season the consommé broth and reserve for serving.
For assembling the grilled cheese:
- Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Spread the mayonnaise on one side of each of the bread. Add ½ tablespoon (8g) of the butter to the pan and allow to melt. Working in batches, place 2 slices of the bread, mayonnaise-side-down on the pan, and top each with ⅓ cup (65g) of the cheese. Pile ⅓ cup (75g) of the chopped birria meat onto one of the slices of bread.
- Add an ice cube to the pan and cover, cooking until the cheese has melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Close the sandwich and continue cooking until crispy and golden-brown on both sides, about an additional minute on each side.
- Remove to a cutting board and cut in half. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
- Serve the birria grilled cheese hot with a cup of the consommé for dipping, topped with some chopped onions and cilantro.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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Absolutely amazing. So comforting.
Delicious. No other words needed.
So glad you liked it!!