Birria Pizza

What is Birria Pizza?

Birra Pizza is a big beef birria taco but made with flour tortillas. 

It consists of layers of flour tortillas crisped up on the skillet and topped with birria and cheese. 

The origins of this pizza are unknown. Just like Birria Ramen, many Southern California restaurants claim to have invented it. 

My guess is that a version probably originated in Tijuana, Baja California, which is at the front of the birria movement and spread north, or in other words, to Southern California.

Ingredients

Here, the birria is already made. Don’t worry, we’ll go through the process on how to make it from scratch below. 

Traditionally, it’s made on the stove, but you can also make Instant Pot Birria or Slow Cooker Birria de Res. 

Look for the biggest tortillas you can find at the store. These are burrito-size tortillas. 

If you use smaller flour tortillas, you’ll make individual pizzas.

How to Make the Birria Sauce:

• Remove the stem on the end of the dried chiles. 
• Open the chiles and remove the seeds and veins. 
• Place in a pot and repeat until there are no more chiles left. 
• Cover the chiles with water and bring to a boil. 
• Add rehydrated chiles, spices, and water to a blender. 
• Blend until smooth. 

Do not use the water that was used to rehydrate the chiles. 

Dried chiles are a great place for bugs to hide, and you don’t want that in your sauce.  Instead, use clean water. 

Note: This sauce can be made in advance. Freezes well for up to 6 months. 

How to Cook the Beef:

• Heat the oil in the Instant Pot
• Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear on all sides. 
• Remove the beef from the pot and strain sauce into the pot. 
• Add water, seasonings, and return beef. 

Making birria in the instant pot is the easiest and fastest way. 

For a slow cooker: Follow the same steps of making the sauce and searing the meat. Then, cover and cook low for 8 hours, or high for 6 hours. 

For traditional stove top birria: Follow the same steps of making the sauce and searing the meat. Then cover and cook on medium for 1 1/2 hours. Check after 1 hour, and add 1 cup of beef broth.

• Move valve to sealing. 
• Cook in the instant pot. 
• Once the cycle is complete, move the valve to venting. 

The Instant Pot will make meat tender in NO TIME. 

After it’s done, taste the sauce for salt. Now’s the time to make any necessary adjustments. 

There should be plenty of consommé. If you prefer more, add 1 cup of beef broth. Let it stay in the warm pot to heat through.

• Remove beef from the instant pot and chop.
• Reserve the consommé (or broth). 

What is Mexican consommé made of?

Consommé, or sometimes called consomé, is the broth that remains after meat (beef, chicken, pork, or lamb) has been stewed.

It is usually clear in color, but since birria is made with a red chile sauce, the consommé takes on a deep red, garnet color. Some people will serve it as a soup, or in this case, an accompaniment to the main dish. 

Warning!

Leave as much of the consommé as possible in the pot. If  you make the pizza with juicy meat, the pizza will turn out soggy.

How to Assemble the Pizza

• Dip the flour tortilla in the consommé. 
• Place on a hot skillet, dipped side down. 
• Add cheese, chopped birria, cilantro, and onion. 
• Cook until the cheese is melted. 

What we’re making here is an open-faced birria quesadilla. 

Fat will move to the top of the pot as the consommé cools down. 

Dip the flour tortilla to pick up FAT. The fat will help crisp up the tortilla. 

What Type of Cheese to Use: Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or any cheese that melts well works in this recipe. 

We are making TWO open-faced birria quesadillas. 

Repeat the same process. 

Got leftovers? What a great way to use up leftovers and much easier to make than tacos!

Frozen Birria

Birria lasts up to 4 months in a sealable bag in the freezer. Defrost with 1 cup of beef broth. Use as normal. 

Set them aside as the top is cooking. 

At restaurants, they have one large flat top and can make the pizza in half the time. 

You can easily do it on a skillet. It’ll just take longer. 

So they won’t get cold, cover with aluminum foil or place in a warm oven.

To make the top, cook a single flour tortilla  dipped in consomme. Top with cheese. NO BIRRIA. 

Place one birria quesadilla on top of the other. 

FLIP the top tortilla (the one without birria). Place on top of the layered birria quesadillas, cheese side down. 

Slice with a pizza cutter, and it’s ready to serve!

What to Serve With It:

• Mexican Rice
• Refried Beans
• Salad
• Agua de Jamaica

Add lime, cilantro, and diced onion to a cup of warm consommé. Then, dunk a slice of this tasty birria pizza into the consommé and enjoy! 

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